Stryker has agreed to pay over $1 billion to the thousands of plaintiffs involved in Stryker hip recall lawsuits. These metal on metal hip implant lawsuits were filed after Stryker’s metal-on-metal hip implants failed in thousands of patients which led to the Stryker recall. Stryker, and other makers of metal-on-metal hip implants, have faced countless hip replacement lawsuits concerning serious hip replacement complications.

Nearly 4,500 Stryker hip recall lawsuits have been filed concerning the Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Stem and ABG II devices. They have been consolidated into two Stryker recall MDLs, one in a Minnesota federal court with 2,271 Stryker metal hip lawsuits and the other in the Bergen County Superior Court in New Jersey, with 2,160 hip replacement lawsuits. 

The Stryker hip recall was issued in 2012 after the metal-on-metal hip implants were failing in patients across the country. The Stryker metal-on-metal hip implants caused many patients to experience hip replacement complications such as failed implants, swelling, metal poisoning (caused by metal particles being released into the blood stream), and others. Many have had to undergo hip revision surgery in order to manage the metal hip implant side effects caused by the Stryker hip.

After many Stryker hip recall lawsuits had been filed, a settlement program was announced in November 2014 that stated each victim could receive $300,000 for hip replacement complications. This number was subject to increase or decrease depending on the individual, including any complications or additional needs for hip revision surgery. Plaintiffs who required multiple surgeries because of hip replacement complications will most likely receive a larger award.

Any plaintiff in a Stryker hip recall lawsuit has until March 2, 2015 to accept the settlement. Plaintiffs must have undergone hip revision surgery (or must need it but are medically unable to have the surgery).

Many other metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits, filed against other manufacturers, have gone to court or have not been offered settlements at this time.

Stryker Hip Replacement Complications

Plaintiffs have claimed that Stryker failed to adequately warn against hip replacement complications such as:

• Failure of the metal-on-metal hip implant requiring early replacement
• Dislocated hip
• Leaking of toxic substances like chromium or cobalt into the bloodstream
• 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

Many Stryker hips failed within two years of being implanted.

Johnson & Johnson has already agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement for their metal-on-metal hip implant. Other manufacturers under investigation include Biomet, DePuy, Wright Medical Technology, and others.