Torax Medical LINX Lawsuit Trial Expected in November 2028

Patient required surgery to remove broken titanium wire and magnetic beads from inside his body.

A federal judge has ordered attorneys involved in a product liability lawsuit alleging that a LINX Reflux Management System broke apart inside a man’s body to have the case ready for trial by November 27, 2028.

Deral Vincent filed the LINX reflux lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on July 30, naming Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries Torax Medical Inc. and Ethicon Inc. as defendants.

Vincent alleges that the manufacturers sold a defective medical implant that failed after being surgically placed around his esophagus, exposing him to serious complications. The lawsuit also points to a 2018 LINX recall, which involved a manufacturing defect that could cause the device’s magnetic beads to separate from their connecting wires.

Torax LINX Implant Failures

The FDA approved the LINX Reflux Management System in March 2012 as a treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition that allows stomach acid to flow backward into the esophagus, causing chronic heartburn and other complications.

The implant consists of a small ring of magnetic titanium beads connected by wires, which is surgically placed around the lower esophageal sphincter. The magnetic beads are designed to keep the sphincter closed to prevent acid reflux while expanding to allow food and liquids to pass into the stomach.

However, reports of LINX device failures raised concerns that the connecting wires could break, allowing the magnetic beads to separate and potentially compromise the implant’s ability to control acid reflux. Device failures may cause recurring GERD symptoms, difficulty swallowing, pain and other complications, sometimes requiring additional surgery to remove the implant.

In May 2018, Torax Medical initiated a recall of certain LINX devices after identifying a manufacturing problem that could allow a bead to separate from an adjacent wire link. The FDA subsequently classified the action as a Class II recall, acknowledging a potential risk of adverse health consequences from the affected implants.

The recall has since become a central issue in several LINX lawsuits, with plaintiffs alleging that the manufacturers failed to adequately prevent device failures or warn about the potential need for additional surgery when the implants break apart.

LINX Lawsuit Schedule

Vincent’s lawsuit claims that his LINX broke, resulting in the return of his GERD symptoms and the need for removal surgery in April 2025. He presents claims of manufacturing defect, negligence, negligence per se and strict liability, seeking compensatory damages.

Late last month, U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright issued a pretrial scheduling order (PDF), setting a list of key deadlines counsel will need to meet to have Vincent’s lawsuit ready for a three-day jury trial “on or about November 27, 2028.”

“The parties are expected to work cooperatively throughout this litigation to narrow the issues in dispute, to use reasonable, good faith and proportional efforts to preserve, request, identify and produce relevant information and resolve discovery disputes, and to keep the Court timely informed of developments in the case that could significantly affect the case management schedule.”

– U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright

The schedule calls for fact discovery procedures to be completed by January 26, 2028, with expert discovery completed by May 26, 2028. All dispositive motions are to be served, filed and heard by July 26, 2028.

Torax Medical LINX Lawsuits

Vincent’s claim and similar Torax Medical LINX lawsuits are being filed in the District of Minnesota, which is where Torax Medical is headquartered.

LINX lawsuit attorneys are currently reviewing additional potential LINX lawsuits and expect the number of claims to continue to rise as more patients implanted with the devices experience failures causing serious injuries and requiring additional medical procedures. Compensation could be available to individuals who have suffered injuries or complications due to:

• Device failures
• Migration and organ punctures
• Need for additional revision surgery to remove a failed device

Attorneys investigating these cases offer free consultations and case evaluations to help individuals determine whether they may qualify for financial compensation through a LINX Reflux lawsuit or settlement involving injuries and complications linked to an allegedly defective device.

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