A husband and wife have filed a DePuy Pinnacle hip implant lawsuit against the manufacturer alleging that its metal on metal hip implant device caused the wife serious injury.

Plaintiffs Patricia G. and William G. filed their DePuy Pinnacle hip implant lawsuit as part of the larger multidistrict litigation that is currently in process at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

In February 2005, Patricia underwent a total hip replacement surgery for her left hip due to osteoarthritis. After her surgery, Patricia had no issues with healing and x-rays confirmed that her hip replacement was properly positioned.

In July 2014, Patricia returned to her physician and reported “feeling terrible, hurting all over, and felt a ringing in her ear,” according to her DePuy Pinnacle hip implant lawsuit. Her physician ordered a hip MRI which showed fluid collection.

Several months later she returned to her physician complaining of left hip pain, tinnitus, hoarseness, and anxiety, which she believed stemmed from metallosis (metal poisoning), and at that time, her doctor recommended hip revision surgery.

Patricia underwent her revision surgery in December 2014 and states that she still experiences “systemic symptoms, including tinnitus, hoarseness, and anxiety” and her doctor continues to monitor the metal levels in her blood.

The Pinnacle device used in Patricia’s hip implant surgery consists of all metal parts that make up the components of the device: a metal femoral head, a metal femoral stem, a metal cup and a metal liner.

The device is considered a metal-on-metal system because all parts are comprised of metal and metal pieces touch each other during the functioning of the device.

In contrast, other hip implant devices contain liners that are made from ceramic or plastic. In these devices, the metal pieces do not touch each other and are separated by the liner.

This is an important key distinction that is the target of the design defect accusations in these metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits.

“At all relevant times, Defendants were aware that metal-on-metal Pinnacle Devices posed an unreasonably high risk of developing metallosis, biologic toxicity, and total hip failure, and Defendants were aware that the Devices resulted in unsafe release of toxic metal ions into the tissues and blood stream of the hip implant recipients,” the DePuy Pinnacle hip implant lawsuit stated.

The couple has brought forth numerous counts against the hip implant manufacturer including strict liability for defective design, manufacturing defect and failure to warn, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation and loss of consortium (spousal companionship).

William and Patricia’s DePuy Pinnacle hip implant lawsuit concludes, “As the direct result of the implantations of the metal on metal Pinnacle Hip components into Plaintiff, Plaintiff has suffered significant harm, including but not limited to, physical injury and disability, debilitating pain and lack of mobility, emotional distress, loss of quality of life, and has incurred substantial hospital, medical, nursing, rehabilitation, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, and said injuries are continuing.”

Filing DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant Lawsuit

Metal hip implants have been failing at an alarming rate and with medical experts in the field predicting a failure rate that can possibly reach as high as 50 percent leading to pain and negative health complications.

If you have experienced pain or complications resulting from your DePuy Pinnacle hip implant surgery, you should contact an experienced hip recall lawyer immediately to find out if filing a DePuy Pinnacle hip implant lawsuit is the best option for you.

The DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant Lawsuit is Case No. 3:16-CV-02403, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.