A New York man has filed a lawsuit against Biomet after a defective metal hip implant forced him to have a risky metal hip replacement revision surgery.

Indiana-based Biomet manufacturers and markets the M2a Magnum  metal-on-metal Hip Implant as a more durable and easily customized hip implant to better fit different patients.

For all the advantages that the implant is supposed to possess–which also include better range of motion and reduced risk of dislocation–it also carries the same risk of failure that may lead to premature and risky metal hip replacement revision surgery.

Patient Forced to Have Metal Hip Replacement Revision Surgery

One such patient experienced premature failure of Biomet’s hip implant and decided to file a lawsuit against the medical device company for failing to warn him and the medical community about the adverse effects associated with their metal hip implant.

In January 2008, Plaintiff Robert P. underwent a left total hip replacement surgery and received a Biomet M2a Magnum device.

After the surgical implantation of the Magnum device, Robert claims he suffered symptoms including but not limited to increasingly debilitating pain, discomfort, soreness, dysfunction and loss of range of motion.

All of these symptoms, according to Robert, are the result of the loosening of the implant and the spread of metal debris generated from wear of the metal components.

As a result of the implantation with the Biomet hip, Robert was forced to undergo a metal hip replacement revision surgery to remove the defective device.

“Metal hip replacement revision surgery presents enormous risks because it is technically more difficult than the original implanting surgery, the patient has an increased risk of complications and death, and the recovery time is prolonged and more painful than the recovery after the original implant surgery,” Robert’s lawsuit reads.

Robert is seeking compensation for medical expenses associated with his metal hip replacement revision surgery, lost earnings, pain and suffering along with punitive damages for Biomet’s alleged deceitful behavior in promoting the M2a Magnum as a safe and effective hip implant.

FDA Receives Thousands of Complaints

Since 2006, the FDA has received an increasing number of complaints involving patients that were implanted with the Biomet  M2a Magnum, with a number of these patients reporting complicated, expensive and painful metal hip replacement revision surgery and a prolonged recovery time.

Consequently, in May 2011, the FDA required Biomet and other hip implant manufacturers to provide data on levels of metal in the blood of patients implanted with their devices.

After reviewing the data and observational studies, the FDA found that metal on metal hip implants pose a significant risk to the safety of patients due to the level of metallic debris disseminated into the body over time.

Biomet Hip Implant Lawsuits

Biomet lawsuits allege that the M2a Magnum is a defective product. Like other metal on metal hip implants, its design releases metal ions into the body that can cause severe side effects, such as metallosis and device failure that may lead to additional metal hip replacement revision surgery.

In late 2013, Biomet settled multidistrict litigation in Indiana federal court for $56 million related to its M2a Magnum implant, though the company admitted to no wrongdoing or that its implant was at fault.

If you received a defective Biomet metal-on-metal hip implant and had to undergo a metal hip replacement revision surgery, you should consult with a qualified attorney to assess your legal options.

The Metal Hip Replacement Revision Surgery Lawsuit is Case No. 3:16-cv-00494 n the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.