June 14, 2013 — A panel of federal judges has decided to centralize Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II lawsuits into a federal Multi-District Litigation (MDL). At least 41 lawsuits in 16 district courts will be transferred into one litigation — In Re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2441. All future lawsuits will be transferred from the state court where they were originally filed into the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, before Judge Donovan W. Frank.
A Multi-District Litigation (MDL) is a special federal litigation that is similar to a class action. In a class action, all claims are consolidated into one claim. However, lawsuits in an MDL remain independent. If a settlement or other resolution is not obtained, the lawsuit can be transferred back to its original state court. Furthermore, by centralizing the litigation in an MDL, the judges hope to improve efficiency, reduce the risk of conflicting rulings, and more.
The judges determined that an MDL could be established because all of the lawsuits make similar accusations against Stryker. The claims focus on the poor performance of the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II modular-neck hip implants. The products were both recalled in July 2012.
The problem with the Rejuvenate and ABG II is that they have a modular-neck instead of a solid piece of metal, like most other hip implant. The modular-neck introduces a metal-on-metal component that can corrode and flake bits of chromium and cobalt.
Hundreds of people have already filed lawsuits after they required medical treatment for chronic pain, inflammation, metal poisoning (metallosis), tissue damage, bone loss, and more. These complications may cause failure of the hip replacement and require surgery.
Do I have a Stryker Hip Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by a defective Stryker hip replacement, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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