Plaintiffs Susan and John R. filed a lawsuit in Texas federal court against DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., and Johnson & Johnson, Inc.  According to the DePuy hip implant lawsuit, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received over 1,300 adverse reports alleging failure and complications related to the Pinnacle device.

Susan and John’s lawsuit alleges that the device manufacturer was aware of the adverse effects and complications that have come about with the device’s implantation but failed to warn consumers and medical professionals about the potential side effects. Complications include a high failure rate, biologic toxicity, and metallosis. Metallosis is the release of toxic metal ions into the patient’s surrounding tissue and bloodstream.

According to the DePuy hip implant lawsuit, the “defendants were aware the metal particles from Pinnacle Devices results in metallosis tissue death, bone erosion and development of tumors.” The particle debris released from the hip implant device also causes severe inflammation, severe pain, tissue and bone loss, and other related diseases.

The DePuy hip implant lawsuit alleges that Susan was implanted with the pinnacle hip and underwent a right total hip arthroplasty in September 2007 at the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center. In January 2008, Susan underwent a total left hip arthroplasty also at the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center.

According to the DePuy hip implant lawsuit, the “friction and wear between the cobalt-chromium metal head and cobalt-chromium metal liner caused large amounts of toxic cobalt-chromium metal ions and particles to be released into plaintiff’s blood and tissue and bone surrounding the implants.”

Susan claims she suffered from severe pain, discomfort, and inflammation around her implant. Due to her chronic pain and discomfort, Susan underwent revision surgery to replace the right hip implant in January 2017 and the left implant in May 2017.

DePuy ASR & Pinnacle Hip Replacement Lawsuits

Thousands of patients who have received a DePuy Orthopaedic Pinnacle hip implant have filed lawsuits against Depuy and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson complaining that the company failed to warn them of the risks associated with metal-on-metal hip replacement implants.

Johnson & Johnson faces nearly 8,000 metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits regarding both its DePuy Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System and the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System.

Johnson & Johnson has already agreed to settle the first lawsuits pertaining to the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System. In 2012, the company announced that it would pay a combined settlement amount of $600,000 to settle three DePuy ASR hip implant lawsuits. Each plaintiff received around $200,000 after suffering from alleged pain, bone damage, and other hip implant side effects and complications.

Persons who have suffered adverse side effects from a DePuy metal on metal hip replacement may be able to file a hip replacement lawsuit.  Successful plaintiffs may be compensated for their pain and suffering along with past and future medical bills.

The DePuy Hip Implant Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-02723-K, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.