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DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant Lawsuits Piling Up
DePuy Orthopaedics, a subsidiary of health care giant Johnson & Johnson, has been facing its fair share of problems over its defective ASR XL Acetabular System total hip replacement and it ASR Hip resurfacing system. Now, Drugwatch .com has revealed that as of November of this year, DePuy is facing nearly 2,700 lawsuits over its Pinnacle Hip Implants.
Unlike the ASR and ASR XL hip implant systems, the Pinnacle implant has yet to be recalled by Johnson & Johnson. DePuy currently is facing some 6,200 hip implant lawsuits for injuries from recalled ASR devices.
The burgeoning number of Pinnacle lawsuits, which have been filed in federal court, may be consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL). An MDL consolidates cases that are similar in claims and scope to streamline the discovery phase. The first trial in the Pinnacle MDL is scheduled for May 2014.
Many of the lawsuits filed over the Pinnacle hip implants claim that the devices are defective and can cause serious adverse complications. Litigants claim that the metal-on-metal components rub against each other, which make the implants prone to early failure. This can lead to painful and potentially dangerous revision surgeries. There are also concerns about metallosis, a blood poisoning caused by microscopic bits of chromium and cobalt being released into the blood stream.
If you’ve been the victim of a Pinnacle hip implant failure that requires corrective surgery or have suffered adverse effects due to a defective DePuy hip implant device, a California hip implant failure lawyer at the Law Offices of Renée J. Nordstrand can help you hold the company liable for the losses and damages you’ve experienced. We are dedicated to obtaining maximum compensation for our clients
Contact our Southern California Offices in Encino (818) 981-3530 if you have a question about your legal rights. Your consultation is free.
The Lasting Effects of the DePuy Hip Implant Recall
DePuy recalled a hip replacement system known as the ASR XL Acetabluar System in 2010. Many patients who received this implant have had problems with the implant, which requires replacement or revision surgery. They have suffered pain, lost wages, medical expenses and inconvenience.
The DePuy ASR XL Acetabluar System was marketed in the United States in 2005 and placed in thousands of patients. Since 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received hundreds of claims of problems about this implant. In March 2010 Johnson & Johnson, the parent company of DePuy, admitted that the ASR XL Acetabluar System had a much higher than expected failure rate and in August 2010, recalled the product. As a result of the defect, many patients must have the ASR XL Acetabluar System removed from their body and replaced. Patients may be left with significant long-term health problems as a result of the defective product.
As consumers, we trust and expect that the products we purchase and use are safe and free of any design flaw or manufacturing defect that could cause injury, illness, or death. This is especially the case with medical devices and implant systems. Unfortunately, due to various forms of negligence and oversight, defective and poorly designed products often make their way onto the market, causing consumers to suffer harm.
At the Law Offices of Renee J. Nordstrand, our Santa Barbara defective product attorneys have the legal skills and resources to hold negligent manufacturers legally responsible for consumer injury or wrongful death. If you or someone you care about has experienced DePuy hip implant failure, our lawyers can help you obtain compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages. For a free consultation, call (805) 962-2022.
DePuy Orthopaedics ASR Hip Implant Failure Statistics Prompts Recall
One of the most common ailments, especially for older adults, is arthritis, and one of the most commonly replaced joints is the hip. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, about 750,000 patients with advanced painful arthritis have a total hip replacement annually in the U.S. These patients trust that the surgery will improve their quality of life and restore mobility. Unfortunately, this is not the case with DePuy ASR hip implants.
DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, introduced the ASR XL Acetabular hip implant system in the U.S. in 2005. It sported an innovative metal-on-metal design, as opposed to the traditional metal ball inserted into a plastic cup of its predecessors. The ASR was constructed, not by developing a whole new product, but by retrofitting a metal alloy cup from the ASR Hip Resurfacing System onto a standard hip implant. DePuy did not conduct clinical trials for the ASR.
In 2010, after the DePuy artificial hip system had already been implanted in about 100,000 Americans, the National Joint Registry (NJR) of England and Wales released data showing a high rate of replacement, or revision, for the ASR. The data revealed a five-year revision rate of an estimated 13 percent for the ASR XL Acetabular System and 12 percent for the ASR Hip Resurfacing System, although the later was not used in the U.S. Additional reports concluded that 21 percent of DePuy ASR hip systems had to be replaced by four years. This jumps to 49 percent by six years. With this information, DePuy recalled the ASR XL artificial hip implants on August 24, 2010.
Hip replacement surgery is not a simple process; it is an invasive operation which requires months of recovery and rehabilitation. If the hip implant fails, the patient’s subjected to a hip revision surgery. Even if the hip implant does not completely fail, it could cause serious complications such as heavy metal poisoning and tumors around the implant. In any case, it is likely that the patient would experience increased pain and discomfort.
At the Law Offices of Renee J. Nordstrand, our dedicated Santa Barbara DePuy hip implant failure lawyers are dedicated to obtaining maximum compensation for each patient harmed by DePuy’s negligent hip implant testing and manufacturing. If you have suffered as the result of the DePuy implant in California, contact us today free consultation. Call (805) 962-2022.