The Learned Intermediary Doctrine Gains Another Foothold in West Virginia

In January, this author lauded a West Virginia federal court's recognition of the learned intermediary doctrine in Tyree v. Boston Scientific Corp., 56 F. Supp. 3d 826 (S.D. W. Va. 2014) (Goodwin, J.). See Jennifer A. Foster, "A Surprising Win for the Learned Intermediary Doctrine in West Virginia," Products Liability Litig. (ABA Section of Litig.), Jan. 6, 2015. Just five short months after the Tyree ruling, another West Virginia federal judge rallied additional support for the learned intermediary doctrine in the state in O'Bryan v. Synthes, Inc., No. 5:13-cv-25981, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 32361 (S.D. W. Va. Mar. 17, 2015) (Berger, J.). This trend creates a welcome boon for medical device manufacturers facing products liability litigation in the courts of West Virginia.