A South Carolina couple recently filed a lawsuit against DePuy Orthopaedics, alleging that its Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System led to serious injuries.

The plaintiffs, Harold and Kim M., filed their lawsuit on Oct. 3, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. According to the lawsuit, Harold underwent a total left arthroplasty surgery on Sept. 9, 2004. A Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System was used, which includes a metal-on-metal liner component.

Unfortunately, after implantation of the device, Harold says he began experiencing significant complications. According to the lawsuit, he suffered from pain and discomfort in his left hip that only increased over time. He alleges he suffered a loss of mobility and an increase in stiffness. He was diagnosed with elevated metal ion levels, a condition also known as metallosis, or excess metal particles in the bloodstream.

Harold alleges in his lawsuit that this condition was directly caused by the use of the Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System and its metal-on-metal components. The severity of these complications eventually led to a hip revision surgery on Oct. 30, 2014. Harold claims that, had he been properly informed of the known defects of the Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System before he was implanted with it, he would have chosen an alternative product for implantation and avoided these complications entirely.

Harold and Kim filed their Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System lawsuit against DePuy alleging multiple counts, including negligence, manufacturing defect, design defect, inadequate warning, breach of express and implied warranties, negligent misrepresentation, and fraud. Kim, Harold’s wife, also filed a claim for loss of consortium.

Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System Basics

The DePuy hip replacement device involved in these allegations is the DePuy Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System, also simply known as Pinnacle. The Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System was released onto the market in 2001 and was intended to replace hip joints damaged by a number of conditions.

The DePuy Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System is a widely popular hip replacement option. According to its manufacturers, nearly 150,000 people have elected a total hip replacement with this particular system so far. Although DePuy markets its device as safe and effective, hip replacement lawsuits like this one allege that the company was aware of a link between its Pinnacle device and a number of hip replacement problems, including metallosis, toxicity, and a high failure rate.

Thousands of lawsuits have so far been filed over serious problems with the Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System.

Filing a DePuy Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System Lawsuit

Lawsuits claim that the Pinnacle device’s manufacturers failed to adequately warn the public and the medical community about the risks associated with the device. According to lawsuits, DePuy actively concealed the defects associated with the Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System, as well as its early rate of failure.

If you or someone you know has experienced hip replacement problems due to implantation with a hip replacement device like the Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System from DePuy, you may be able to file a hip implant lawsuit.

The Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-02711-K, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.