More DePuy Lawsuits Filed

Chicago, ILMore lawsuits concerning the DePuy hip replacement recall have been filed, both in the US and Canada. These are added to DePuy lawsuits already filed following the DePuy hip replacement recall. The lawsuits allege that certain DePuy hip replacement devices have an unreasonably high failure rate, forcing patients to undergo revision surgery sooner than expected. Meanwhile, DePuy lawsuits may also be filed in Ireland.

At least five patients from the Chicago area have filed a lawsuit against DePuy Orthopaedics, alleging the company ignored evidence that the DePuy hip replacement was defective and did not issue a recall of the product in a timely manner.

Problems linked to the DePuy hip devices include debris being released into the patient's bloodstream, resulting in a condition known as metallosis. The metallosis can cause damage to surrounding tissue and can result in the hip device failing, causing severe pain for patients.

Meanwhile, lawsuits have been filed in Canada, with a patient seeking class-action status in her lawsuit against DePuy Orthopaedics and parent company Johnson & Johnson. The lawsuit alleges that DePuy knew of the high failure but failed to warn patients. Complaints reportedly made to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada included, "component loosening, misalignment, dislocation and fracture, and the creation of abnormal or excessive metal debris in the hip socket," the lawsuit states.

DePuy voluntarily recalled its ASR XL Acetabular Hip System and its ASR Hip Resurfacing System in 2010 after reports of early failure.

Some patients are young individuals who received hip replacements because of serious injuries such as those sustained in car accidents. According to a CBC news article (cbc.ca; 01/13/11), one patient who is now 37 years old had his hip replaced in 2009 and was stunned to learn about potential problems with the DePuy hip replacement.

Although most hip implants are expected to last approximately 15 years, the recalled DePuy hip replacement devices have a reported failure rate of between 12 percent and 13 percent in the first five years. Revision surgery when a device fails can be expensive, complicated and painful.