Depuy ASR Settlement Finalized
A $2.5 billion DePuy ASR settlement has been finalized, according to recent court documents. The proposed DePuy ASR settlement was announced in November 2013 for patients who underwent revision surgeries to remove the defective ASR hip implants and replace them with other hip prostheses. An estimated 7,200 patients throughout the U.S., or more than 94 percent of those eligible, made the decision to accept the DePuy ASR settlement. Johnson & Johnson had previously announced a requirement that at least 94 percent of patients would be required to accept the proposed DePuy ASR settlement in order for the manufacturers to provide compensation to those affected.
Johnson & Johnson and DePuy will deposit the funds into an escrow account while a neutral third party begins to process thousands of individual hip lawsuit claims. The first DePuy ASR settlement payments are expected to go out this summer and will be made on a rolling basis from that point forward.
About the DePuy ASR Hip Implant
The ASR hip implant device was first introduced in the U.S. by DePuy in 2006. In 2009, the first DePuy ASR lawsuit was filed, alleging that the device was faulty and defective. The trial ended in an $8.3 million jury verdict for the plaintiff.
Approximately 35,000 ASR devices were implanted into patients in the U.S. between 2006 and August 2010 when DePuy voluntarily recalled the product. Early statistical analyses found that the ASR hip implants resulted in a higher-than-expected failure rate; the devices were intended to last between 15 and 20 years, but reports claimed early device failure as early as four years following the initial implantation.
Metal-on-metal hip replacement devices such as the ASR implant may cause patients to experience adverse side effects and complications including dislocation, loosening of the implant, clicking, pain and elevated chromium and cobalt levels in the blood. Additionally, plaintiffs filing lawsuits claim that X-rays often showed evidence of muscle damage and pseudotumors.
However, not all patients may experience side effects. While several individuals have been diagnosed with metal toxicity as the rubbing of the metal components can shed toxic metal debris into the bloodstream, a number of patients were unaware of their condition. As a result, many medical experts have recommended that patients who received the ASR implant undergo digital imaging to check the health of the bone and tissue around the hip joint and regular blood tests to determine the level of metal ions in their systems.
Contact Attorney Group
If you or someone you love was implanted with a DePuy ASR hip implant and you would like to learn more about recovering damages for your injuries, Attorney Group can help. We can discuss claims on behalf of those who feel they were adversely affected, at no cost or obligation to you. If you decide to pursue a claim, we can connect you with an affiliated attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
