November 3, 2016 — Wright Medical Technology has announced a $240 million settlement to resolve 85% of the 2,600 lawsuits involving metal-on-metal hip implants.
Lawyers announced the settlement after a 5-year battle in state and federal courts in California and Georgia. The largest payouts will go to 1,292 people who needed revision surgery at least 150 days and no more than 8 years post-implant.
It pays up to $170,000 to people injured by the Conserve Cup — the implant associated with the most failures. People who were injured by the Dynasty or Lineage metal-liners could get up to $120,000. Another 700 people who did not need revision surgery are eligible for smaller settlements, according to Law360.
The settlement was reached nearly one year after a jury in Georgia ordered Wright to pay $11 million to a ski instructor who was permanently disabled when her Conserve hip implant failed.
The victim, Robyn Christiansen, worked in Utah for 50 years before she was implanted with the Conserve in 2006. It failed less than six years later. During her revision surgery, doctors found extensive tissue necrosis due to metal poisoning (metallosis).
The problem with metal-on-metal hip implants is the parts can grind together and shed particles of metal. This poisons tissues and bones in the hip, making revision surgery challenging. It can also cause systemic reactions in the skin, heart, brain, kidneys, and thyroid.
Five months after the $11 million verdict against Wright, a federal judge overseeing the case cut it down to just $2 million. He reasoned that Wright was trying to help people by marketing its all-metal hips as longer-lasting and better for younger, more active patients.
Unfortunately, many of those physically-active patients were left with permanent disabilities after their implants failed. Robyn Christiansen says she endures daily pain and can no longer run. Wright wants the $2 million verdict overturned because the jury checked a box on a form indicating that her implant was “not defective.”
Do I have a Hip Implant Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting metal-on-metal hip implant induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured by the Wright Conserve, 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.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
