In Dallas, a federal jury ordered Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, DePuy to pay $247 million to six plaintiffs injured by their defective hip implant. This is the fourth bellwether trial, and there are almost 10,000 cases still pending.
Latest DePuy Hip Implant Verdict
This is the third straight win for plaintiffs. This case involved six New York residents implanted with the devices said they experienced tissue death, bone erosion and other injuries they blamed on design flaws. Plaintiffs claimed the companies falsely promoted the device, most commonly used to treat joint failure caused by osteoarthritis, by saying it lasted longer than similar implants that include ceramic or plastic materials. The panel awarded a total of $79 million in actual damages and $168 million in punitive damages.
The verdict came in the fourth trial over the devices in Dallas federal court, where almost 10,000 of the cases are pending. This number has grown by more than 13% over the past year.
Past Hip Implant Verdicts
Johnson & Johnson and DePuy won the first trial in 2014, but plaintiffs won the others. In March 2016, a jury awarded five Texas plaintiffs $502 million. Another jury awarded six California plaintiffs $1 billion. DePuy ceased selling the metal-on-metal Pinnacle devices in 2013 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration strengthened its artificial hip regulations.
Metal Hip Implant Dangers
DePuy claimed their implants are safe and more effective than previous models. However, this was not the case. Researchers found these devices to be less effective and injury prone. The corporations promised consumers effective hip replacements. Instead, they received implants with high rates of failure, pain and metal poisoning.
This is why thousands claim hip implant manufacturers made defective products and failed to warn about the risks. Metal-on-metal implants can cause various complications. These lead to painful surgeries to correct problems and replace the implants.
If You Were Injured by a Metal Hip Implant
These settlements and verdict may be just the beginning. Experts predict more will occur in the next coming years. It is important to note that each hip device lawsuit is different. To get advice from a qualified hip device attorney, contact the dedicated attorneys at The Michael Brady Lynch Firm at 877-513-9517. We have decades of experience going up against large corporations and getting you the compensation you deserve.