Patients seeking DePuy ASR hip settlement payments can consult a products liability lawyer to determine if they meet settlement requirements. Lawyers involved in the litigation state patients who received a DePuy ASR hip implant and needed revision surgery since March 2015 may be eligible for DePuy ASR hip settlement payments.

Johnson & Johnson had initially agreed to settle three DePuy ASR hip lawsuits in 2012 for a combined settlement total of $600,000. Each of these patients had to undergo revision surgery due to metal hip implant complications allegedly caused by the DePuy ASR hip implants.

After the first settlement in 2012, Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay up to $4 billion to settle thousands of DePuy ASR hip lawsuits. Eligible patients can receive up to $500,000 each in DePuy ASR hip settlement payments, with lawyers encouraging claimants to determine if they met settlement requirements.

It is important to note that claim processing is a time sensitive procedure. So patients who have received DePuy ASR hip implants affected by the 2010 DePuy ASR hip recall and who had to undergo revision surgery since March 2015 should see as soon as possible if they are eligible for DePuy ASR hip settlement payments.

Overview of DePuy ASR Hip Implant Complications

The FDA announced a DePuy ASR hip implant recall in August 2010 that affected 93,000 hip implants. One-third of these recalled devices were already implanted in American patients.

The FDA issued the recall after reviewing a study conducted in the United Kingdom, which found that 13% of patients who received these DePuy ASR hip implants had to undergo revision surgery to resolve implant complications. These DePuy ASR hip implants are composed of metal parts, with no plastic or ceramic between the different device components.

Metal hip implants are highly popular among more active orthopedic patients, because they are marketed to be more durable. Metal hip implants are prescribed to patients who sustained some form of pelvic damage or deterioration that interferes with the patient’s movements.

While DePuy ASR hip implants are supposed to restore movement, they have been reportedly causing thousands of patients serious injuries. When the ball and socket joints of the device interact, metal ions can be shed into the bloodstream and causes blood metal ion levels to rise to dangerous levels.

This can lead to a number of problems for the patients including, but not limited to:

• Metallosis (Blood Metal Poisoning)
• Fretting
• Corrosion
• Device Failure
• Bone Damage
• Tissue Death
• Infection
• Formation of Pseudotumors
• Painful Hip Movements

Oftentimes patients have to undergo revision surgery to resolve these complications, with Johnson & Johnson internal communications indicating this as a significant possibility.

According to an internal company memo provided by attorneys, patients who received a DePuy ASR hip implant would face a 40% risk of revision surgery within only five years after implant.

Johnson & Johnson allegedly knew of the defective nature of these all metal hip implants, but failed to warn the public. Therefore patients who may be eligible for DePuy ASR hip implant settlements, should contact their lawyers to determine eligibility as soon as they can.