When and How to Defer to the FDA: Learning from Michigan's Regulatory Compliance Defense

25 Pages Posted: 26 Jun 2009 Last revised: 20 Jul 2009

See all articles by Jason C. Miller

Jason C. Miller

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: May 10, 2009

Abstract

Should FDA approval of a drug affect products liability litigation? This remains one of the most debated questions in the law. Although the Supreme Court recently held that state tort law is not forced to defer to the FDA's finding that a drug is safe through preemption, states remain free to defer to the FDA by providing a regulatory compliance defense in state substantive law. Michigan made exactly such a choice in enacting the only complete defense for FDA-approved drugs. Compliance with FDA regulations conclusively establishes a lack of products liability under Michigan law. With preemption seemingly off the table after Wyeth v. Levine, advocates of greater deference to the FDA may use Michigan as a model for legislation in other states. Much can be learned from examining Michigan's law.

Michigan's regulatory compliance defense properly recognizes that an FDA-approved drug carrying an FDA-approved label should not be considered defective. However, the statute's absolute immunity provides no compensation for injured parties in any circumstance, including situations where the FDA process has failed to protect consumers. This Note examines the question of FDA approval in state tort actions, discusses Michigan's answer to that question, and offers a proposal that would block most private actions against FDA-approved drugs (as Michigan has done), but would allow a state attorney general to bring suits in certain circumstances. The state attorney general model detailed in this Note stakes out a middle ground in the debate over the significance of FDA approval. The proposal recognizes the primacy of the FDA, but also recognizes the need for a back-up that can provide deterrence and compensation in the few cases that slip through the FDA's regulatory cracks.

Keywords: FDA approval, tort law, products liability, regulatory compliance defense, preemption

Suggested Citation

Miller, Jason C., When and How to Defer to the FDA: Learning from Michigan's Regulatory Compliance Defense (May 10, 2009). Michigan Telecommunications and Technology Law Review, Vol. 15, p. 565, 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1425564

Jason C. Miller (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

No Address Available

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
165
Abstract Views
2,347
Rank
325,734
PlumX Metrics