Falls, accidents, or hip injuries routinely require a partial or total hip replacement. Unfortunately, infections and metal poisoning from defective artificial hips or a loose replacement often occur after hip replacement surgery. Hip surgery is expensive and recovery is tough. A bad replacement device may leave you wondering: how much compensation will I get for a hip replacement?
You’re not alone. Thousands of people who are suffering financial and health problems from botched hip replacements have filed lawsuits against the manufacturers in recent years. Patients commonly needed revision surgery or a new prosthetic to correct a botched hip replacement.
According to hip replacement lawsuits, patients have major side effects from device design or defects. Metal poisoning, infection, allergic reactions, nerve damage, and bone loss are possible side effects. The total sum of known settlements is at least $2.2 billion.
Contact a skilled Houston hip replacement complications attorney to seek compensation for your pain and suffering from a faulty hip replacement. Reich & Binstock’s experienced legal team will help you get the damages you deserve.
Hip Replacement Implant Lawsuits
Many people experience loss of mobility and pain in their joints as they age. Common causes of these symptoms are inflammation (such as arthritis or bursitis), bone or cartilage degradation, or trauma. Stretching, exercise, anti-inflammatory medications, and surgery are typical treatments that doctors recommend.
Doctors may recommend a partial or total hip replacement (THR) if less invasive procedures don’t work. Metal, ceramic, or polyethylene implants go in the top of the femur and the pelvic hip socket in a THR. This surgery ideally increases the patient’s mobility and reduces discomfort and stiffness post-recovery.
Between 2012 and 2018, surgeons performed more than 600,000 hip replacement procedures in the United States. That number will rise in the future if current patterns continue.
Unfortunately, a large number of patients have serious problems with their total or partial hip replacements. Sometimes, complications develop after the operation, but often, side effects from the hip device create new health concerns.
Faulty Hip Replacements
Lawsuits claim that some manufacturers poorly produced their hip replacement products or didn’t even test some models. They allege that issues developed after the hip replacements were put in place. Many of the issues required correction or replacement surgery.
These are some of the injuries claimed in the lawsuits:
- Dislocated device
- Loose device
- Metallosis or metal poisoning
- Discomfort or pain
- Revision surgery needed
Maybe this sounds like your experience and you’re wondering: how much compensation will I get for a hip replacement? With the help of an expert hip replacement attorney, an implant recall provides a direct path to filing a lawsuit. Patients may never know they have a defective implant unless a complication occurs – even after a recall is issued. If you’ve had problems with your hip replacement, even if there’s no recall, you can seek compensation.
DePuy Synthes (Johnson & Johnson), Stryker, and Smith & Nephew are the three primary corporations producing hip replacements.
DePuy ASR Hip Lawsuits
Thousands of lawsuits are filed against DePuy, which is a part of Johnson & Johnson. Three hip replacement systems, in particular, caused severe harm and discomfort in patients. These are the ASR (Articular Surface Replacements) XL Acetabular System total hip replacement, the Pinnacle Hip Replacement System, and the ASR Hip Replacement Surfacing system.
The DePuy ASR and Pinnacle implants, according to these cases, produced serious issues that required additional procedures. Settling more than 8,000 ASR hip cases, DePuy agreed to pay $4 billion in 2013. Nearly 6,000 Pinnacle cases settled in May 2019 after DePuy agreed to pay another almost $1 billion settlement.
Stryker Hip Replacement Lawsuits
Contact your physician right away with problems with a Stryker hip implant. Discuss whether you need a revision operation. Contact a defective medical devices attorney that will answer the question: how much compensation will I get for a hip replacement?
Nearly 2,000 hip replacement cases against Stryker are filed in state and federal courts as of August 2019. While the complaints list at least six types of devices, only three are involved in federal mass litigation. These devices are the Rejuvenate, ABG II, and LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40 femoral heads.
Recent lawsuits are underway that involve people who have had complications with the Stryker Tritanium Acetabular Shell hip implants. These implants fuse to the recipient’s own bones and replace the hip socket while promoting bone growth. Unfortunately, patients claim the hip implant loosened after surgery, causing extreme pain. The only option after that is another surgery.
