Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants Plagued by Problems

Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Side Effects

Shortly after receiving the all-metal hip implants, many patients began noticing side effects they were not warned of. These side effects included, but are not limited to:

• Cobalt poisoning
• Chromium poisoning
• Elevated metal ions in the bloodstream
• Replacement surgeries
• Tissue death at the site of the implantation

The main issue with the metal-on-metal hip implant devices is that the metal ball and socket tend to rub against each other when pressure is put on the joint. This causes the metal ions to be slowly released into the bloodstream and over time build up to toxic levels.

These issues led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recall the DePuy ASR hip implant in 2010 after an alarming increase in claims indicated that the device has a high failure rate. The number of recalled hip implants exceeded 93,000 with over 37,000 of those hip implants recalled in the United States.

Ongoing Hip Implant Lawsuits

Over 600 lawsuits have been filed against DePuy, only one of the manufacturers listed in the metal-on-metal hip implant mass tort cases. Several other manufacturers have litigations pending as well. The DePuy ASR hip implant lawsuits are continually moving forward, which is good news for the plaintiffs involved.

Currently, there is a centralized proceeding taking place in New Jersey under the New Jersey Superior Court. With the hip implant lawsuits moving forward, the first DePuy hip implant lawsuit trials in the New Jersey MDL are set to begin on September 9, 2013 and October 21, 2013. This litigation is in addition to over 10,000 DePuy hip implant lawsuits that are currently pending in Ohio. This multidistrict litigation (MDL) is scheduled to get underway with the first hip implant lawsuit trials beginning on May 6, 2013 and July 8, 2013.

You Can File a Hip Implant Lawsuit

If you have been injured by a metal-on-metal hip implant, or you know someone who has, it is still possible to file a hip implant lawsuit against the manufacturer. To get more information on the hip implant side effects and ongoing litigation, visit our DePuy, Biomet, Wright Medical Technology & Others, Metal on Metal Hip Implant Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. Here you can also reach out to the attorneys who are currently investigating metal on metal hip implant devices and the claims filed against the manufacturers.