DePuy Implant Lawsuit Lawyers

Helping People with Defective Hip Implants Nationwide

DePuy initially issued its first recall on August of 2010 for their ASR and ASR XL kits because a higher number of patients using the metal-on-metal hip replacement system required a revision surgery, earlier than expected. The implants affected by the recall had available in the United States since 2005, and while problems had been reported as early as 2006, DePuy delayed a recall and continued the sales of their defective hip implant kits until 2010.

The DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement system has yet to be recalled, but the Food and Drug Administration has received nearly 1,300 reports filed, documenting the adverse effects of the DePuy Pinnacle hip implant. If you have required a secondary surgery, or have experienced undue pain related to a DePuy ASR or Pinnacle hip implant, contact our defective hip implant attorneys today regarding your eligibility to file a suit against DePuy.

What Are Artificial Hip Replacements?

Hip implants are a surgical procedure replacing the hip joint with a prosthetic implant for patients with severe arthritis or to address the joint damage in a fractured hip. Successful hip replacements offer increased mobility and relieve pain, and is currently the most common orthopedic operation. In a typical hip replacement procedure, an artificial Acetabular cup replaces the Acetabulum, or the socket that joins the femoral head to the pelvis. Hip replacement systems can be made of ceramic, metal, or cross-linked polyethylene. Each type of materials offers its own dangers, however an independent study found that the DePuy kit would fail within five years for 1 in 8 patients. The recall was issued because the rate of failure for ASR kits were much more frequent and earlier than other competing brands and types of systems available.

DePuy ASR Hip Replacement Kit

The ASR system was advertised to DePuy marketed their metal-on-metal joint replacement kits touting the benefits of improved range-of-motion, stability, and longevity. While patients were warned against the problem of metal sensitivity, they were not informed of the possible metal poisoning that can be caused by metal shavings released as the metal acetabular cup and femoral ball rubbed against each other. The colbalt and chromium debris can increase the amount of metal in the blood and lead to a type of blood poisoning called metallosis and genotoxity (damage to DNA that result in mutations or cancer).

Problems With the DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant

While a recall of the DePuy Pinnacle kit has not been recalled, because the Pinnacle kit features the same metal-on-metal technology that proved dangerous in the ASR kit, many patients with a Pinnacle replacement are developing complications. For 2010 alone, the FDA received 545 adverse event reports regarding the Pinnacle hip implant. And like the ASR hip implants, the FDA never approved the Pinnacle kit, both were sold in the U.S. via a loophole in the FDA regulation that allowed DePuy to sell their defective products without having to prove the safety and effectiveness of their products with clinical trials.

Seek Legal Recourse

When government regulators fail to protect citizens from harmful medical devices, the civil court offers victims a means of redress. If your DePuy hip implant has required additional surgery, caused pain and irritation, or resulted in metal poisoning, contact the defective hip implant attorneys at Estey Bomberger today. By their careless pursuit of sales, DePuy has endangered the health and lives of thousands of patients. Call us today for a free consultation; you may be entitled to substantial compensation for the damages related to your defective hip implant. Our defective product attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for victims of defective products, and are ready to help you protect your legal rights.

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