Stryker Agrees to Settle Four Personal Injury Lawsuits in All-Metal Hip Implant MDL
In April, Stryker Corp agreed to go into mediation to reach a settlement with plaintiffs in the Stryker all-metal hip implant multidistrict litigation (MDL). In October, the company announced that it would set aside between $700 million and $1 billion for personal injury cases in the MDL.
Now, Stryker has announced that it settled four of the six all-metal hip implant lawsuits against the company for an undisclosed amount.
“We had a nice variety of plaintiffs, different type of injuries, and through the cooperation of counsel, with the good efforts of our retired jurists, the matters have been resolved,” Judge Martinotti said at a case management conference Monday, according to a court transcript. “I dare say this is probably one of the few times that mediation has brought a resolution this early in a litigation.”
Like the DePuy Orthopedics’ all-metal hip implants, Stryker’s hip implants ground together, causing the implant to structurally fail in the patient’s body. Infections, severe pain, destroyed muscle tissue, and metallosis were all side effects of the failed Stryker hip implants. Many plaintiffs in the MDL had to undergo multiple revision surgeries, and will still need several years of medical care in the future.
“While all revision [surgeries] involve significant damages, since it is such an invasive procedure with a lengthy recuperation, the clients whose cases resolved had good outcomes and were back to work or their daily activities. Some of our clients have had much more significant injuries, and until we see that the most serious cases are able to settle can we project the possibility for a more widespread resolution,” Ellen Relkin, head of the plaintiffs steering committee, said. “That being said, these early resolutions are promising.”
Originally, the first phase of mediation was supposed to involve 10 plaintiffs, and three of those are still scheduled for mediation in January 2014. However, one plaintiff’s ongoing medical treatment and Stryker hip implant complications forced them to withdraw from settlement talks.
The settlement comes just weeks after DePuy Orthopedics, which is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, settled 8,000 DePuy ASR all-metal hip personal injury lawsuits with $2.5 billion. About 4,000 DePuy cases remain outstanding.
Stryker issued a recall for its all-metal hip implants, both the Rejuvenate model and the ABG II, due to “fretting and corrosion at the modular neck junction.”
Stryker’s Recalled Devices
Stryker’s all-metal hip devices use what is called a modular neck-stem, which consists of two pieces that allow the orthopedic surgeon to customize the length of the femoral component. Although the design was touted for its convenience and customizability, the joint can cause the two metal pieces of the device to rub together, leading to metal debris when the chromium-cobalt neck grinds against the titanium femoral stem.
The following Stryker Hip Replacement Devices and other products may have manufacturing defects according to the FDA.
- Trident PSL Acetabular Shells
- ReUnion Plasma Spray Humeral Stem
- Solar Plasma Purefix HA Shoulder Stems
- Duracon Toatal Knee Modular Femoral Component
- Global Modular Hip Stems
- Trident PSL HA Solid Black 52 MM
- Trident Hemispherical Cluster 50 MM
- Hip Implant components with ceramic bearing components
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Stryker Personal Injury Cases
The defective product lawyers at The Strom Law Firm, LLC are at the forefront of the fight to protect the public and will stand up for your rights against the big drug and insurance companies. We will fight to ensure that you and your loved ones receive the justice you deserve. Contact our defective drug and wrongful death attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC today for a free consultation to discuss the facts of your Stryker personal injury case as well as your legal rights. 803.252.4800
