by Emily Beeson
The DePuy Pinnacle hip implant is back on trial in a Texas federal court. Five plaintiffs who received the metal-on-metal hip implant are having their cases presented in one proceeding against manufacturer DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
Image / Hip Replacement Survivors
The trial began on January 8, 2016, when Judge Ed Kinkeade issued an order consolidating the five cases for trial. Eight witnesses have been called by the plaintiffs to date.
Thousands of people across the country anticipate the outcome of the litigation that will affect injury claims by recipients of the metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip implant. The jury hearing these five cases, and DePuy’s defenses, will be a critical voice in determining whether DePuy creates a settlement program to respond to these claims.
In 2013, DePuy began settling claims of individuals injured by its ASR metal-on-metal hip implants after a 2011 recall of the device. The attorneys at Egerton Law have represented dozens of people hurt by this dangerous device.
The similar Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implant has never been recalled, although it is no longer on the market.
Interestingly, articles in the UK’s Daily Telegraph published on January 24th and 25th, right in the middle of this trial, point to evidence that DePuy was aware of problems with the devices dating back to 2008. In one report, the newspaper states that DePuy “has admitted ‘an error in the measuring techniques’” used to make its Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip replacement devices that could lead to higher wear of the metal alloy used to manufacture the device. Additionally, DePuy is said to have reduced quality control measures by spending less time inspecting implants beginning in 2006.
Metal-on-metal hip implants have had higher revision rates than other hip replacement devices due to high failure rates. Recipients of metal-on-metal hips are advised to regularly have their blood tested for metal ions that can be deposited in the bloodstream, and a revision surgery is recommended if metal levels are beyond a certain threshold.
There will be several more days of testimony in the Texas court before the jury is charged with reaching a verdict. Check back in with Egerton Law for updates as the trial moves forward.
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