Published
July 6, 2026
Spinal cord stimulators are implanted to quiet chronic pain. These lawsuits are from patients who say the device instead failed them — with fractured leads, lost relief, and more surgery. In June 2026 the Boston Scientific cases were consolidated into an MDL.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes ongoing lawsuits. The statements below are unproven allegations. No manufacturer has been found liable, no class has been certified, and there is no settlement or claim form at this time. This page is informational and is not legal or medical advice.
What Is This About?
A spinal cord stimulator (SCS) is a small device surgically implanted near the spine to treat chronic pain by delivering mild electrical pulses through thin wires called leads. For some patients they provide real relief. But a growing number of lawsuits allege that these devices can fail in ways that cause serious harm — and in June 2026, the cases reached a milestone when a multidistrict litigation was created to handle them.In a transfer order dated June 5, 2026, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation established MDL No. 3181, In re Boston Scientific Corporation Spinal Cord Stimulator Products Liability Litigation, centralizing spinal cord stimulator lawsuits against Boston Scientific before U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (an initial group of about a dozen cases). Notably, the panel centralized only the Boston Scientific cases and declined to create a single industrywide MDL that would have swept in other manufacturers. No manufacturer has been found liable, and the allegations remain unproven.
Status
Litigation Ongoing · MDL Created June 2026
In re Boston Scientific Corp. Spinal Cord Stimulator Products Liability Litigation · MDL No. 3181 · C.D. Cal. · Judge Staton · transfer order June 5, 2026
Allegation
Implanted pain devices can fail — lead fractures, migration, revision surgery
Boston Scientific complaints allege inadequate clinical evaluation and failure to warn of risks
Can I Claim?
No online claim form
These are individual injury lawsuits, not a class action with a claim form
What the Lawsuits Allege
The lawsuits allege that spinal cord stimulators can malfunction and injure the patients they were meant to help. Commonly alleged problems include fractured or broken leads, leads that migrate out of position, loss of the pain relief the device was supposed to provide, unwanted jolts or stimulation, infection, and — critically — the need for additional surgery to revise, reposition, or remove the device. Because the leads sit near the spinal cord, complications and corrective surgeries carry real risk.The Boston Scientific complaints go further on the regulatory side. They allege the company failed to comply with applicable requirements, brought devices and modifications to market through a series of premarket-approval (PMA) supplements without adequate clinical evaluation of their safety, and did not fully disclose the risks to patients and physicians. As with any complaint, these are allegations only; no court has found that Boston Scientific's devices are defective or that the company did anything wrong.
What an MDL Is — and Isn't
It is important to understand what MDL 3181 means. A multidistrict litigation gathers many similar individual lawsuits from around the country before a single federal judge to handle pretrial matters — things like document discovery, expert issues, and bellwether trials — efficiently and consistently. It is not a class action: each plaintiff keeps their own separate case and their own alleged injuries, and there is no single class or online claim form to join.Creating an MDL is a case-management step. It reflects that enough similar cases exist to justify coordination; it is not a ruling that the devices are defective or that the company is liable. Those questions are decided later, through motions, bellwether trials, or a potential global settlement.
Which Manufacturers Are Involved?
Spinal cord stimulators are made by several major medical-device companies, and lawsuits have been filed against more than one. Plaintiffs have brought SCS claims against Boston Scientific, Abbott (formerly St. Jude Medical), Medtronic, and Nevro. As of June 2026, only the Boston Scientific cases were centralized into MDL 3181; claims involving the other manufacturers continue on their own tracks. If you have a spinal cord stimulator, the manufacturer and model of your specific device matter a great deal to any potential claim.Is There a Settlement Yet?
No. This is active litigation, not a settlement.That means there is no settlement fund, no class-action claim form, and no deadline to file a claim online. These are individual personal-injury cases. Someone who believes a spinal cord stimulator injured them would pursue their own lawsuit with an attorney — there is nothing to "sign up" for on a website, and any site promising a guaranteed spinal cord stimulator payout in exchange for a fee or your bank details should be treated with caution.
Who Might Be Affected?
The litigation generally involves people who were implanted with a spinal cord stimulator and then experienced device failure or complications that required additional medical care or surgery. Whether any particular person has a viable claim depends on their specific device, their injuries, and the timeline — medical and legal questions that a qualified attorney and treating physicians evaluate individually. This page cannot assess an individual claim.If you have a spinal cord stimulator and are having problems, the most important step is medical: talk to your doctor about your symptoms and options. Keeping your device records — manufacturer, model, implant and any revision dates, and records of complications — is also useful.
What Happens Next?
With MDL 3181 established, the Boston Scientific cases will move into coordinated pretrial proceedings before Judge Staton, likely including the selection of bellwether cases whose outcomes can shape how the broader litigation is valued. The cases against other manufacturers will continue separately. Any of these tracks could take years and could be narrowed, tried, or resolved through settlement along the way.OpenClassActions.com will continue watching the MDL docket and related filings for major developments, including case-management orders, bellwether trial dates, and any settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a spinal cord stimulator settlement yet?
No. These are ongoing individual lawsuits, some now coordinated in MDL 3181, not a settlement. There is no fund and no online claim form.What is MDL 3181?
A multidistrict litigation created in June 2026 to centralize spinal cord stimulator lawsuits against Boston Scientific before Judge Josephine L. Staton in the Central District of California. It coordinates individual cases; it is not a class action.Which companies are being sued?
Boston Scientific, Abbott (St. Jude Medical), Medtronic, and Nevro have all faced SCS lawsuits. Only the Boston Scientific cases are in MDL 3181; the others proceed separately.What should I do if my device is failing?
Talk to your doctor first — that is a medical issue. Keep your device records. Whether you have a legal claim is an individual question for a qualified attorney.Sources
• U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation — MDL statistics and transfer orders (official JPML site): JPML• U.S. FDA — spinal cord stimulator information and device safety communications: FDA — Medical Devices
• U.S. District Court, Central District of California — MDL No. 3181 docket, via CourtListener: CourtListener Docket Search
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Status
Litigation Ongoing — MDL Created June 2026
MDL
MDL No. 3181 — In re Boston Scientific Corp. SCS Products Liability Litigation (transfer order June 5, 2026)
Court
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
Judge
Hon. Josephine L. Staton
Manufacturers
Boston Scientific (MDL) · Abbott · Medtronic · Nevro (separate)
Official Court Page
CourtListener Docket
