Johnson & Johnson Agrees to $420 Million More for 2013 DePuy Hip Lawsuit Settlement
In 2013, Johnson & Johnson and their subsidiary DePuy Orthopedics settled hundreds of personal injury lawsuits for $2.5 billion, after numerous reports that the DePuy Hip ASR and Pinnacle all-metal hip implants failed before their alleged 5 year lifespan, causing extensive tissue damage and metallosis from metal fragments entering the blood stream.
Now, the medical device manufacturer has agreed to pay up to $420 million to settle additional personal injury lawsuits which were not settled in the original DePuy Hip lawsuit agreement.
“By extending the benefits of the previously announced U.S. Settlement Program to an additional group of ASR patients, we are again providing fair compensation” to artificial hip recipients “without the delay and uncertainty of protracted litigation,” Mindy Tinsley, a DePuy spokeswoman, said in an email interview.
The new DePuy Hip lawsuit settlement negotiation will allow personal injury plaintiffs who had ASR hip models removed since 2013 to file for compensation from the all-metal hip personal injury fund. The additional funds should, according to Johnson & Johnson, settle 90% of the new DePuy Hip personal injury claims.
The FDA received 300 complaints regarding device failure and personal injury from the DePuy all-metal hip implants. An estimate suggested that around 35,000 all-metal DePuy ASR hip implants were used on United States patients between 2006 and 2010, when DePuy recalled 93,000 units of the all-metal hip device. While the company claimed that the all-metal hip implants would last longer than other models of artificial hips, such as ceramic and metal or plastic and metal, the devices actually failed at a higher rate, often earlier than 5 years. DePuy and J&J made bold claims that the all-metal design would last longer than the ceramic or plastic versions, up to 20 years.
In 2014, DePuy faced over 12,000 personal injury lawsuits claiming that the all-metal hip devices caused extensive personal injury and had to be replaced, leading to massive medical bills. Johnson & Johnson, with DePuy, could end up paying over $4 billion to victims of the defective all-metal hip implants.
One South Carolina plaintiff has already refused the settlement offer, claiming that the $300,000 she could receive by filing her claim with the personal injury fund is not enough to cover the ongoing physical problems she will experience after the DePuy hip left her wheelchair bound and suffering metallosis.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with DePuy Hip All-Metal Personal Injury Cases
Side effects of failure in all-metal hip replacement devices, like the DePuy or Stryker, include:
- Pseudotumors from metal debris
- Allergic reactions
- Permanent muscle and tissue damage
- Loose hip cups
- Hip dislocations
- Bone fractures
If you or a loved one has received a metal hip replacement device, specifically such as the DePuy Pinnacle, and have since suffered painful side effects, you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to contact us. 803.252.4800.
