Fear of frivolous litigation and outrageous jury verdicts has caused manufacturers to limit distribution or stop production of life-saving implantable medical devices, pacemakers and stents. Seventy-five percent of suppliers of biomaterials used to make medical implants banned sales to U.S. manufacturers as a result of these fears. ("Biomaterials Availability: a Vital Health Care Industry Hangs in the Balance," Aronoff Associates for HIMA; "How FDA Regulation and Injury Litigation Cripple the Medical Device Industry," Policy Analysis 412, August 28, 2001)