November 3, 2014 — Johnson & Johnson has proposed settling more than 1,000 lawsuits involving the DePuy ASR hip replacement for $250 million.
Citing two sources familiar with the litigation, Bloomberg reported that Johnson & Johnson may extend the same settlement terms they used to resolve 8,000 similar lawsuits for $2.5 billion last year.
If accepted, the settlements would resolve about 75% of the 13,000 total ASR claims. Johnson & Johnson has also offered to extend the filing deadline for people who were implanted with the ASR but have not yet undergone revision surgery.
Members of the litigation accuse DePuy Orthopedics, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, of promoting the ASR as safe and effective when they knew it had an unacceptable rate of revision surgery.
When the ASR was recalled in 2010, DePuy said it had a 12% five-year failure-rate. Internal documents indicate that they knew 37% failed within 4.6 years. Data from an Australian joint registry estimated that 47% of patients with the ASR would need revision surgery within five years.
The problem with metal-on-metal hip replacements is that the metal parts grind together and shed tiny particles of chromium and cobalt. Over time, debris accumulates around the hip and leeches into the bloodstream, causing complications like pain, inflammation, tissue damage, metallosis (metal poisoning), and systemic reactions in other areas of the body.
Do I have a Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant 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 a defective metal-on-metal hip implant, 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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