Reports Show Large Numbers of Problems with Zimmer Hip

About 1,000 people have filed a DePuy ASR hip replacement lawsuitagainst Johnson & Johnson, which could face more than $1 billion in liability for problems caused by the defective components that were recalled last year. A steady flow of complaints over DePuy hip failure and side effects of the metal hip replacement systems began to flow into courts shortly after the company issued a DePuy Hip Recall in August 2010. In addition to the DePuy ASR hip implant, various Johnson & Johnson units have issued recalls for a number of medical products, including more than 200 million bottles of over-the-counter medications for musty orders and other problems. According to The Wall Street Journal, the recalls cost the company around $900 million last year.

The company has tried to stem the tide of legal claims by offering to pay for out-of-pocket medical costs incurred by patients, but that likely represents only a small portion of the compensation they may ultimately be responsible for.After the recall was first announced, DePuy Orthopedics, Inc. attempted to get orthopedic surgeons and patients to return any of the removed hip implants to the company. They also attempted get doctors to have patients sign releases authorizing the device manufacturer to obtain copies of their medical records. DePuy Pinnacle Lawyer representing individuals who received one of the defective implants decried the move,
pointing out that hip patients may be giving up important evidence, as there were no guarantees the devices would be properly preserved.

Metal-on-metal hip replacements, which use cobalt and chromium in their construction, account for about one-third of the 250,000 hip replacements performed each year in the United States. However, in recent years, concerns over problems with metal-on-metal hip replacements have been growing.As the metal hip replacement parts rub against each other, microscopic particles of cobalt and chromium may be shed into the body, which can result in metal poisoning, also known as metallosis. This may result in soft tissue damage, inflammatory reactions, bone loss, genetic damage, asceptic fibrosis, local necrosis or other problems that may lead to the need for a risky hip revision surgery.