Johnson & Johnson will end up paying billions of dollars in metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuit settlements. The manufacturer of the ASR metal hip implant agreed to pay settlements to plaintiffs in metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits that were not part of the original settlement.

ASR, articular surface replacements, have been the subject of many metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits. Johnson & Johnson and DePuy recalled the device several years ago after 12 percent of all ASR metal hip implants failed within the first five years.

Other documents have suggested that this number may actually be closer to 37 percent. ASR metal hip implant failure was found to be 44 percent over seven years in Australia.

Johnson & Johnson originally claimed that its new metal-on-metal hip implant would last 20 years. However, the number of individuals who have suffered from hip implant complications has proved otherwise.

Initially, Johnson & Johnson said it would pay $2.5 billion in 2013 after many plaintiffs developed serious metal poisoning and ASR hip implant failures. Johnson & Johnson stated that it would adjust the deadline for victims of ASR metal hip implant failure so that patients who underwent hip removal surgery after 2013 would be eligible.

A spokeswoman from Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy stated, “By extending the benefits of the previously announced U.S. Settlement Program to an additional group of ASR patients, were are again providing fair compensation without the delay and uncertainty of protracted litigation.”

Each patient who had an ASR hip implant which failed or caused serious hip implant complications may receive $300,000. It was estimated that the total cost 0f all of the clams against the ASR hip implant will exceed $4 billion.

This extension is good news for plaintiffs as it will avoid the potentially lengthy legal proceedings. The first deadline allowed over 7,500 metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits to be settled. More than 12,000 metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson and DePuy.

Johnson & Johnson was quick to offer a settlement for hip implant complications victims after one metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuit won $8.3 million.

Hip Implant Complications

Metal-on-metal hips have been the source of hip implant lawsuits against various manufacturers. Metal-on-metal hip implants were supposed to be more natural for the user.

However, they may be difficult for the surgeon to implant and have caused many cases of metal poisoning due to the metal rubbing against metal, causing shavings to be released into the body.

Thousands of individuals have been forced to remove their ASR hip implant by undergoing expensive and painful revision surgery.