Food And Drug Administration

Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) prevailed in a civil lawsuit that accused it of negligence in its training of doctors using the company's surgical robot machines, a victory as it looks to counter criticisms that its da Vinci machines are unsafe and too costly.The suit, filed in Kitsap County in Washington state, had sought $8.45 million in compensatory damages in connection to the death of Fred Taylor, who had his prostate gland removed with a da Vinci robot in 2008 and died four years later. The plaintiffs alleged that complications that occurred during the surgery were the cause of Mr. Taylor's death.A jury, however, decided Intuitive hadn't been negligent in its training of the surgeons who performed Mr. Taylor's prostate removal, the culmination of a five-week trial that examined the company's training and marketing practices.Intuitive's stock price has been under pressure in recent months as investors have grown more concerned about criticism of the da Vinci's cost-effectiveness an...

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