Maryland Man Sues DePuy for Metal on Metal Hip Implant Injuries

In his hip implant lawsuit, Busta accuses DePuy of manufacturing, distributing, selling, and marketing a dangerous product. Other charges being brought against the company include misrepresenting a product, concealing information and false advertising.

Overview of DePuy Pinnacle Hip Replacement Complications

The Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System (Pinnacle Device) was first launched in 2001. The device was designed, developed and sold for human hip replacements. The Pinnacle Device is specifically designed to fasten human bone with surgical screws. This unique design was meant for particularly active patients, according to the defendant’s advertisements. The two main components of the Pinnacle Device are the metal femoral stem, which is inserted inside the patient’s femur bone, and the metal femoral head that connects to the stem, recreating a ball-and-socket joint. The hip implant consists mostly of titanium, cobalt, and chromium.  

According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), DePuy has sold approximately 150,000 Pinnacle Devices. More than 1,300 adverse reports have been submitted to the FDA regarding the debilitating side effects of the hip implant. It was discovered that in these adverse injury reports that the most common side effects were metal blood poisoning, erosion and tissue infection. Medical experts state that the side effects are caused by the metal components rubbing against each other as the patients move, causing the metal ions from of the components to be shed into the patient’s bloodstream. Complications from the metal on metal hip implant include metal erosion, tissue infection, pain and other side effects.

Many legal experts are concerned by the frequency of metal on metal hip complications in patients who underwent hip replacement surgery. They trace the problem to the fact that the Pinnacle Device and other metal on metal hip replacement systems were not forced to undergo vigorous medical testing by the FDA, under the agency’s 510(k) policy. This clause allows medical devices to pass through to market without testing if the products are substantially similar to a product already sold in the market.  

Metal on Metal Hip Implant Lawsuits Grow

The expedited 510(k) process allowed the metal on metal hip systems to pass through to the market without proper scientific study. Numerous hip implant lawsuits are being filed against DePuy and other metal on metal hip manufacturing companies around the country. The plaintiffs allege that the metal on metal hip implants were not adequately tested before they were released into the market. As a result, numerous patients have suffered from debilitating hip implant complications.

This DePuy hip replacement lawsuit is Robert D. Busta vs. DePuy Orthopaedics, Case No. 3:13-cv-02507-K, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.

If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of a metal hip implant defect, you have legal options. Please visit the DePuy, Biomet, Wright Medical Technology & Others, Metal on Metal Hip Implant 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 implant 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.