November 4, 2014 — Two years after recalling defective Rejuvenate and ABG II hip replacements, Stryker Corp. has announced a $1 billion settlement in 4,000 lawsuits pending in state and federal court.
The Rejuvenate and ABG II were recalled in 2012 due to concern about premature corrosion of the modular-neck stem, which could release toxic metal into a patient’s hip and cause inflammation, swelling, pain, and metal poisoning.
Because the stem is driven into a patient’s femur, revision surgeries are physically traumatic for the patient — especially older patients with weaker bones, who are more likely to suffer femur fractures, infections, or muscle damage. Recovery is often prolonged and painful.
The settlement awards $300,000 to each patient who needed revision surgery to remove and replace the implant before November 3, with a double payment offered to patients who had the implant removed from both hips.
Higher payments were offered to patients with extraordinary injuries. There is no cap on compensation and patients who have medical problems in the future will also be eligible for additional payments, so long as they meet certain requirements.
The settlement could resolve over 2,000 lawsuits pending in a mass-tort in New Jersey. Another 1,800 lawsuits are pending in a federal Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in Minnesota.
Stryker is not the only hip implant manufacturer coming to the table — last week, Johnson & Johnson offered a $250 million settlement in 1,000 lawsuits involving the ASR hip replacement, which was recalled in 2010. Last year, Johnson & Johnson resolved about 8,000 ASR lawsuits for $2.5 billion.
Do I have a Hip Implant Injury Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting hip replacement induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by the Stryker Rejuvenate or ABG II, 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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