Connecticut Woman Sues Stryker for Metal Hip Injuries

Connecticut plaintiff Denise Simoneau is suing Stryker Corp. for the injuries she allegedly sustained from their metal-on-metal hip replacement module, the Trident Hip Implant. Simoneau alleges she suffered from metal corrosion, hematoma, infection and metallosis.

Initially, Simoneau underwent total left hip replacement on Dec. 19, 2003. After the procedure, life progressed smoothly for a number of years, until the plaintiff started experiencing debilitating pain in her left hip in August 2011. In October 2012, she was diagnosed with hematoma, metallosis and infection around the metal hip implant site. The hip implant was removed on Nov. 29, 2012.
Simoneau filed the Stryker hip implant lawsuit, claiming she was not informed about the risk any of the side effects she suffered. Had Simoneau been aware of these possibilities, she says she never would have opted for the device. Further, she claims she not made aware that the product had been recalled in June 2012. She is suing Stryker for manufacturing, selling, distributing and marketing a dangerous product. The charges in the hip implant lawsuit include negligence, false advertising, concealing information and misrepresenting a product.

Overview of Stryker Metal-on-Metal Hip Complications

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) first approved Stryker’s Trident hip module in 2003. Like all metal-on-metal hip modules, it was initially believed to be superior to its ceramic and plastic cousins, due to that fact that it was thought to last longer and was more durable. Additionally, most Stryker metal-on-metal hip replacements could be fitted for the specific body of the patient, rather than forcing the body to adapt to a standard size. However, like all metal-on-metal hip systems, the Trident system came under fire for the injuries associated with the device.

These injuries included metallosis, infection, device failure and hematoma. Most medical experts have attributed these side effects to a design flaw that wasn’t accounted for when the hip implants were made or approved. When the ball-and-socket joint rubs together, metal ions shed off from the device and enter the blood stream, causing the metallic levels in the blood to rise. These elevated metal levels can lead to blood-metal poisoning and other complications.

Many believe that there was such a universal design defect because most of the metal-on-metal hip systems went through the FDA’s 510(k) premarket approval system. This approval system essentially means that each of these devices had gone through to market because they had proven they worked just as well as a product already released in the United States. Products that went through the 510(k) process were not required to undergo rigorous preclinical trials, so most experts hypothesize that this design flaw was overlooked.

Simoneau is seeking damages for medical compensation, pain and suffering, and other punitive charges. This case is currently still pending.

This Stryker hip implant lawsuit is labeled as: Denise Simoneau vs. Stryker Corp., et al., Case 3:13-cv-01200-JCH, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

File a Stryker Metal-on-Metal Hip Lawsuit Today

If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of a metal hip injury, you have legal options. Please visit the Stryker Metal Hip Implant Recall Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a seasoned metal hip lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation. You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees. The metal hip attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.