A Wisconsin couple recently added their own lawsuit to a growing litigation over alleged defects with the Stryker V40 femoral heads from Stryker hip implants.

Plaintiff James W. alleges he was implanted with a Stryker hip implant on April 22, 2013. The specific device used was a Stryker Accolade II, with an LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40 Femoral Head component.

Unfortunately, the lawsuit claims, James was forced to have the device explanted in August 2017 after suffering from serious injuries that he alleges were caused by a defective device. According to his lawsuit, Stryker V40 femoral heads are defective and can cause injuries like metal poisoning, dislocation, and others, some of which may require revision surgery.

James filed his metal hip lawsuit over these injuries, as well as economic loss, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, defective design, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, breach of express and implied warranties, and negligent misrepresentation, among others. James’s wife Louise also filed one count of loss of consortium.

James is far from the first patient to file a lawsuit over Stryker V40 femoral heads, claiming to have suffered serious side effects.

Side Effects Linked With Stryker V40 Femoral Heads

Unfortunately, Stryker V40 femoral heads have been associated with a variety of serious complications, including metallosis, a kind of metal poisoning.

Metallosis problems are often linked with metal-on-metal hip implants. The Stryker Accolade II is one such implant, and the Stryker V40 femoral heads are allowed to rub against other metal parts. Over time, this can release excessive amounts of metals like cobalt and chromium into the bloodstream and surrounding tissue, which can cause serious and even permanent problems.

On top of the risk of metallosis, Stryker V40 femoral heads have also been linked with an increased risk of dislocation or dissociation.

A growing number of patients like James who have allegedly been injured by these devices are coming forward to report their own stories of side effects of the defective Stryker V40 femoral heads. Lawsuits claim that Stryker failed to adequately warn patients of the serious complications associated with defective Stryker V40 femoral heads.

Patients claim to have suffered from a number of serious and potentially permanent injuries including the following:

• Hip implant failure
• Serious physical pain
• Emotional and mental distress
• Medical and surgical expenses
• Loss of enjoyment of life

In many cases, patients suffering from hip implant side effects end up undergoing revision surgery to help alleviate these problems. Of course, any additional surgery adds yet more risk and expense for a patient.

Filing a Stryker V40 Femoral Heads Lawsuit

If you or someone you love was implanted with a metal hip implant that uses one of these Stryker V40 femoral heads and have since suffered from these or other side effects, you may be able to file a lawsuit. Spouses of those who have suffered from defective metal-on-metal hip implants may also be able to sue for what is known as loss of consortium, or the loss of intimacy with their spouse due to complications.

Although filing a lawsuit cannot undo the damage done by complications of Stryker V40 femoral heads, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Stryker V40 Femoral Heads Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-12407, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.