Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_16-cv-01072/USCOURTS-casd-3_16-cv-01072-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 365
Nature of Suit: Personal Injury - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332pl Diversity-Product Liability

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16-CV-1072-CAB-(WVC)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LESTER HAYES,

Plaintiff,

v.

WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, 

INC., a Delaware corporation; and 

WRIGHT MEDICAL GROUP, INC., a 

Delaware corporation,

Defendants.

Case No.: 16-CV-1072-CAB-(WVC)

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S 

MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE A 

FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT 

[Doc. No. 25]

This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff’s motion for leave to file a first 

amended complaint. [Doc. No. 25.] For the reasons discussed below, the motion is 

GRANTED.

I. Background

On May 3, 2016, Plaintiff filed this action alleging a variety of common law tort 

claims arising out of the failure of Defendants’ hip replacement device. [Doc. No. 1.] 

On October 7, 2016, this Court dismissed without prejudice the manufacturing 

defect, breach of implied warranty, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, 

and negligent misrepresentation claims. [Doc. No. 15.] In that order, Plaintiff was given 

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until October 21, 2016 to file an amended complaint consistent with the Court’s 

instructions. [Id.] 

On October 21, 2016, Defendant Wright Medical Technology (“Wright”) filed its 

answer. [Doc. No. 19.]

On November 19, 2016, Plaintiff sought leave to amend his complaint to add 

MicroPort as an additional defendant in this matter. [Doc. No. 25.] Defendant Wright 

has not opposed the motion. 

No scheduling order has been issued.

II. Discussion

Plaintiff seeks leave to amend under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(a), which 

states “[t]he court shall freely give when justice so requires.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(2). 

Courts commonly use four factors to determine the propriety of a motion for leave to 

amend: bad faith, undue delay, prejudice to the opposing party, and futility of 

amendment. Ditto v. McCurdy, 510 F.3d 1070, 1078-79 (9th Cir. 2007); Loehr v. 

Ventura Cnty. Cmty. Coll. Dist., 743 F.2d 1310, 1319 (9th Cir. 1984); Howey v. United 

States, 481 F.2d 1187, 1190 (9th Cir. 1973). “When weighing these factors . . . all 

inferences should be made in favor of granting the motion to amend.” Hofstetter v. 

Chase Home Fin., LLC, 751 F. Supp. 2d 1116, 1122 (N.D. Cal 2010) (citing Griggs v. 

Pace Am. Grp., Inc., 170 F.3d 877, 880 (9th Cir. 1999)).

The Ninth Circuit has held that “it is the consideration of prejudice to the opposing 

party that carries the greatest weight.” Eminence Capital, LLC v. Aspeon, Inc., 316 F.3d 

1048, 1052 (9th Cir. 2003). “Absent prejudice, or a strong showing of any of the 

remaining Foman factors, there exists a presumption under Rule 15(a) in favor of 

granting leave to amend.” Id. The fact that Defendant did not oppose this motion 

supports the conclusion that there is no prejudice. Therefore, this factor weighs in favor 

of granting leave to amend.

“[A] proposed amendment is futile only if no set of facts can be proved under the 

amendment to the pleadings that would constitute a valid and sufficient claim or 

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defense.” Miller v. Rykoff-Sexton, Inc., 845 F.2d 209, 214 (9th Cir. 1988). Futile 

amendments to a complaint should not be permitted. DCD Programs, Ltd. v. Leighton, 

833 F.2d 183, 188 (9th Cir. 1987) (citations omitted.). Here, the amended complaint 

alleges that when MicroPort acquired the OrthoRecon Division of Wright in 2014, it 

engaged in the manufacture, labeling, marketing, promotion, and distribution of the 

PROFEMUR® Total Hip System implanted in Plaintiff. [Doc. No. 25-2 ¶¶ 54, 57.] 

Further, it alleges that following the acquisition and prior to the failure of Plaintiff’s hip 

device, MicroPort became aware of issues surrounding the PROFEMUR® modular neck 

component.1 [Id. ¶¶ 56, 99, 104.] Additionally, it is alleged that despite knowing about 

the likelihood of failure, MicroPort did not warn of the potential danger for fracture until 

it issued a limited voluntary recall in August 2016, two months after the device implanted 

in Plaintiff failed. [Id. ¶¶ 55, 57.] At this early stage in the litigation, the Court cannot 

conclude that amendment of Plaintiff’s complaint to add MicroPort as a Defendant would 

be futile. 

Plaintiff has filed his motion approximately 61⁄2 months after filing the original 

complaint, which weights in favor of granting the leave to amend. There is nothing in the 

record to suggest that the leave to amend is being sought in bad faith, therefore there is no 

cause to deny the leave to amend on this basis.

III. Conclusion

Plaintiff’s motion for leave to file a first amended complaint is GRANTED. The 

Clerk SHALL DOCKET Exhibit A attached to Plaintiff’s motion for leave to file amended 

complaint [Doc. No. 25-2] as Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint. Defendants 

//

//

//

 

1 The PROFEMUR® Total Hip System is compromised of the PROFEMUR® modular neck component 

and the PROFEMUR® stem component. 

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shall respond to Plaintiff’s amended complaint within the limits established by the Federal 

Rules of Civil Procedure.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 28, 2016

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