A North Carolina plaintiff recently filed a hip replacement lawsuit, alleging she suffered metal toxicity from hip replacement implants designed and manufactured by Biomet.

The specific hip implants Plaintiff Cynthia G. received were Biomet Magnum M2a metal-on-metal hip systems.

In her hip replacement lawsuit, Cynthia alleges that the Biomet Magnum M2a hip implant  is defective in such a way that it caused excessive amounts of the metals cobalt and chromium to corrode over time.

The metal on metal hip replacement devices rubbed together, wearing down the surfaces and causing extreme metal toxicity that became painful and dangerous, the lawsuit claims.

These defects allegedly loosened the device, caused excessive metal toxicity levels, destroyed tissue and bone and led to an “unreasonably high risk” of failure. These risks forced Cynthia to undergo surgeries to remove the defective devices, which were risky in and of themselves.

In January 2004, Cynthia underwent a metal on metal hip replacement surgery.She underwent another hip replacement surgery on October 20, 2005, for her other hip with the same device.

Her lawsuit alleges that Biomet was aware even at this time that the device she was implanted with, the Magnum M2a Metal-on-Metal Hip System, was defective and a risk to patients.

However, since Biomet failed to warn her or her doctors of these risks, Cynthia claims she was unable to choose a safer alternative.

After some time, the hip implants began causing her severe pain, leading to expensive and painful revision surgery on August 26, 2015, according to the lawsuit. During the revision surgery, the surgeon noticed excessive fluid and metal in her hip joint.

Biomet Metal Hip Implant Systems

The Biomet metal-on-metal M2a Magnum Hip System, like other hip implant devices, was developed in an effort to reconstruct human hip joints that suffer from conditions like osteoarthritis or fracture.

These implants are designed with metal balls placed in direct contact with another metal piece known as the metal acetabular shell. Most hip implants use a plastic liner to separate these metal parts from each other.

Lawsuits, including Cynthia’s hip replacement lawsuit, claim that this design is defective and dangerous.

Filing a Hip Replacement Lawsuit

Biomet lawsuits allege that the design was insufficiently tested, and when Biomet had knowledge of the defects and risks, it sought to cover them up to bolster sales.

If you have gone through a metal-on-metal hip replacement and have since experienced pain or other symptoms, there may be a connection between the two.

Filing a lawsuit cannot take away your pain and suffering, but it can often lead to substantial compensation that helps with financial expenses from medical bills or lost wages.

In some cases, patients who have filed lawsuits over metal toxicity from hip replacement surgery have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation.

If you or someone you love has undergone hip replacement surgery complications with a Biomet M2a Magnum Hip System or similar metal-on-metal device, you may be able to file a hip replacement lawsuit.

The Hip Replacement Lawsuit is Case No. 3:16-cv-343, in the U.S. District Court for the South Bend Division of the Northern District of Indiana.