Stryker Orthopaedics Faces Lawsuits Over Defective Hip Implants
Consumers have piled up more than 80 product liability lawsuits against Stryker Orthopaedics claiming that the New Jersey-based medical device manufacturer sold them faulty hip implants that were later recalled from the market.
According to a news report in The Bergen Record, the case against Stryker is on track to become one of the biggest mass-tort litigations in Bergen County after plaintiffs’ attorneys nationwide notified a judge in Hackensack recently that hundreds of lawsuits are still on the way.
A 66-year-old Florida woman filed the first lawsuit against Stryker last summer. In her lawsuit, the woman alleged that she replaced her right hip with Stryker’s Rejuvenate implant and was told at the time that it would last for decades.
However, the hip failed within months of her receiving it. She also said that it caused her severe pain and required her to undergo several surgeries. In July 2012, Stryker recalled the product voluntarily due to the potential risks involved. Since then, dozens of lawsuits have been filed in several states.
Severe Side Effects
A majority of plaintiffs say they have experienced painful side effects as a result of these metal-on-metal implants as well as muscle nerve and bone damages. The metallic components of the device also rub against each other causing metal poisoning. Some of the patients say they have already undergone revision surgeries to remove this defective product and many others say they will likely need revision surgery.
It is appalling that patients in many of these cases were sold this product with the promise that it would last from 20 years to a lifetime. Most of the failures, however, occurred within two years or sometimes, even within months.
This is unacceptable! Some patients even report that their complications from this metal hip implant were so severe that they ended up in a nursing home for extended care. Company officials say they have been reimbursing patients for medical expenses and revision surgeries and are “working with the medical community to better understand this matter.”
Ongoing Investigation
There are many issues that will need to be investigated in these Stryker hip implant cases. What type of product testing was done before the devices were put in the market? Did Stryker researchers know about the potential risks of these implants? When did Stryker start receiving complaints of premature implant failures? Did they issue a prompt recall? Was their marketing and advertising of these products misleading or false?
I trust we will get the answers to these and many other questions as these lawsuits take their course. If you or a loved one has suffered severe complications as the result of receiving a Stryker metal hip implant, please contact an experienced product liability attorney to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.