A California man and his wife recently filed a lawsuit against Howmedica, alleging the man’s Stryker Accolade TMZF hip implant caused serious complications.

The specific device involved in the lawsuit is the Stryker Accolade TMZF, which includes the LFIT V40 femoral head component. The plaintiff, Anthony P., was implanted with his Stryker Accolade TMZF hip implant on Feb. 16, 2012 in his left hip.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long after implantation of the device that Anthony alleges he began experiencing pain and discomfort, according to his complaint. The pain became progressively worse until, on April 7, 2014, Anthony underwent revision surgery due to device failure. Surgeons found that the hip implant had corroded, and excess metals had been released into his bloodstream.

At this point, Anthony’s surgeon was apparently unaware that the implants with V40 femoral heads could be defective, and so he replaced Anthony’s first implant with yet another V40 femoral head component. So Anthony’s complications persisted, and he has now been informed he will need to undergo a second revision surgery,

The Stryker Accolade TMZF lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, failure to warn, and design defect. Anthony’s wife, Jamie, also filed on one count of loss of consortium.

Stryker V40 Femoral Head Complications

Stryker V40 femoral head components like those included in Anthony’s Stryker Accolade TMZF hip system have been connected with a variety of serious complications, including metallosis, which is a kind of metal poisoning.

Metallosis problems are often linked with metal-on-metal hip implants like the ones incorporating Stryker V40 femoral heads. These kinds of hip implants allow its metal components to rub together. Over time, this releases excessive amounts of metals like cobalt and chromium into the bloodstream and surrounding tissue, which can lead to serious and even permanent problems. Stryker V40 femoral heads have also been connected with an increased risk of dislocation or dissociation.

Lawsuits like Anthony’s Stryker Accolade TMZF lawsuit allege that Howmedica failed to adequately warn patients of the serious complications associated with Stryker Accolade devices, placing company profit over patient safety.

Patients claim to have suffered from a number of serious and sometimes permanent injuries including the following:

• Hip implant failure
• Serious physical pain
• Emotional and mental distress
• Medical and surgical expenses
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Many patients who have suffered from serious hip implant complications have been forced to undergo revision surgery to help alleviate these problems, which itself exposes a patient to further risk. In this case, Anthony is expected to undergo yet another revision surgery, which will bring along with it even further medical costs.

Filing a Stryker Accolade TMZF Lawsuit

If you or someone you love was implanted with a metal hip implant with a Stryker V40 femoral head component and have suffered from these or other side effects, you may be able to file a lawsuit. Although filing a lawsuit cannot undo the damage done by complications of Stryker V40 femoral heads, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Stryker Accolade TMZF Lawsuit is Case No. 5:17-cv-017670JAK-JC, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.