Louisiana Woman Files Stryker Hip Lawsuit Over Metal Poisoning
By John Curran
Louisiana resident Yvonne Haymes claims that as a result of receiving the Stryker Rejuvenate hip implant, she faced unnecessary heavy metal shavings that entered her bloodstream leading to numerous side effects, including metal poisoning. Had Stryker properly warned consumers prior to a July 2012 recall, she would have considered other hip replacement options, according to a new lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on July 2.
Key to the complaint filed by her Stryker hip implant lawyer is research completed since the 1980s regarding the corrosion and fretting of cobalt and chromium when they are used at the joint of any medical device, including joint replacements. When the metal ions enter the bloodstream, a host of complications can ensue, including metallosis (blood poisoning), tissue death and pseudotumors. The new Stryker hip implant lawsuit mentions that this research was cited by Stryker but that the company told consumers and the medical field that the Rejuvenate hip replacement system would not have these problems due to a proprietary coating.
However, Haymes says in her Stryker hip lawsuit that the company had already noted problems with the coating because it had recalled a metal hip implant similar to the Stryker Rejuvenate — the company’s Accolade femoral hip stem — in 2009. In spite of that, Stryker “continued to utilize the materials in the manufacture of the Stryker Rejuvenate hip systems in reckless disregard for the safety of the patients, like Plaintiff Yvonne Haymes, who would have [a] Stryker Rejuvenate hip systems … implanted in their bodies,” the lawsuit states.
Medical professionals are still researching what side effects metallosis can cause, but the current understanding is that it can cause nervous system damage as well as localized allergic reactions, with other conditions reported on a less regular basis. Ms. Hayme’s Stryker Rejuvenate lawsuit does not list the side effects, but does mention that she will need to have a revision surgery in order to remove the defective Stryker Rejuvenate hip systems.
The Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Implant Lawsuit case is Haymes v. Howmedica Osteonics Corporation d/b/a Stryker Orthopaedics, Case No. 13-cv-04964, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
People who have dealt with similar problems may want to consider their legal options. The first step is to find out one’s eligibility to file a claim, which can be done by getting a free consultation with a Stryker metal hip implant lawsuit attorney. One is available by filling out the short form at the Stryker Metal Hip Implant Recall Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.
Updated July 10th, 2013
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