NPR Covers Defective Hip Implants

March 19, 2012 — Do you have a metal-on-metal hip implant? If you needed hip surgery, a doctor may have recommended a hip implant made entirely of metal. Manufacturers marketed metal hip implants as ideal for younger patients. However, there is growing evidence that the metal design can eat away at surrounding bone and soft tissue, fracture early, or release carcinogenic metals into the bloodstream. At least 500,000 Americans have been implanted with these devices, and at least 5,000 have filed defective hip implant lawsuits against the manufacturer.

The broadcast tells the story of Susy Mansfield, a woman who was implanted with a metal-on-metal hip implant in 2009, when she was 57 years old. At the time, the metal hip implant was very new and there was no long-term safety data. Three years later, she was forced to have another surgery to remove the hip implant. The metal implant was causing significant pain. It was eating away at the flesh and bone around the device. It has also broken loose and was leaking toxic chemicals into her body. She later found out that she had been implanted with a hip implant that was later recalled by DePuy Orthopaedics.

DePuy Orthopaedics, a subsidiary company of Johnson & Johnson, has recalled the defective metal-on-metal hip implants. However, it is likely that there are still hundreds of thousands of people who are unaware that their hip implant has been recalled. Even more troubling, the metal-on-metal hip implants are still being marketed, despite growing evidence linking this design to far higher side effects than plastic or ceramic designs. In fact, the FDA has recently recommended that people with metal hip implants should be closely monitored for side effects.

Many people who received the problematic hip implants are angry because the devices were never tested in humans. The U.S. FDA approved the devices without safety information after they were deemed “substantially equivalent” to other devices already on the market. The problem with hip implants is that side effects can often take many years to develop. By the time experts realized the risks associated with the design, hundreds of thousands of people have been implanted with the devices.

Recently, researchers in Britain called for the metal-on-metal hip implants to be banned. The researchers discovered that the metal-on-metal hip implants have a five-year failure rate of 6.2%, or one in 16 patients. However, the actual rate could be higher. There is no system for keeping track of how many people were implanted with the metal-on-metal hip implants. No one is keeping track of what happened to the patients who were implanted with the devices.

If you were implanted with a defective metal hip implant, you may have incurred substantial pain and suffering, medical expenses, and lost income due to injuries associated with your defective hip implant. You are not alone. Thousands of people have suffered similar injuries, and at least 5,000 have decided to file a lawsuit. You have a legal right to seek financial compensation and justice for your injuries. We can help.

Do I have a Defective Hip Implant Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting hip implant induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by a defective hip implant, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Hip Implant Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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