A Pennsylvania man recently filed a DePuy hip implant lawsuit against the medical device manufacturer, alleging the implant can cause dangerous complications.

The plaintiff, Richard C., was implanted with a Pinnacle Device during his right total hip arthroplasty procedure in February 2006. However, in the years following the implantation of the Pinnacle device, Richard says he began experiencing serious complications.

According to the DePuy hip implant lawsuit, the friction of the metal-on-metal hip implant caused large amounts of metal to wear down, releasing into the surrounding blood, tissue, and bone. This led to several side effects, including inflammation and pain and discomfort, especially while moving, sitting, or standing.

As a result of these injuries, Richard had the device explanted in August 2017. Revision surgery carries its own risks, as well as further medical expenses.

Soon after, on Oct. 31, Richard filed his DePuy hip implant lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. His DePuy hip implant lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, manufacturing defect, design defect, inadequate warning, breach of express and implied warranties, fraud, and others.

According to the DePuy hip implant lawsuit, more than 1,300 adverse event reports have been filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding device failure or complications of the Pinnacle implant.

The DePuy hip implant lawsuit claims that DePuy was actually aware of the implants serious risks, including metallosis and a high rate of failure, yet failed to give adequate warning about these risks to patients and the medical community.

DePuy itself states that around 150,000 of these Pinnacle Devices have been sold, and that “99.9% of Pinnacle Hip components are still in use today,” which means that a great many more hip implant patients like Richard may still be at risk.

Background of DePuy’s Pinnacle Device

The device involved in Richard’s DePuy hip implant lawsuit is the is the Acetabular Cup System, or Pinnacle Device. The Pinnacle entered the hip implant market in 2001, and is intended to replace hip joints damaged by a variety of conditions. DePuy’s Pinnacle device is widely used for hip replacements all across the country.

Though DePuy markets its device as safe and effective, this DePuy hip implant lawsuit and others like it allege that the company is aware of the link between its Pinnacle device and a number of major hip replacement problems, including metallosis, toxicity, muscle and tissue damage, and a high failure rate.

Thousands of lawsuits have so far been filed over these serious defects.

Filing a DePuy Hip Implant Lawsuit

This DePuy hip implant lawsuit and others like it claim that the Pinnacle device’s manufacturers failed to adequately warn the public and the medical community about the potentially serious DePuy Pinnacle defects associated with the device.

If you or someone you love has suffered from hip replacement problems after implantation with the DePuy Pinnacle device, you may be able to file a DePuy hip implant lawsuit. Though filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by DePuy defects, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The DePuy Hip Implant Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-03000-K, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.