subject: Lawsuits Against DePuy Over Faulty Hip Replacemenst In the UK Gains Strength [print this page] Lawsuits Against DePuy Over Faulty Hip Replacemenst In the UK Gains Strength
Americans considering filing lawsuits against DePuy Orthopaedics, a Johnson & Johnson company, over its faulty hip replacements may want to know that the company is not only being sued in the United States. Across the Atlantic, it also faces a class action lawsuit in Britain that could cost the company as much as 350 million pounds ($570 million), according to the Daily Mail. Like those filed in the United States, the lawsuit centers on two of the company's metal-on-metal hip replacements that were recalled in August 2010: the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System. Of the 93,000 recipients of these implants worldwide, more than 10,000 live in the UK.
The Daily Mail details the pain recipients of defective hip implants experience due to the implants' metal wearing away and depositing chromium and cobalt into their blood. The metal ions cause inflammation and tumors. Tests on hip implant recipients show that the ions levels register at 100 times the normal level in human bodies. Already, more than 1,000 of the hip implant recipients have undergone revision surgeries. The costs of these operations, 250 million pounds ($407 million) are borne by the National Health System, i.e. the taxpayers. 78 recipients, 34 of whom have already undergone revision procedures, have signed on as class representatives in a class action lawsuit against DePuy. They are claiming damages for pain and suffering, loss of earnings, healthcare costs, and costs for additional operations.
In Ireland, more than 3,500 recalled hips were implanted. The government there is setting up a joint replacement register to gather and maintain information on recipients of artificial joints. It's estimated that 400 individuals have had their hip implants replaced. No lawsuits have been filed at this time.
Meanwhile, in Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald reports a 66-year-old grandfather, Bob Lugton, is joining the DePuy hip recall lawsuits in the United States. Doctors found cobalt levels 750 times the normal levels. Mr. Lugton had to undergo a revision procedure in October. Experts estimate that 5,000 of the 93,000 recalled hip implants were sold in Australia. DePuy sold 10,000 in the United Kingdom. Whether a lawsuit will be filed in Australia as well remains to be seen.
Victims of DePuy's faulty replacement hips are taking action worldwide. If you have been affected by the recall, contact a hip implant lawyer to know your rights. A free consultation with an attorney from the Rottenstein Law Group could result in compensation for your pain.
