Over 268,000 heart disease patients nationwide experienced a shocking warning when informed that the Medtronics defibrillator that had been surgically implanted in them in order to treat heart arrhythmia had potentially faulty electric wires, or leads. More specifically, Medtronics cautioned that the leads could fracture on the devices, thus causing shocks, audible alerts, and even a few deaths. Medtronics did not recommend surgery to replace the faulty leads due to the potential risks of the surgical procedures involved in doing so. Previously, Medtronics had also warned consumers with certain implanted defibrillators that a battery shorting mechanism might cause rapid battery depletion in some cases. As a result of these disclosures, numerous lawsuits have been filed against Medtronics due to the newly discovered dangers for patients living with the surgically implanted devices. Therefore, if you or a family member has been implanted with the relevant Medtronics device, you may wish to consult an attorney in order to be advised of your legal rights.