It’s being called “the most widespread medical implant failure in decades.” For many, it’s a detriment to their quality of life.
We’re referring to the numerous artificial hip implant recalls and ensuing lawsuits that have risen in the last ten years.
The all-metal hip implant device recalls have been numerous over the last decade or so, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down as we go into 2018.
Here are some of the latest updates on major cases:
DePuy Pinnacle
Orthopaedic surgeons were paid millions to help market DePuy Pinnacle’s all-metal hip implants, which weren’t properly tested on humans before being sold and implanted in roughly 150,000 Americans.
While successful for the bottom line of DePuy, the implants caused a number of health problems in the patients. This was due to the metal-on-metal construction, which led to the parts grinding against each other and shedding metal debris in the patients’ bodies.
Side effects connected to hip implant included:
- Bone fractures
- Dislocated hip
- Device failure
- Death of surrounding tissue
- Cancer
- Metallosis
DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, was ordered to pay $1.04 billion. To date, close to $2.5 billion has been paid to patients as a result of the lawsuits.
Stryker
Stryker has two metal-on-metal hip devices being called into question: the Stryker Rejuvenate and the ABG II. Both have been recalled and are involved in lawsuits.
The company is actually dealing with two litigation settlement programs right now. The first one was for patients who had revision surgery due to the faulty devices before November 3, 2014. The second program is for those who had the surgery before December 19, 2016.
The rate at which these devices are failing is around 15%, higher than the industry standard. Unfortunately, this rate is expected to go up — possibly more than double — in the next 5 years.
Stryker agreed to pay $1.43 billion to settle lawsuits from the first program, and is estimating to spend between $2 billion and $2.2 billion for the second.
For both Stryker and DePuy Pinnacle, the cases continue to roll in into 2018. And if you are one of the victims of a faulty hip implant, contact a medical malpractice lawyer at Gilreath & Associates to help get you the compensation you deserve.