Smith and Nephew Hip Replacements
After reported problems and failures, Smith & Nephew recalled 4,000 R3 Acetabular Hip Systems in the United States in 2012. Also recalled in 2016 were 2,000 Modular SMF and Modular Redapt Revision Femoral Hip Systems.
Many of the cases filed against Smith & Nephew settled in two significant agreements since 2015. A multi-district litigation action consolidated 28 lawsuits. It included 609 lawsuits by April 2019. Smith & Nephew set aside $203 million for legal costs linked to metal-on-metal hip implant claims, but the amount of the settlement was not disclosed.
These aren’t the only hip replacement manufacturers, nor are they the only companies named in current lawsuits. Zimmer, Biomet, and Wright Medical are also named defendants. Speak with an attorney to find out: how much compensation will I get for a hip replacement?
Reich & Binstock wants to represent you and defend your rights. This is a complicated and overwhelming situation, and a dedicated attorney files necessary forms, gathers important evidence, and advocates for how much compensation will I get for a hip replacement. Check-in with Reich & Binstock to assess your circumstances and the facts of your case. Don’t delay because the statute of limitations in your case establishes a deadline.
Hip Replacement Lawsuits Involving Cobalt Poisoning
Medical experts disagree on the actual cause of allergic responses and metal poisoning in metal-on-metal hip replacements. According to one theory, microscopic cobalt-chromium particles rub off and build up in the patient’s body. Continual abrasion of the metal hip implant components causes this, as well as autoimmune issues like sensitivities, allergic reactions, and metallosis from cobalt poisoning.
Hives, eczema, itching, and redness are just a few of the adverse effects occurring. Memory loss, mental fog, and the growth of necrotic tissue or “pseudotumors” are also serious consequences.
Other Hip Replacement Complications and Symptoms
Metal toxicity and allergies are among the side effects that hip replacements cause. Some adverse effects are more serious than others. For instance, complications such as infection or blood clots can occur after surgery. Other issues, such as implant loosening and dislocation, take as many as 5 to 10 years to happen.
Complications aren’t always caused by malfunctioning hip components. However, failures occur more frequently with certain types and models of hip implant devices. Leg length differences, bone loss, chronic or occasional discomfort, and sciatic or femoral nerve palsy (paralysis), or numbness are also possible side effects of hip replacement surgery.
Hip Replacement Lawsuits Settlements
Medical device litigation settlements and verdicts range from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars. The kinds of damages awarded by a jury will determine how much compensation will I get for a hip replacement, including:
- What complications did the patient experience?
- Were more surgeries or medical care needed?
- When did the difficulties from the implant surgery start?
- Did the injuries result in short-term or long-term disability?
The base payout for each plaintiff in the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II multi-district litigation settlement was $300,000. However, your compensation may be lower or higher depending on the amount of medical expenses you had from the first surgery, revision surgery, rehabilitation, medicine, and pain and suffering from the bad hip replacement. A knowledgeable legal team helps you determine the appropriate amount of compensation for a faulty hip replacement.
According to court documents in the DePuy Pinnacle multidistrict litigation, at least 3,300 of the 10,000 hip replacement lawsuits are settled or being settled. The amount of the settlement is unknown to the public. However, citing anonymous sources, Bloomberg reported an average payment of $125,000.
Thousands of hip replacement lawsuits are ongoing against multiple companies. In various districts, most of the lawsuits are combined under multidistrict litigation. This process increases the efficiency of case administration and eliminates duplicated work.
You’re Not Alone in This: How a Reich & Binstock Attorney Can Help
Hip replacement surgery and recovery is expensive and difficult. It’s not surprising that a malfunctioning hip implant is upsetting to patients.
Following an injury, fall, or accident, hip replacement surgery should reduce your pain. You should get years, if not decades, of use from your new hip. You may be able to receive compensation for medical and treatment costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other expenses from the badly designed hip replacement and future revision surgeries.
If you received a faulty hip replacement, we’re here to help. Contact the Houston hip replacement complications lawyers at Reich & Binstock at 713-622-7271 to learn more about how much compensation will I get for a hip replacement.
