MEDICAL
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An Irvine law firm said Friday that since July, it has settled five lawsuits involving artificial heart valves manufactured by Shiley Inc., an Irvine medical products firm.
Capretz & Kasdan, the law firm, said it agreed not to disclose the amounts of the settlements paid to those whose Shiley heart valves malfunctioned or to their relatives. The last of the settlement money was received from Shiley earlier this week, according to Vance C. Simonds Jr., an attorney handling the cases for Capretz & Kasdan.
More than 30 lawsuits involving the Bjork-Shiley convexo-concave mechanical heart valve have been settled to date, according to the Public Citizens Health Research Group in Washington, which has been acting as a clearinghouse of information for the plaintiffs.
Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of the nonprofit organization founded by Ralph Nader, said Shiley has been settling wrongful death lawsuits involving its heart valves for as much as $1 million a case.
More than 130 suits have been filed against Shiley, which discontinued the valve in 1986. Shiley officials could not be reached for comment Friday on the latest settlements.
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