According to reports, a manufacturing error may have compounded problems plaguing the DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement system. Thousands of cases have been filed against the device maker over claims that design defects caused severe pain and suffering in patients. Affected patients and their families are seeking compensation for their injuries with the help of a DePuy hip implant attorney.
For more information, contact Attorney Group to learn more about your options. We can answer your questions in a free, no-obligation consultation, and if you have a case, we can connect you with an affiliated DePuy hip implant attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
Important: The time you have to pursue a claim is limited. Contact us for more information.
Report: Thousands of Patients May be Affected by Manufacturing Error
According to The Telegraph, one of the world’s largest hip replacement companies, DePuy Orthopaedics, has admitted an error in the measuring techniques used when making one of its metal-on-metal total hip implants known as the DePuy Pinnacle Ultamet device. The DePuy Pinnacle hip implant has been alleged to cause severe pain and discomfort by thousands of patients. The miss-measured Pinnacle hip implants, manufactured in England, reportedly may result in the risk of a high wear rate and could cause debris to break off the implant components and enter the bloodstream according to experts. Known as metallosis, this condition may cause tissue and bone damage as well as early failure of the hip implant.
The Telegraph also reported that DePuy became aware of a manufacturing error with the Pinnacle Ultamet in 2008 and that the issue was thoroughly investigated. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigated DePuy’s production facilities in 2011 and also raised concerns. DePuy announced the discontinuation of the Pinnacle Ultamet hip device in March 2013. The FDA issued a statement regarding their jurisdiction over DePuy’s factory in Leeds, England, emphasizing that “all manufacturers (foreign and domestic) are subject to the same regulations”, so DePuy’s Leeds facility must obey standards and regimes in two separate jurisdictions.
Artificial hips made by DePuy have been surgically implanted in hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Of these more than 20,000 were implanted with metal-on-metal devices. It is understood at least two types of hip implants were affected by production issues, both metal-on-metal versions that are no longer used, the website reported.
How a DePuy Hip Implant Attorney Can Help
Device makers have a duty to design and produce safe products, and to warn of possible risks associated with their products. Failure to fulfill that duty can result in injuries to patients, and the device maker being held liable for those injuries.
Patients who are injured by metal-on-metal hip replacements may be entitled to compensation for damages resulting from injuries. Compensation can be based on factors including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from an injury
- Loss of income or ability to work due to loss of mobility
If a loved one dies after complications from a metal-on-metal hip implant, family members may be able to pursue claims for wrongful death damages, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of a loved one prior to death
- Loss of financial support
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish resulting from the loss of a loved one
Affected patients and their families are encouraged to seek the advice of a DePuy hip implant attorney to discuss their legal rights and options for compensation.
Contact Us For More Information
If you have been injured by a metal-on-metal hip replacement, contact Attorney Group. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at the number listed at the top of the page, or email us at info@attorneygroup.com.
When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information, and contact Attorney Group today.
