Little Rock, AR -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/09/2013 -- Johnson and Johnson proposed settlement of its extensive DePuy ASR hip implant litigation is estimated at 4 billion dollars. Under the settlement terms, DePuy ASR Hip Implant recipients applications must be submitted by January 6, 2014. If less than 94% of the plaintiffs fail to participate, then Johnson and Johnson can walk away from the proposed settlement offer. Settlement distributions are anticipated around July/August 2014.
DePuy ASR Hip Implant recipients who later develop complications are not precluded from seeking compensation. This could add billions of dollars to the final settlement.
In 2005, J&J pushed their DePuy ASR Hip implants in the United States as a new design that would last 20 years and would provide a greater range of motion. The DePuy ASR metal on metal hip implant design has a metal femur head that rotates within a metal cup, known as a metal on metal design. According to the FDA metal on metal (MoM) Hip Implant Systems consist of a metal ball, metal stem and a metal shell. These metal on metal hip implants were designed to have less device wear, decreased chance of dislocation, and decreased chance of fracture.
However, the metal ball and the metal cup slide against each other during movement causing metal particles to be released. Over time, the metal particles can cause damage to bone and/or tissue surrounding the implant and joint. Soft tissue damage may lead to pain, implant loosening, implant failure, and/or revision surgery.
Around 2010, amid sharply rising failure rates, DePuy ceased its sale of the DePuy ASR Hip implants. The metal-on-metal device was damaging tissue as it shed metallic debris into the recipients blood stream, soft tissue, and bone. Initially, when DePuy recalled the hip implant device in 2010, J&J offered to pay for the replacement costs of the hip implant.
The pending lawsuits state that metal debris caused by the grinding action of the chromium and cobalt ball and head of the hip implant device caused metallic debris to be released into the blood stream resulting in tissue or bone death. The release of metallic debris is known as metallosis.
About 93,000 patients received a DePuy A.S.R. Hip Implant device, approximately one-third of them in the United States.
Specific metal on metal hip implant devices that are now subject to national litigation over the issue of a premature failure:
- DePuy Pinnacle Case Number U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas MDL No. 2244.
- DePuy ASR Case Number Ohio Southern Federal District Court Case Number MDL No. 2197AAJ.
- Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Implant Stem Failure. On July 6, 2012 Stryker issued a voluntary recall of its Rejuvenate and ABG II modular-neck stems in the United States.
- Biomet M2a Magnum Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. (Case No. 3:12-cv-3476) filed on July 2nd 2012.
- Zimmer Durom Cup Product Liability MDL NO. 2158.
- Wright Medical Technology, Inc., Conserve Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation MDL No. 2329.
About Law Offices of Lisa Douglas
Law Offices of Lisa Douglas (http://lisagdouglas.com), continues to offer free lawsuit evaluations to anyone who received these metal-on-metal hip implants. Lisa Douglas is an attorney and Licensed Registered Nurse for over 2 decades. The office offers free no cost or obligation review of your case.