Michigan Woman Sues Biomet for Hip Replacement Complications

A Michigan woman has filed a metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuit in federal court against Biomet Inc. for complications she allegedly experienced after receiving a Biomet Magnum Hip System implant.

The Biomet hip implant lawsuit was filed on June 6, 2013, by Reta Kathleen Abraham and her husband Timothy T. Abraham in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division.

Reta Abraham had total hip replacement surgery on May 25, 2010, at MidMichigan Medical Center when she had the metal-on-metal Magnum hip implanted. After the surgery, she began to experience debilitating pain, discomfort, soreness, dysfunction and loss of range of motion, according to the lawsuit.

As a result of the hip replacement complications, Reta Abraham will need to have revision surgery, putting her at risk of future dislocation, the lawsuit says. Abraham says she has suffered severe metal poisoning and metallosis that caused permanent injuries. The plaintiff has also experienced lost wages and her future earning capability due to the hip replacement complications as well as incurred medical expenses.

According to a study conducted published in the American Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery in 2003, patients who underwent revision hip replacement surgery were four times more likely to suffer from a dislocation compared with those who had not.

The Biomet hip lawsuit claims that Biomet met with orthopedic surgeons, including the surgeon that installed Reta Abraham’s hip implant, and assured them “that the M2a Magnum Hip System was safe, effective, was the best product on the market, had an excellent track record, would last longer than traditional hip implants and had a low and acceptable failure rate.”

The hip implant lawsuit claims that Biomet withheld information about the serious complications that had been reported about the Magnum hip implant at such meetings. Abraham claims that all of her injuries were due to the defective design of the Magnum Hip System. She also complained that Biomet provided inadequate warnings about this unreasonably dangerous product. Timothy Abraham claims that his wife’s injuries caused their own relationship to suffer as a result causing him “great mental anguish.”

Reta Abraham and her husband are asking for compensation for the injuries and damages she experienced from the defective Magnum Hip System. Reta Abraham is also asking for special damages to be covered for loss of income, medical expenses, rehabilitation, and permanent disability as well as attorneys’ fees to be covered.

The Biomet hip implant lawsuit is Reta Kathleen Abraham and Timothy T. Abraham v. Biomet, Inc., et al., Case No.: 3:13-cv-00655-RLM-CAN, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, North Bend Division.

If you or someone you know has experienced metal-on-metal hip implant complications, legal options are available to you. Learn more and get a free consultation regarding a claim’s eligibility at the Metal on Metal Hip Replacement Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Experienced professionals have access to medical experts who can assess whether or not a defective metal on metal hip implant has played a role in your negative side effects.