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A bad hip can lead a person to consider the possibility of obtaining a hip replacement. Yet before deciding on the type of hip replacement, be aware of pending lawsuits against the manufacturer.
One company, Smith and Nephew, has had many lawsuits associated with its R3 Acetabular Hip Replacement.
The R3 Acetabular Hip Replacement was first launched in 2007, but it was then recalled in 2012. Testing showed that many people underwent revision surgery after the device was implanted, in order to correct problems. Some of these problems were related to the metal-on-metal feature of the device, where metal is touching the metal surface of another part of the device with each movement.
Problems associated with metal-on-metal designs can include infections, dislocations, hip fractures, loosening of the device, metal sensitivity, and other complications. This recall affected about 7700 patients.
Smith and Nephew has also experienced problems with other hip replacement devices. For example, in 2015 the company began recalling its BHR hip replacement system as well. This was due to a high failure rate, particularly among female patients with smaller hip structures.
Among other problems, the BHR hip replacement device was releasing metal ions into the blood of the patients. Patients reported that their cobalt or chromium levels were much higher than they should be. The remedy for this recall is to remove the entire device and replace it with a completely new device.
Some symptoms a patient may experience are:
Patients with these and other types of Smith and Nephew hip replacements have sued as members of a class action lawsuit, but they have also sued individually. Thus, the courts have combined the cases as part of a multi-district lawsuit, or an MDL.
In an MDL lawsuit, plaintiffs have the opportunity to tell their individual story and bring individual lawsuits. There is a greater potential for greater recovery amounts than with class action lawsuits. Multiple attorneys represent one or many of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, but the cases are not inextricably linked together, as with a class action lawsuit. An attorney can advise of the best path to take.
While hip replacements are becoming more common in the United States, it is important to know what sort of product you are receiving. Despite efforts on the part of a company to produce a profitable product that operates as advertised, medical devices can fail. If you or someone you know has been hurt by a defective hip replacement or other defective medical device, contact the Pennsylvania Medical Device Lawyers in Philadelphia at Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler to assist you. Call us at 215-569-4000 or contact us online.