Partner Frederick Stearns Quoted in Article on Breast Implant Study's Impact on Litigation

Keller and Heckman Partner Frederick Stearns was quoted in a June 18, 2012, Law360.com article titled, "EU Breast Implant Study Won't Help Litigation Targets." The article discussed how a study by U.K. government researchers—which found that faulty breast implants made by a now-defunct French company did not appear to cause cancer or other significant health problems—will impact ongoing litigation over the products.

The breast implants were taken off the European Union market in 2010 after an investigation triggered by a spike in implant ruptures found that the manufacturer had fraudulently used industrial silicone instead of medical-grade silicone. Recipients of the implants and other groups sued clinics that performed the surgeries and the organization that certified the products, in place of the defunct manufacturer.

Discussing the report's impact on the litigation, Mr. Stearns noted that while the report does not harm the defendants' position, the findings will not likely serve as a deciding factor in their favor either.

"The report is not likely to have an earth-shattering impact," Mr. Stearns stated in the article. He added that plaintiffs have or will put forward their own evidence regarding the injuries allegedly caused by the implants, minimizing the importance of the report's findings on the products' health effects.