A Mississippi resident who suffered severe hip replacement complications has become the latest of more than 2,240 plaintiffs to sue Stryker Orthopaedics for selling a dangerous and defective medical device.

Plaintiff Kim T. alleges in the Stryker hip lawsuit, filed Feb. 2, that she was given a Stryker metal-on-metal hip implant in May 2011. However, in January 2014, she was forced to remove the hip implant due to serious side effects, including elevated levels of metal ions in her blood stream. Her injuries mimic those alleged in thousands of similar lawsuits against Stryker.

Metallosis (metal blood poisoning) is one of several Stryker hip replacement complications associated with the device, which was recalled due to an abnormally large number of reports of the devices failing prematurely. Thousands of hip replacement patients have sued Stryker for injuries relating to these hip implant failures, including tissue death, tumors, cancer, and other problems.

This plaintiff filed claims of negligence, strict product liability (manufacturing defect and failure to warn), breach of warranty, negligent misrepresentation and several other counts against Stryker.

Kim is seeking relief in the form of compensatory damages, statutory damages, legal costs, restitution, and anything else the court sees fit. Kim is one of several individuals involved in this Stryker hip MDL.

Her lawsuit joins the Stryker Hip MDL where the majority of cases have been consolidated: In Re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation MDL No. 12-2331 filed in the U.S. District Court District of Mississippi.

Kim T.’s  Stryker Hip Lawsuit is Case No. 3:15-cv-66, filed in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Mississippi, Jackson Division.

Metal-On-Metal Hip Implants

Manufacturers of metal-on-metal hip implants have been faced with many claims that their devices are failing and causing serious health issues. Possible hip implant side effects may include:

• Failure of the metal-on-metal hip implant, requiring early replacement
• Dislocated hip
• Cancer
• Degenerative Heart Disease or Cardiomyopathy
• Loss of bone strength or structure which can result in bone fractures
• Tissue death for any tissue surrounding the implant
• Non-cancerous tumors or pseudotumors around the hip implant
• Cobalt poisoning
• Metallosis, or metal poisoning, due to chromium or cobalt particles from the hip implant leaking into nearby tissue or the patient’s bloodstream

These hip implant side effects have had a serious impact on countless individuals and their loved ones.

It has been estimated that over 500,000 Americans undergo hip replacement surgery a year, many with the new metal-on-metal hip implant system. This system, however, has appeared to be flawed.

Although it may be more effective for some individuals, Stryker hip implants, and others like it, are more likely to fail. They are harder for the surgeon to insert into the body due to the precise measurements and cuts that must be made. Furthermore, if the measurements are off, the metal will rub against metal, which can cause metal shavings to be released into the blood stream, inducing multiple health issues.

Many Stryker hip lawsuits and other hip implant lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers. Settlements have already been offered to victims of negative hip implant side effects.