Suing Ethicon

The New Jersey Supreme Court has held that a medical doctor employed by a medical device manufacturing company is protected by the state’s whistleblower laws.

From the court’s summary

In this appeal, the Court considers whether an employee, whose job duties entail knowing or securing compliance with a relevant standard of care and knowing when an employer’s actions or proposed actions deviate from that standard of care, may invoke the whistleblower protections afforded under N.J.S.A. 34:19-3 of the Conscientous [sic] Employee Protection Act (CEPA or Act), N.J.S.A. 34:19-1 to -14.

Plaintiff Joel S. Lippman, M.D., was employed by defendant Ethicon, Inc., a subsidiary of defendant Johnson & Johnson, Inc., a manufacturer of medical devices used for surgical procedures, from July 2000 until his termination in May 2006. For the majority of his employment, plaintiff served as worldwide vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer of Ethicon. He was responsible for safety, medical reviews, and medical writing. Plaintiff served on multiple internal review boards, including a quality board that was created to assess the health risks posed by Ethicon’s products and provide medical input regarding any necessary corrective measures with respect to their products in the field. On numerous occasions, plaintiff objected to the proposed or continued sale and distribution of certain Ethicon medical products on the basis that they were medically unsafe and that their sale violated various federal and state laws and regulations.

In some instances, plaintiff opined that a particular product should not go to market, should be recalled, or that further research was necessary. Although he received “push back” from executives and other members of the boards whose interest and expertise aligned with Ethicon’s business priorities, Ethicon ultimately followed many of his recommendations. In April 2006, plaintiff advocated the recall of a particular product that he believed was dangerous, and it was eventually recalled in late April or early May 2006. On May 15, 2006, Ethicon terminated plaintiff’s employment.

Held

CEPA’s protections extend to the performance of regular job duties by watchdog employees. Unless and until the Legislature expresses its intent to differentiate among the classes of employees who are entitled to CEPA protection, there can be no additional burden imposed on watchdog employees seeking CEPA protection…

Although the Court agrees with the Appellate Division’s finding that watchdog employees are entitled to CEPA protection when performing their ordinary job duties, it disagrees with the panel’s reformulation of the elements required to establish a prima facie CEPA claim, as set forth in Dzwonar v. McDevitt, 177 N.J. 451, 462 (2003). The panel’s requirement that watchdog employees demonstrate pursuit and exhaustion of all internal means of securing compliance is incompatible with prior precedent and imposes an obligation nowhere found in the statutory language. Where the Legislature intended to impose an exhaustion requirement, it has said so clearly. Consequently, the Court modifies the Appellate Division judgment to the extent that it imposed an exhaustion requirement not supported by the statute’s terms. CEPA imposes no additional requirements on watchdog employees bringing a CEPA claim unless and until the Legislature expresses its intent that such employees meet a special or heightened burden. (pp. 35-38.

The judgment below was affirmed as modified and the case was remanded. (Mike Frisch)