DePuy ASR Hip Implant

In August 2010, Johnson & Johnson issued a worldwide recall of the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System after independent studies cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed that these metal-on-metal implants have high failure rates.

The Driscoll Firm, LLC, currently is reviewing legal claims throughout the U.S. on behalf of patients who received a DePuy brand hip implant. If you or a loved one of yours has received a DePuy ASR series hip implant and experienced device failure, painful side effects or injuries, call or contact us online today to find out how we can help you.

Recalls of DePuy Hip Implant Products and FDA Warnings

The DePuy ASR recall came after reports indicated that one in eight patients implanted with these devices would need a second surgery within five years. Even if failure of the device did not require revision surgery, implant recipients might experience the following side effects:

  • Tissue damage as a result of metal debris
  • Infection
  • Dislocation of the device
  • Bone fracture or damage
  • Difficulty walking
  • Pain and discomfort.

The problem with metal-on-metal hip implants, studies have found, is that as the components rub against one another, metal flakes or metal ions come off of the devices and enter the surrounding tissue or the bloodstream. Metal flakes can damage or kill tissue around the artificial hip, painfully causing the hip to come loose and fail. Also, metal ions in the bloodstream can cause “symptoms or illnesses” in other parts of the body, the FDA reports.

The FDA convened a special committee in June 2012 to seek expert scientific and clinical opinion on the benefits and risks of metal-on-metal hip implants such as the recalled DePuy systems. The risks include:

  • Failure rates and modes
  • Metal ion testing
  • Imaging methods
  • Local and systemic complications
  • Patient risk factors
  • Considerations for follow-up after surgery.

In January 2013, the FDA said it would require metal-on-metal hip implant manufacturers to demonstrate that their products are safe before allowing them on the market. Previously, the FDA allowed manufacturers to declare the devices were substantially equivalent to devices already approved by the FDA.

In May 2013, Johnson & Johnson/DePuy announced that it was abandoning production of metal-on-metal hip implant products, including a model called the Pinnacle, which has also been the subject of complaints.

DePuy ASR Hip Implant Litigation

If you received a faulty DePuy ASR metal-on-metal hip implant that failed prematurely, caused you significant pain and/or had to be surgically removed and replaced, you should take action now to protect your rights.

Patients with failed metal-on-metal hip implants may be able to obtain compensation for their medical expenses and pain and suffering through a product liability lawsuit. Such lawsuits would allege that the manufacturer:

  • Designed and produced an inherently flawed device
  • Inadequately tested the device
  • Failed to warn consumers of the risks, complications and side effects that the device was known to cause.

Hip implant lawsuits may be pursued in state or federal court. Because about 500,000 patients have received the recalled hip implant devices, according to The New York Times, these cases involve patients and families from around the country and may be combined into a class-action lawsuit or “multidistrict litigation” (MDL) cases to speed up pretrial proceedings.

Contact a DePuy ASR Hip Implant Lawyer Today

The DePuy ASR hip implant attorneys of The Driscoll Firm, LLC, are investigating injury claims related to complications arising from the use of DePuy metal-on-metal hip implants. If you or a loved one has had a DePuy hip implant and has experienced pain, swelling, bone or tissue damage or loss of mobility, or have undergone revision surgery, call us today or submit our online form.

The Driscoll Firm, LLC, has represented clients injured by dangerous medical devices for more than a decade. John J. Driscoll’s achievements have earned him acceptance into the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which limit their memberships to lawyers who have won million-dollar and multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements. Less than 1 percent of American lawyers are members.

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