Medical device manufacturer Exactech has agreed to pay $8 million to settle allegations that it concealed defects in a popular line of artificial knee implants, which have been blamed for thousands of patient injuries in lawsuits.
The settlement resolves two whistleblower lawsuits alleging the Gainesville-based company violated the federal False Claims Act by billing government health care programs such as Medicare for knee replacement parts it knew were defective.
“Patients who need a medical device to enjoy their lives rely on device manufacturers to put patient safety first. When a manufacturer learns that its device is defective, it must promptly and transparently address the problem,” Kelly Hayes, U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, said in announcing the settlement this week…