“Plaintiff Was Hypersensitive,” DePuy Lawsuit Defense Witness States
The jury in the second DePuy hip implant lawsuit to go to trial (Carol Strum v. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. et al, case no. 2011-L-009352) has recently heard testimony from an expert witness for the defense alleging that: The plaintiff was likely hypersensitive to a normal amount of debris shed from the DePuy ASR XL metal-on-metal hip implant. The device, upon …
J&J hid DePuy metal-on-metal hip implant defects, jurors told
Testimony began in late January over claims that the DePuy metal-on-metal hip implant was defective and that its maker, Johnson & Johnson, concealed knowledge of its defects. More than 10,000 similar lawsuits are pending in the United States, but this lawsuit, filed by Loren Kransky of Montana, was the first to reach trial. Documents indicate that J&J knew the DePuy …
UPDATE: 2013 DePuy trial halted, case withdrawn; claims to be filed in federal court
A Maryland judge dismissed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson over the DuPuy ASR™ hip implant after the plaintiff, a former dancer, withdrew her claim. A jury had already been chosen in Upper Marlboro, Md., when Moira Jackson’s attorney requested the withdrawal. According to the legal news website HarrisMartin.com, the lawsuit was withdrawn from state court so Jackson can file …
DePuy hip implant first jury trial begins in Maryland
Jury selection was scheduled to begin this week in Prince George’s County, Maryland, over claims that Johnson & Johnson failed to warn a former professional dancer and her doctors about risks with two DuPuy ASR™ hip implants she received. Moira Jackson, who says the implants caused “severe physical distress and injury” until she was “unable to lead a normal life,” …
Hip resurfacing, metal-on-metal bearings merit more research, study shows
After a British study found poor results from hip resurfacing on some men and on women in general, researchers say the technique shouldn’t be used on women and men should be evaluated carefully before having resurfacing. Researchers said resurfacing and metal-on-metal bearings should be examined closely before new implant technology is released. Hip resurfacing has been used as an alternative …
Group: Nearly 123 million medical devices recalled in last quarter
The bad news is that nearly 123 million medical devices, from ultrasound gels to hip implants, were recalled in the last quarter. According to ExpertRecall, a company that tracks recalls, while the number of recalled devices has dropped from the previous quarter, the number of units that were affected topped the 100 million mark for the first time since the …
DePuy hip implant bellwether trials set in Ohio, Texas
A U.S. District Court judge in Ohio has scheduled the first bellwether trial for lawsuits filed against DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., alleging defects in the metal-on-metal ASR hip replacement system. A bellwether trial is used for multiple lawsuits with common complaints. The Ohio trial is set for May 2013. Attorneys were ordered to submit four trial candidates to the judge. Since …
Metal hip replacement component taken off the market
A British manufacturer of a metal-on-metal component for an artificial hip has voluntarily withdrawn the metal liner (or cup) from the market, as some patients were forced to have the liner removed after complaining of infections, fractures and dislocations. The liner was part of Smith & Nephew’s R3 Acetabular System. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, about 7,700 liners have been implanted …
FDA sees need to study metal hip implant effects on body
U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff have sent word to agency advisers meeting this week that there should be more and consistent tests to study the effect of metal in hip implants on surrounding body tissue. The staff said these tests might help lower high failure rates on implants made by Johnson & Johnson and Zimmer Holding Inc. Recently, the …
FDA: Hip implant complaints increasing
As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prepares to examine how safe metal-on-metal hip implants are, the agency released a report saying it received more than 16,800 reports of adverse events associated with the devices from 2000-2011. Complaints increased after Johnson & Johnson began recalling its ASR hip implants in 2010, according to Bloomberg News. More than 6,000 lawsuits have …
