Maria J. and Al J. of Chicago have filed a metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuit against Stryker Corporation for the injuries Maria allegedly sustained from its metal hip implant.

Maria claims in her metal hip lawsuit that as a direct result of using the defendant’s Rejuvenate metal hip implant, she developed serious and debilitating injuries.

According to the hip implant lawsuit, Maria had first undergone hip replacement surgery for her right hip on May 31, 2011, and had chosen to use the Rejuvenate Modular Hip system.

Maria had reportedly chosen this metal hip implant because of its reputation of being long-lasting and highly durable for physically demanding exercise, like running. However, at the time the device was recommended to her, she and her husband were not aware of the complications associated with metal-on-metal hip implants.

Maria and Al became aware of the metal hip implant injuries on July 4, 2012, after Stryker recalled the Rejuvenate Modular Hip system. This product was recalled due to the numerous injury reports indicating the device quickly fretted and had developed corrosion while inside the patients, due to defective manufacturing design.

Maria experienced some of these complications sometime after she received the Rejuvenate hip implant, which led her to have it removed not long before the product was recalled.

On June 12, 2012, Maria had the metal hip implant removed due to the debilitating pain it was causing her, and a medical examination revealed that the device had corroded and had caused a tissue infection in the device area.

After learning of the hip implant recall, Maria and her husband filed the metal hip implant lawsuit against Stryker and its subsidiaries for the injuries she allegedly suffered.

Maria claims in her Stryker hip implant lawsuit that as a direct result of the defendant’s negligent actions, she contended with avoidable injuries and now contends with permanent injuries from the hip implant surgery.

In addition, there were no warnings or special instructions on the product’s label, nor had the Stryker made any effort to notify the plaintiff or her physician.

Maria’s metal hip implant lawsuit alleges Stryker had the civil responsibility to warn her and the general public of these metal hip complications before the recall, because they were relying on the accuracy given by the company. Maria also insists that she never would have used the Rejuvenate hip implant system if she had known about the potential complications it could cause.

For being allegedly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous product, Maria and Al are filed this metal on metal hip implant lawsuit against Stryker. The charges include negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

The Metal Hip Implant Lawsuit has been added to the Stryker Rejuvenate MDL, In Re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2441, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

Overview of Metal Hip Complications

Stryker Corporation is one of the largest medical device providers in the world, selling as many as 57,000 products worldwide and making billions in annual sales. However, two of its metal-on-metal hip implant systems had to be recalled from the market two years ago due to major design complications.

One of these recalled systems was the Rejuvenate metal hip implant, which has faced several lawsuits by hip replacement patients alleging injuries caused by the product.

Like other metal-on-metal hip systems, the Rejuvenate system was thought to be superior to its ceramic or plastic cousins because metal was thought to be longer-lasting. Additionally, younger patients often requested these hip implants because many of these models could be customized, and could take more strenuous activities.

However, it was soon discovered that these devices were prone to corrosion due to the ball-and-socket joint interacting and causing metal shavings to enter the bloodstream. This led to injury reports of metal hip side effects such as blood-metal poisoning, corrosion, infection of the tissue, and device failure.

Numerous patients have stated they either had to have multiple hip revision surgeries or had the devices removed, leading to the mass litigation movement against Stryker and other hip implant manufacturing companies.