Sarah Mirando  |  July 3, 2012

Category: Pharmaceuticals

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Medical illustration of metal hip implantGovernment health officials examining the safety of metal-on-metal hip implants during a two-day meeting last week said they saw few reasons to use metal-on-metal hip replacements, amid growing evidence presented in numerous metal hip implant lawsuits that the devices can break down early and expose patients to dangerous metallic particles.

The Food and Drug Administration concluded their two-day meeting by calling for regular monitoring of all patients who have such devices. The agency recommended that patients with metal-on-metal hip implants undergo regular X-rays and blood tests if they are experiencing pain and other symptoms of a failing implant. The 18-member panel also recommended that all patients with metal-on-metal hip replacement devices undergo annual X-rays to monitor their implants, regardless of symptoms. During the deliberations, some on the panel even stated they could see no reason why metal-on-metal hip implants should ever be used. Others said the labeling for such devices should include warnings about serious metal-on-metal hip implant side effects, including the development of pseudotumors and high levels of metal ions in patients’ blood. Despite these statements, the FDA failed to issue any additional metal-on-metal hip implant recall or discontinuation of the devices remaining on the market.

The outcome of the meeting disappointed metal hip implant lawyers representing Plaintiffs in metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits, who were hoping for more aggressive measures to protect patients with the devices.

“Keeping these metal-on-metal hips on the market for the next five to 10 years while research is conducted is not ethical,” said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women & Families, during a public comment session at the meeting. “If the companies want to sell metal-on-metal hips, they should be required to prove their safety first.”

Women and overweight people are among the groups more susceptible to have implant failure. FDA regulators suggested they want to take more time to sort out the differences between various metal-on-metal hip implants and patient groups before making recommendations. The agency’s slow response frustrates metal-on-metal hip implant lawyers, who point out that U.K. regulators have already taken swift measures to protect patients, including recommending earlier this year that all people with metal-on-metal hip implants get yearly blood tests to make sure no dangerous metals are seeping into their bodies.

Metal-on-Metal hip implants accounted for about 27 percent of all hip implants in 2010, down 40 percent in 2008 as doctors have begun turning away from metal hip implants amid several high-profile recalls, including J&J’s DePuy hip implant recall in 2010, and thousands of metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits. Many of these metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) cases against hip implant manufacturers DePuy, Zimmer and Wright.

Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Lawsuits

A metal-on-metal hip implant MDL allows thousands of metal-on-metal hip implant victims to file lawsuits under the jurisdiction of one judge but still retain their own attorney and receive an individual award if the case is won or settled. The award MDL Plaintiffs would receive is typically much larger than any individual award expected in a metal-on-metal hip implant class action lawsuit. In a DePuy hip replacement class action lawsuit, Zimmer hip replacement class action lawsuit or Wright hip replacement class action lawsuit, hundreds of thousands of metal-on-metal hip implant patients are joined together. Once or if a metal hip implant class action lawsuit settles, class members would typically share the award and the award may be in the thousands of dollars range per claimant, rather than tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars in some cases for individual defective hip implant lawsuits. On the other hand, if the hip implant MDL settles, Plaintiffs would receive any financial award individually. The hip implant lawsuit MDL lawyers will determine exactly what each Plaintiff will receive depending on the injury suffered. This may mean that those who file metal-on-metal hip implant wrongful death lawsuits due to metal poisoning or cancer will receive more than those who successfully undergo cancer treatment and have their defective hip replaced. The metal-on-metal hip implant law firms litigating the MDL will determine this as the case progresses.

Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Side Effects

Anyone who has a metal-on metal hip implant needs to know the side effects so they can be caught and hopefully treated without resulting in death. Common metal-on-metal replacement hip implant side effects alleged in lawsuits include premature failure of the hip implant requiring replacement, dislocated hip, leaking of toxic substances from the metal hip implant, cancer, degenerative heart disease or cardiomyopathy, loss of bone strength or structure which can result in bone fractures, tissue death for any tissue surrounding the hip implant, non-cancerous tumors or pseudotumors around the hip implant, cobalt poisoning, metallosis or metal poisoning due to chromium or cobalt particles from the hip implant. If you are experiencing these metal-on-metal hip implant side effects, you should see a doctor immediately for treatment so hip implant replacement can be started if necessary. If you are experiencing these symptoms, experienced some or all of these symptoms, or already had your hip implant replaced, you should speak with a metal on metal hip implant specialist to see if you are a good fit to file an hip implant class action lawsuit or an individual metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuit. The medical expenses alone for metal-on-metal hip implant side effects could amount in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and patients suffering from these side effects deserve compensation. If you would like more information about filing an metal-on-metal hip implant class action lawsuit or would like to file an individual hip implant lawsuit, or join the DePuy hip implant lawsuit MDL just go to the Metal on Metal Hip Replacement Implant Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. You can submit your information, or your loved ones’, to metal-on-metal hip implant attorneys who are actively investigating all claims regarding metal hip implant cancer, tumors, metal poisoning and other metal-on-metal hip implant side effects. Hip implant attorneys are waiting to talk to you now and the consultation is free. These lawyers don’t get paid unless you win or settle.

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