Sasso Rick (Rick Sasso)

Biography

2018: Medtronic will pay $112.5 million for the low fees

At the end of November, 2018 the court obliged Medtronic company to pay to the surgeon and the inventor of the Polish origin Rick Sasso of $112.5 million on a result of the claim submitted by it.

Doctor Sasso claimed that the producer of the medical equipment Medtronic with which he cooperated for many years paid him too low fee for the inventions implemented in production. Sasso registered the first patent in 1994 for the device for orthopedic stabilization of cervical department of a backbone. The jury trial considered case within a month before it solved it for benefit of the inventor.

At the end of November, 2018 the court obliged Medtronic company to pay to the surgeon and the inventor of the Polish origin Rick Sasso of $112.5 million on a result of the claim submitted by it

The decision was made on November 27, 2018 by the chairman of district court. Doctor Russo refrained from comments, however one of members of his team of lawyers told that the inventor and his wife are very glad to the outcome of the case. According to the lawyer, doctor Russo interested not money, and creation of a precedent which in the future will help such inventors as he which aim to help patients and colleagues.

However the representative of Medtronic Sara Thatcher said that the company does not agree with court's decision. In the official statement of the company it is said that cooperation between specialists in the scientific and design sphere and industrial production has the vital value for implementation of the innovative technologies and improvement of quality of treatment. Medtronic considers that it fairly estimated an intellectual deposit of doctor Russo and paid it the due amount.

As stated in the statement, Medtronic appreciates the relations with doctors, but considers that in this case the claimant tried to obtain the payments much exceeding the cost of his contribution to case of the company.

We respect and we appreciate the judicial system, but are disappointed with court's decision on this question. We estimate a possibility of the appeal and we are going to appeal against sentence on the different bases — reported in Medtronic.[1]

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