DePuy Hip Implant Injury

DePuy Hip Implant Injury Attorneys

We expect manufacturers of medical products to do everything in their power to design, manufacture and produce devices that are safe and provide patients with lasting benefits. Unfortunately, certain manufacturers appear to be more concerned with profit than providing a product that helps patients recover and live full and productive lives.  

The lawyers at Smiley & Smiley, LLP, have been at the forefront of products liability cases against manufacturers of medical products. This includes us having an extensive understanding of the hip implants manufactured by DePuy Orthopaedics. We know what steps to take in making certain you receive maximum compensation due to injuries arising from use of such products. 

A History of Injuries Occurring Due to Hip Replacement Surgeries

In August of 2010, DePuy Orthopaedics, a division of manufacturing giant Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) recalled widely used hip implants when it was revealed that they were failing at unacceptably high rates. The implants were only recalled after thousands of them had been used in surgeries worldwide. Estimates indicate that anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000 metal-on-metal replacements have been implanted in patients globally. 

The implants were then failing at a rate of more than 10 percent over the course of five years. However, patient complaints have increased over the past year and a half, indicating that the failure rate may be even higher. Between January and August of 2011 alone, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received over 5,000 complaints about the metal-on-metal implants. The FDA had previously received less than 5,000 complaints about the implants from 2007 to 2010 combined. 

How These Injuries Arose

The primary concern surrounding the DePuy implants is that their metal-on-metal design was defective from the start. As the metal ball wears on the metal socket, fragments of chromium and cobalt shed into the body of the patient, often causing devastating injuries. 

As a result of the defective DePuy implants, many patients have been forced to undergo an additional hip surgery in order to replace the defective device. Though some patients have not experienced any pain associated with the implants, others have experienced enough tissue damage due to the fragmented metal that their pain, infections and inflammation have been debilitating. 

Thousands of lawsuits have been filed by patients seeking redress for the pain and injuries these implants have caused them. These lawsuits are based on the premise that manufacturers should be held accountable for defective designs and consequently defective products marketed in accordance with these designs. 

Necessary Steps in Holding Manufacturers Liable

When a medical device manufacturer does not properly warn patients and physicians about the risks associated with their products, in many cases the manufacturer may be held accountable for any injuries that these devices may cause. In the case of DePuy’s metal-on-metal implants, countless Americans have suffered devastating pain and injury due to these devices. Attempting to hold DePuy and JNJ accountable for this pain and these injuries may not heal these patients, but it may allow them to recover medical costs and other damages, as well as bring additional attention to implantation of this dangerous device. 

Our attorneys have experience taking on large manufacturers. When choosing us, we are always prepared to aggressively represent you in court.