Drug Injury Lawyers Blog
Johnson & Johnson is at the center of thousands of lawsuits due to dangerous defects in its DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement devices. Claimants allege that J&J failed to adequately warn patients and physicians about risks with the all-metal implants. Thousands have suffered extreme pain, and many will have life-long complications as a result. J&J agreed to settle a portion of the cases for billions, but more than 8,000 pending lawsuits remain. Read on to learn more about the risk of Pinnacle hip implants and whether you may be eligible to receive compensation. It may not be too late.
When all-metal implants hit the market, they quickly grew in popularity as a sturdier, more durable device than their plastic or ceramic predecessors. J&J’s first attempt at all-metal implants in the 2000s proved to be a disaster; the company eventually issued a global recall of its ASR model due to the risk of serious complications. Nearly 10,000 lawsuits arose from ASR and earlier models, forcing J&J to settle for $4 billion. A Boston defective medical products attorney can help you determine how to proceed if you’ve been injured by a hip implant or other medical device.
As mentioned above, there are still more than 8,000 lawsuits pending against J&J for its more recent model, the Pinnacle implant. After recalling its ASR implant, J&J continued to market and sell Pinnacle implants for nearly three years. Plaintiffs in the lawsuits against J&J allege the company is guilty of negligence because it sold defective products, failed to warn patients and physicians of associated risks, willfully concealed those risks from the general public, and acted maliciously. They even allege that J&J committed fraud.
Medical Complications Linked to All-Metal Hip Implants
All-metal implants have high failure rates and can lead to the following medical conditions:
- Metallosis (a type of blood poisoning)
- Bone deterioration
- Tissue death
- Infection
- Inflammation
- Loss of mobility
- Extreme pain
During earlier trials, lawyers discovered an internal memo in which J&J estimated that approximately 40 percent of patients with an ASR hip replacement device would require a revision surgery in five years or less. Additional documents revealed that J&J was aware of the design defects, and that physicians had warned the company to pull its hip implants off the market. Further evidence showed that J&J decided to discontinue the devices rather than redesign them because they weren’t profitable enough.
Blood tests in patients with all-metal implants have shown high levels of cobalt and chromium. One patient had 85 times the normal amount of cobalt in her system. Chromium and cobalt poisoning can lead to multiple medical problems, and can eventually lead to death. If you are experiencing severe pain, hear popping or grinding noises, suffer from loss of mobility, or notice inflammation in your hip or groin area, contact your physician immediately. These symptoms may indicate a serious problem with your hip implant. A MA defective medical products attorney can help you recover damages if you have been harmed due to a Pinnacle hip implant.
Altman & Altman, LLP – Product Liability Lawyers Serving All of MA
If you have been injured by a Pinnacle hip implant or other type of defective medical device, the skilled legal team at Altman & Altman, LLP can help. We have been protecting the rights of accident and injury victims for more than 50 years. Our experienced, knowledgeable attorneys have extensive experience with product liability claims, and an impressive track record of obtaining compensation for our clients. It is our goal to get you the compensation you deserve so that you can get on with your life. If you have been injured, we can help. Contact Altman & Altman, LLP today for a free and confidential consultation about your case.
