LINX Device Recall Lawsuit Filed Over Risk of Bead Separation Complications

Complaint joins a growing number of lawsuits filed in recent years, following a May 2018 LINX recall issued amid reports of the acid reflux separating or breaking after it was implanted.

A New Jersey man has filed a lawsuit again the manufacturers of the LINX acid reflux device, indicating that he had to undergo surgery after he was implanted with a recalled and allegedly defective device intended to control his gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Lonnie Brody in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on December 4, naming Torax Medical Inc. and Ethicon Inc. as defendants.

LINX devices were first developed by Torax before the company was acquired by Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit in 2017. They use a small ring of magnetic beads connected by titanium wires, which surgeons place around the lower esophageal sphincter to help keep stomach acid from washing back into the esophagus, a condition commonly known as GERD.

However, the acid refulx device has been the focus of growing safety concerns, following reports of LINX bead separation inside the body, which has been linked to serious patient injuries.

LINX Device Recall

Although the LINX Reflux Management System was marketed as a safe alternative for patients whose GERD symptoms do not respond to proton pump inhibitors, problems have emerged where the magnetic beads separate from the connecting wires.

In May 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a LINX device recall, impacting about 9,100 units, after determining that a manufacturing defect could allow the beads to detach, potentially causing the device to migrate, damage nearby organs or lead to other serious complications.

Since the recall, a rising number of patients have filed LINX lawsuits alleging that they were left with devastating injuries after the device failed, including issues with bead separation, migration of the device into the esophagus and other complications, which often result in the need for revision surgeries to remove broken or malfunctioning implants.

According to his lawsuit, Brody underwent surgery in July 2019 to receive a LINX implant intended to control chronic GERD symptoms. However, he alleges the device ultimately required another invasive procedure in September 2025 to have it removed.

The complaint states that Torax and Ethicon manufactured the device using processes that did not comply with FDA-approved specifications or quality-control requirements. Brody argues the implant he received deviated from the design and manufacturing standards submitted to the agency and therefore entered the marketplace in a defective and unreasonably dangerous condition.

The lawsuit also highlights that the LINX device implanted in Brody was among more than 9,000 units affected by the May 2018 recall. That action was taken after Torax determined that a manufacturing defect could cause the magnetic beads to separate from the connecting wire, leaving the ring incomplete and at risk of failing inside the body.

Brody contends that Torax and Ethicon failed to prevent non-conforming devices from entering the market and violated multiple FDA manufacturing regulations that require adequate testing, inspection and process controls. He claims those failures directly contributed to the device’s malfunction and to the need for removal surgery that he underwent.

“Specifically, the LINX implanted in Plaintiff was manufactured in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Medical Device Amendments, and federal regulations promulgated under these laws and administered by the FDA.”

— Lonnie Brody v. Torax Medical Inc. et al

The complaint raises allegations of strict liability, negligence and negligence per se against both companies, asserting they had a duty to manufacture the LINX implant according to federal standards. Brody is seeking compensatory damages for medical expenses, pain, suffering and other losses tied to the defective device.

LINX Acid Reflux Device Lawsuits

Concerns about potential failures with LINX devices have intensified since the manufacturer pulled LINX implants from certain foreign markets in September 2025, raising questions about whether more patients may experience breakages that could lead to lasting or permanent injuries.

Because of the seriousness of the reported problems, attorneys are now reviewing additional LINX injury claims and pursuing compensation for patients who experienced complications, including:

• The need for revision surgery or removal of the device
• Device breakage or mechanical failure
• Migration of the implant
• Organ punctures or tissue damage

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