If you had a hip implant that required revision surgery, you could qualify to receive a portion of a DePuy ASR hip lawsuit settlement.

Johnson & Johnson’s metal-on-metal implant system is the subject of thousands of DePuy ASR hip lawsuits and a recall from August 2010.

Patients who have undergone a revision surgery since March 2015 due to a failed DePuy ASR hip implant may have a legal claim.

DePuy ASR Hip Lawsuit Claims Several Problems

Johnson & Johnson developed the DePuy ASR hip implant system based on its previous metal-on-metal hip replacement system, the DePuy Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System. The Pinnacle developed a poor track record of myriad problems resulting in revision surgeries, yet DePuy used the Pinnacle as a model to create the ASR hip implant system.

Among the issues the DePuy ASR hip lawsuit cites as serious problems:

• Possible metal poisoning, also known as metallosis, can occur because tiny metal particles shave away as the metal parts grate against each other. These small metal particles release toxic ions into the nearby tissue, where they cause inflammation, pain, swelling, fluid retention and non-cancerous tumors. The metal toxins can infiltrate the blood stream without the patient being aware there is a problem.
• An increased risk of developing cancer exists once the toxic metals leak into the body.
• Another side effect of metal poisoning is degenerative heart disease or cardiomyopathy.
• Tissue around the implant actually can die.
• Bones can lose strength, resulting in bone fractures.
• The implant can prematurely fail, resulting in the need for revision surgery.

Symptoms of metal-on-metal hip implant failure include pain while moving or walking, swelling in the hip area, lumps near the hip, squeaking noises while moving, hip dislocation, or a feeling the joint has moved out of place.

In Aug. 2010, the FDA recalled the DePuy ASR. Nearly 93,000 DePuy ASR implants had been performed worldwide; 37,000 of those in the U.S. According to a UK reporting system, 13 percent of DePuy ASR hip implants needed revision surgery to correct catastrophic complications.

Johnson & Johnson has faced around 8,000 lawsuits regarding either the DePuy ASR or the DePuy Pinnacle hip system.

The company agreed to a settlement of three of the first DePuy ASR hip lawsuits in August 2012. Johnson & Johnson paid a combined $600,000 to settle with three patients who had the hip implant revised after they each endured pain, damaged bones and other side effects from the metal-on-metal system. Although each patient agreed with an approximate $200,000 amount, lawyers specializing in metal hip implants estimate patients may receive between $200,000 to $500,000 each.

According to DePuy ASR hip lawsuits, Johnson & Johnson knew that thousands of patients would suffer debilitating injuries and that at least 40 percent of patients would require revision surgery within five years. An internal Johnson & Johnson memo allegedly admitted to this fact.

If your hip implant system has failed and you have undergone revision surgery since Mar. 2015, you could qualify for a portion of this DePuy ASR hip implant settlement. The paperwork is complicated, but a qualified lawyer can review your case and help you work through the proper legal steps.