Howmedica Osteonics Corporation / Stryker Orthopaedics have agreed to a global, $1 billion settlement to resolve thousands of claims related to injuries suffered as the result of defective hip implant parts. Judge Brian R. Martinotti of the Superior Court of New Jersey oversaw the settlement, along with Judge Donovan W. Frank, who presides in the U.S. District of Minnesota.
Thousands of Hip Implant Cases
Howmedica/Stryker faced thousands of cases in the U.S. related to its Rejuvenate and ABG II Modular Hip Implant. The companies recalled their products in July 2012 amid reports of unusually high rates of device failure. Beasley Allen attorney Navan Ward, Jr. was involved in the New Jersey consolidated hip implant cases against Howmedica / Stryker Orthopaedics in front of Judge Martinotti.
“Since the Rejuvenate and ABG II metal hip devices were pulled from the market in July 2012, my firm, along with several law firms around the country, has worked hard to expose the problems with these products, along with the similar problems seen with several of the other failed metal-on-metal hip devices made by other manufacturers. Due to the highly invasive nature of these particular hip devices, the revision surgeries suffered by many of our clients have been catastrophic in nature, leading to permanent damage to their hip and femur areas.
We are looking forward to resolving their Rejuvenate and ABG II claims as soon as possible in order to provide our clients the much needed compensation that they deserve. Resolution of these claims was a direct result of the hard work that our attorneys, along with many attorneys around the country, put into pushing this litigation on multiple fronts and holding Howmedica/Stryker accountable for manufacturing these devices.”
— Navan Ward Jr., Principal Attorney, Beasley Allen Atlanta
Invasive Revision Surgeries, Metallosis
An estimated 20,000 people received Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implant products in the U.S. Revision surgeries require removal of the stem component from the femur. This removal results in further hip/femur instability. Compared to most other metal-on-metal hip failures, the post revision damages have typically been more severe with these hip implants. Patients are reporting problems within as little as two years after receiving these hip implants. These hip implants have shown that the metal-on-metal friction between the stem and neck of the components cause metal debris to accumulate, resulting in a condition called metallosis, or metal poisoning, from metal shavings entering the bloodstream.
Related News:
AL.com – $1 billion settlement reached in faulty hip replacement cases; Alabama attorneys involved
Law360 – Stryker to Pay $1B to Settle Hip Implant MDL Claims
CBS – Billion dollar settlement over faulty hip implants
