Riegel v. Medtronic, the U.S. Supreme Court delved into the thorny issue of who is best positioned to reconcile often competing interests in protecting public safety with protecting the market for medical devices. The idea that a jury of lay people is better able to decide about the appropriate design and labeling of a complex medical device, rather than scores of FDA experts, defies logic. Absent federal pre-emption, companies could face verdicts dictating standards that differ in every state.