Ashley Milano  |  April 24, 2015

Category: Legal News

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DePuy hip implant lawsuit

A Colorado woman and her husband claim that DePuy Orthopaedics (DePuy) and Johnson & Johnson failed to adequately warn consumers about the risks and severity of side effects associated with the Pinnacle hip implant device.

Plaintiff Katherine M. has filed a civil complaint against DePuy and Johnson & Johnson, claiming she suffered hip replacement complications as a direct result of DePuy and Johnson & Johnson’s defective manufacturing and marketing of the Pinnacle Device.

Katherine received the Pinnacle hip implant with a metal liner in August 2005 during a right total hip arthroplasty and again in January 2006 during a left total hip arthroplasty. Katherine claims that she suffered debilitating pain, as well as metallosis, the release of toxic metal ions into her tissue and bloodstream, and had to undergo premature hip revision surgery to replace the metal hip implant for her left hip. She is currently being monitored to determine if hip revision surgery will be required for her right hip.

Katherine alleges DePuy took no steps to test the Pinnacle device, or they would have discovered that it leads to metallosis and other hip implant complications before releasing it on the market. Instead, the FDA certified the Pinnacle hip implant to be sold on the basis of DePuy’s claim that it was “substantially equivalent” to other older metal-on-metal hip implant devices without conducting clinical trials to review the hip implant’s safety.

Katherine and her husband are seeking judgment for compensatory damages, pain and suffering, loss of earnings, medical expenses, loss of consortium, attorney’s fees and court costs.

DePuy Pinnacle Hip Complaints

DePuy Orthopaedics has received numerous complaints regarding the metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip implant, though it has not issued a Pinnacle hip recall as of yet. The company maintains that there is no defect in the design of the Pinnacle hip replacement, though several DePuy Pinnacle lawsuits allege that the company is concealing the defect and has misrepresented that the hip replacement is a safe and effective medical device.

The following are among the potential DePuy Pinnacle problems when the device is used with a metal liner:

  • Unexplained hip pain
  • Pinnacle hip implant failure
  • Difficulty walking or standing
  • Loosening of the DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement
  • Need for hip replacement revision surgery
  • Metallosis (metal poisoning)

Like the ASR hip implants included in the 2010 DePuy hip recall, this Pinnacle system can be used with metal-on-metal components. Reportedly, metal-on-metal hip devices can wear, releasing microscopic particles into the patient’s body. Some patients experiencing DePuy Pinnacle problems have reported severe inflammatory reactions or metal poisoning due to high levels of cobalt and chromium in their systems. Elevated levels of chromium and cobalt have been linked to the metal debris released by the metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip replacements. Metal poisoning symptoms in the patients were commonly associated with other problems, such as trouble walking, pain and swelling.

Pinnacle Hip Implant Lawsuits

J&J’s DePuy division faces more than 6,000 federal multidistrict litigation lawsuits from former Pinnacle hip recipients, like Katherine, who claim injuries that include metal poisoning in their blood. According to the claims, patients say the metal-on-metal hip replacement system was defective because pieces rubbed together, causing metal to leach.

The coordinated litigation over Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implants is also known as MDL No. 2244. The MDL was established in May of 2011. As of June 2014, more than 6,400 individual lawsuits have been filed in the national multidistrict litigation proceedings that are pending before Judge Kinkeade in federal court in Dallas, Texas.

The Depuy Pinnacle Hip Implant Lawsuit is Case No. 1:14-cv-00685, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The hip implant attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, metal hip implant lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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If you or a loved one had a metal-on-metal hip implant that failed or caused serious complications, you may be entitled to compensation. Hip replacement lawsuits are being filed now against multiple companies, including Stryker, Biomet, DePuy, Zimmer, and Wright. See if you qualify to take legal action by filling out the form below.

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