St. Jude Medical Inc.

A lawsuit has been filed and is seeking class action status against the implantable cardiac device maker alleging pacemaker wire defects can result in heart puncturing. The lawsuit was filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto on behalf of Canadian patients with implanted Riata defibrillators. The device is used to monitor the heart and shock it back into normal rhythm. The complaint claims the leads should be removed from the market. One patient had to undergo several corrective surgeries after the wire from the Riata device dislodged and punctured her heart in 2007.