Two Kentucky residents  have filed a bundled metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuit against DePuy Orthopaedics and Johnson & Johnson for injuries sustained from alleged defective Pinnacle hip implants.

Plaintiffs Marilyn H. and Alex K. bring forth the metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuit, alleging the hip implant makers were negligent in designing the Pinnacle hip implant and promoted the device without adequately testing the safety of the implant.

Marilyn underwent a total hip replacement surgery in 2008 where she received a Pinnacle metal hip device in place of her left hip.

After the surgery, friction and wear between the cobalt-chromium metal head and metal liner caused large amounts of toxic metal ions and particles to be released into Marilyn’s blood and tissue and bone surrounding the Pinnacle hip implant, according to the metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuit.

According to Marilyn, the chronic, severe pain she suffered forced her to have hip revision surgery in 2016.

Similarly, Alex received a DePuy Pinnacle hip implant in Aug. 2003 in place of his right hip.  He also suffered from metal toxicity (metallosis) as an alleged result of the build up on metal debris into his bloodstream and soft tissues.

Alex was forced to undergo a hip replacement revision surgery to replace the purported defective metal hip implant in March 2016.

Both plaintiffs assert that they only recently became aware of the causal link between their similar injuries and the alleged defective nature of the Pinnacle device, the metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuit claims.

The metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuit further alleges DePuy was aware that Pinnacle hip implants may result in unsafe release of toxic metal ions into the hip implant recipients’ tissue and bloodstream that could result in metallosis tissue death, bone erosion, and development of tumors.

Alex and Marilyn also contend that had DePuy not concealed the nature of the reported defective design of the Pinnacle implant, the early failure rate and the complications and risks associated with their hip implant, Alex and Marilyn would not have consented to the Pinnacle implant being used in their hip replacement surgeries.

They are seeking to recover damages for “bodily injuries, lost wages, physical and mental pain, past and future medical expenses, past and future pain and suffering, increased risk of future harm and permanent injury,” as a result of their alleged defective Pinnacle hip implants.

Their bundled complaint joins more than 7,000 other metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits against DePuy.

Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Lawsuit Complaints Consolidated

Metal hip replacement systems gained popularity as younger patients increased to make up a larger portion of the population to undergo hip replacements.

After they became common in the marketplace, it was discovered that metal-on-metal hip devices contribute to a variety of serious hip replacement complications.

In May 2011, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) consolidated federal DePuy Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuit complaints into multidistrict litigation. Known as MDL 2244, the centralized litigation is located in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas and is presided over by Judge Ed Kinkeade.

The goal of the DePuy Pinnacle MDL is to consolidate pending metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits. An MDL helps streamline legal processes, reduce costs, and minimize contradictory and duplicate rulings.

A significant number of the patients who receive a metal-on- metal hip face the prospect of revision surgery due to high rates of early failure.

Injuries from metal hip replacements systems like the DePuy Pinnacle hip include pain, inflammation, tumors, allergic reactions, neurological and endocrine problems, and migration of metal particles into the tissues surrounding the hip.

In dispute in the MDL lawsuits is whether the metal hip design was unreasonably dangerous, whether DePuy or Johnson & Johnson knew about its high failure rate and whether they chose not to warn the public about it.

The DePuy Pinnacle Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Lawsuit is filed within MDL No. 2244 in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.