If you are one of the thousands of patients who’ve suffered complications or incapacitating injuries from the Rejuvenate, ABG II or Trident hip replacement system, the product liability lawyers of Eisbrouch Marsh can offer sage legal advice on your options for financial recovery.
Throughout the country, hundreds have already filed a Stryker hip lawsuit alleging counts of defective design, negligent misrepresentation and breach of warranties after their hip replacement system failed prematurely, requiring revision surgery and extended medical treatment.
Stryker Corporation– among the globe’s leading medical technology companies – is presently embroiled in litigation arising from several prosthetic hips that have since been recalled. Court dockets indicate that more than 1,500 hip replacement injury lawsuits have been brought against Stryker, arguing that defective components caused lasting health issues and subsequent economic losses.
The medical device manufacturer has estimated that it may pay out nearly $400 million to resolve ABG II and Rejuvenate claims and recall reimbursements, and at least 17 complaints have already settled as part of mediation efforts in New Jersey Superior Court.
Attorneys You Can Trust
Eisbrouch Marsh attorneys are offering free case evaluations to those who’ve been affected by the Rejuvenate and Trident hip recalls, or have incurred injuries from other devices produced by Stryker. Compensation awarded in a product liability suit can alleviate monetary hardships, while holding manufacturers accountable for placing profits over consumer safety.
Call 201-342-5545 to tell us your story.
Hip Replacements Manufactured by Stryker
In 2008, just five years after launching the implant, Stryker announced a voluntary recall of two components made under the Trident hip replacement line. The Trident Hemispherical Cup system and Trident Acetabular PSL Cup were both pulled off the market following a rash of adverse event reports and an FDA warning on noncompliant manufacturing practices.
Some of the most frequent complaints raised by patients and orthopedic surgeons about faulty Stryker hips included:
- Fractures
- Bone chips
- Loud squeaking and popping noises
- Loosening
- Uneven wear
- Chronic pain
- Loss of mobility
In 2008 and 2009, Stryker launched its Rejuvenate and ABG II systems – both of which featured a unique modular-neck design that purportedly allowed surgeons to offer a better custom fit. The two stem components (both made of metal) were later found to grind together during normal movement, causing microscopic metal debris to shed into the bloodstream.
Serious complications attributed to the Rejuvenate modular design included:
- Debilitating pain
- Inflammation around the implant
- Formation of pseudo tumors
- Metallosis
- Nerve damage
- Infections
- Bone necrosis
- Adverse local tissue reactions
- Premature loosening
- High failure rates
- Need for revision surgery
Stryker issued an “urgent” field safety notice to surgeons in 2012, alerting providers that the ABG and Rejuvenate devices had been linked to metal contamination; two months later, in July of the same year, a voluntary recall was mandated for some 20,000 Rejuvenate and ABG II systems in the U.S., based on evidence that the implants had the potential for “fretting and corrosion at the modular-neck junction which may result in ALTR (adverse local tissue reactions).”
In a recent action filed in Palm Beach County, Florida, the plaintiff argues that as a direct result of implantation with the Rejuvenate device, he suffered heavy metal poisoning and metal synovitis around the joint. His attorneys are leveling counts of defective design, manufacturing defect and failure to warn, among others.
Litigation Coordinated on State and Federal Levels
Product liability litigation involving Stryker hip complications was growing so rapidly that pretrial coordination was established in New Jersey Superior Court before Judge Brian R. Martinotti, as part of multicounty litigation (MCL) for all Rejuvenate and ABG actions. In addition, the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2441, is also underway in Minnesota district court, under the auspices of Judge Donovan Frank.
Settlement negotiations are underway thanks to court-ordered mediation, which may help resolve litigation without individual trials.
Stryker hip injury claimants are demanding monetary compensation for a variety of losses including:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Rehab and physical therapy costs
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of spousal consortium
For those who decide to partner with Stryker hip lawyers at Eisbrouch Marsh, you are assured to be in the hands of a highly-credentialed and well-respected law firm that is known for taking on deep-pocketed defendants and securing multi-million verdicts and settlements.
Our medical product recall attorneys collaborate with a network of seasoned investigators, healthcare experts and industry specialists who will help ensure you recover the maximum value of your claim.
Allegations Raised in Stryker Hip Lawsuits
At Eisbrouch Marsh, we understand the life-altering complications resulting from defective medical devices and have more than 20 years experience successfully litigating lawsuits against multi-billion dollar manufacturers of knee and hip replacement systems.
Multiple allegations are raised in Stryker hip recall claims, some of the most common being:
- The defendant designed, manufactured and marketed the modular hip system without adequate pre-market testing to determine safety and durability
- The components are prone to corrosion and fretting at the modular-neck junction, putting patients at risk for metal contamination
- Stryker failed to adequately warn the medical community and consumers about possible Rejuvenate corrosion risks that result in increased levels of chromium and cobalt in the bloodstream
- The manufacturer knew or should have known that its hip replacement system suffered design flaws but failed to issue a recall in a timely manner
- Stryker over-promoted its products to a younger demographic, falsely touting a custom fit for patients
Complaints of heavy metal contamination—or metallosis—is at the core of Rejuvenate litigation against Stryker. As metal ions enter the bloodstream and surrounding tissue, the body can suffer a host of adverse reactions and severe complications.
The FDA has cautioned that metal-on-metal implants that corrode can lead to the following health problems:
- Cardiomyopathy
- Skin problems and rashes
- Thyroid issues such as fatigue and weight gain, neck discomfort
- Cognitive impairment
- Depression
- Impaired kidney function
- Vision and/or hearing problems
If you or a loved one believes you have a viable claim for damages and would like to learn more about pursuing a Stryker hip lawsuit, we invite you to call our offices to schedule a no-charge consultation. Our personal injury lawyers always work on a contingency basis, so we only collect our fees after you win or settle your case.
Call Eisbrouch Marsh today at 201-342-5545.
Resources
- Stryker – Hip Replacement Systems https://www.stryker.com/us/en/portfolios/orthopaedics/joint-replacement/hip.html
- United States District Court, District of Minnesota, Stryker Rejuvenate And ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2441 http://www.mnd.uscourts.gov/MDL-Stryker/introduction.shtml
- FDA, Information for Patients Who Have Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/MetalonMetalHipImplants/ucm241766.htm#5
