DePuy Defective Hip Implant Lawyers with Experience

DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., a global orthopaedic device and supply company owned by Johnson & Johnson, has issued a recall of the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System. Both of the products are hip implant devices. The former is a hip socket, and the latter, used in partial hip replacements, involves a metal cap on the femur. There have been about 93,000 of them implanted across the world.

In addition to the ASR recall there, are other potential hip implant devices that may be causing problems. There is pending litigation regarding the DePuy Pinnacle metal on metal device.

Are DePuy ASR hip implants dangerous?

The products can be dangerous for a couple of reasons. First, they cause large quantities of metal ion to be released into the patients. Some of the people who received this implant are now suffering from metalosis as a result of a sloughing of cobalt and other metals into their system. The metal is embedding itself in the tissue, and the result could be illness or in extreme cases cancer as the metals involved are shown to cause cancer in studies. Next, they fail at extremely high rates. In the United States alone, hundreds have had to submit to additional hip surgeries because of DePuy hip- devices failure.

DePuy announced the recall in August of 2010, more than two years after the FDA first started being bombarded with complaints of the faulty implants. A year before the recall, DePuy stated that it was phasing out the products because they were not selling. DePuy warned doctors in March of 2010 that the products could have a high rate of failure. Doctors were not surprised by this news, as medical centers across the country had been seeing the phenomenon for some time.

In the same week that the recall was issued, the FDA expressed criticism of the company in a warning letter, which said, among other things, that the company marketed a knee device illegally and sold a hip implant for a use that was not approved. Without a doubt, the recalls raised questions as to whether there were even more widespread problems within Johnson & Johnson. Prior to the hip implant recalls, Johnson & Johnson recalled many of its products, including liquid children's Tylenol and Acuvue contact lenses.

What to do if you suspect that you have been implanted with a defective hip device:

If you received a hip implant in or since 2003 and have been experiencing any kind of problem, such as unexplained hip pain, swelling, or difficulty walking, the first step is to speak with your doctor. These types of symptoms could indicate that your hip implant is becoming loose, that a bone near the implant has been broken, or that the implant parts are rubbing up against each other.

The next step is to speak with a Boston defective DePuy hip attorney to find out if you have a case. If you have been implanted with a DePuy hip product, your chances of having a claim are high. Problems with these products have been linked to design defects, and since March of 2010, there has been a dramatic rise in DePuy hip lawsuits. Our experienced hip replacement lawyers believe that we will begin to see even more of these lawsuits as the complications become apparent.

If you are going to stand up to DePuy, you will undoubtedly need an aggressive and skilled lawyer. DePuy is pushing for settlements but will only pay for the cost of the replacement surgery. This is severely problematic, for as you well know the healthcare carriers have a lien for third party negligence, not JUST for the cost of the replacement surgery, but in theory for the first surgery since DePuy knew. At Altman & Altman, our hip lawsuit attorneys will see to it that you get the fair settlement that you deserve or, if it becomes necessary, take your case to trial.

Massachusetts DePuy Hip Injury Attorneys: (617) 492 3000 or (800) 481 6199

If you or a loved one has been harmed as a result of a DePuy hip device or any other product, we can help. Our hip replacement injury lawyers have the experience and skill to take on large companies like DePuy, and we have been doing this for multiple decades. At our firm, we consistently get favorable settlements and verdicts for our clients. We do not back down until our clients achieve the just result that they deserve. If you would like to speak with an attorney from Altman & Altman LLP, call us at (617) 492 3000 or (800) 481 6199 (toll-free) or contact us online.