A new DePuy hip implant settlement offers compensation for patients who weren’t covered under previous settlements.

This DePuy hip implant settlement addresses claims related to the ASR hip implant system. Under terms of the current settlement, patients may be eligible for compensation if they underwent stem revision surgery since March 2015 due to complications linked to the ASR implant system.

Unlike other implant systems that use a non-metal liner between metal parts, the ASR system was designed in a way that puts the metal femoral head directly in contact with the metal surface of the acetabular cup. This design forces metal weight-bearing surfaces to work against each other.

Plaintiffs in many of these DePuy lawsuits challenge that metal-on-metal design. This design can allegedly cause metal particles to wear away and become loose in the body.

Over time, the accumulation of this loose metal can cause a toxic reaction known as metallosis. Metallosis can cause the death of muscle and bone tissue near the implant site. It can also lead to pseudotumors, or small non-cancerous growths .

Complications reported in conjunction with the ASR system may include:

• Dislocation
• Metallosis
• Loss of bone strength, potentially leading to fractures
• Pseudotumors
• Tissue death near the implant

All these complications may co-occur with significant pain, discomfort, and possible mechanical failure of the hip implant.

ASR components were recalled in 2010 due to reports of failures that left some patients in need of revision surgery. Data from the UK joint registry showed that 13 percent of patients who received an ASR hip implant ended up needing revision surgery to resolve complications. The recall affected 93,000 ASR units worldwide, 37,000 of which were in the U.S.

As a result of reported failures like these, thousands of patients have filed hip implant lawsuits over the ASR implant system.

Generally, the plaintiffs in these claims argue that DePuy and its parent company Johnson & Johnson failed to properly address the risk of hip implant failure. They say the product information provided with the ASR implant was inadequate to inform them about the device’s real risks.

DePuy Hip Implant Settlement History

The current DePuy hip implant settlement is the most recent in a group of settlements addressing claims over the ASR hip implant system.

The first round of settlements was announced in 2013. Johnson & Johnson first settled claims from three Nevada women for $200,000 each.

A few weeks later, J&J agreed to a settlement of thousands of individual hip implant lawsuits from patients who had undergone revision surgery prior to August 2013. The company set aside $4 billion to pay what it expected to be around 8,000 claims.

Another round of claims was settled in March 2015. DePuy and J&J offered $420 million to settle around 1,800 claims from patients who had undergone revision surgery after August 2013.

The current hip implant settlement provides compensation for ASR implant patients who underwent revision surgery after March 2015. A consultation with a knowledgeable hip implant attorney can give potential claimants the best idea of what their legal options are and of how to seek compensation from this current settlement.