Hip Replacement Lawsuits

Several different hip replacement systems and artificial hip components sold in recent years have been linked to high failure rates and other complications. Product liability lawsuits are being reviewed for individuals who received defective or recalled hip replacements.

Find Out If You Have a Hip Replacement Case: Lawyers are reviewing hip replacement lawsuits for individuals who received an implant since 2006 and have:

  • Received notice the hip implant recalled;
  • Required metal blood testing for cobalt/chromium levels;
  • Experienced loosening, fracture or other problems that resulted in the need for hip revision surgery.

CONTACT A HIP REPLACEMENT LAWYER

Smith and Nephew Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System

Learn More About

Hip Replacements Lawsuits

Lawsuits are being reviewed for several different dangerous and defective hip replacement systems.

See If You Qualify For Compensation

The Smith & Nephew Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System was one of the first metal-on-metal hip replacement systems on the market. When combined with the R3 liner, it is considered a “metal-on-metal” hip implant, which, like other metal-on-metal systems sold by other manufacturers, has been found to release microscopic metal debris into the body, increasing the risk of loosening and failure of the artificial hip.

In 2012, Hong Kong issued a warning regarding Smith & Nephew Birmingham hip systems, indicating that they appeared to be linked to a higher-than-normal failure rate.

In June 2014, Smith & Nephew issued a statement announcing it was recalling smaller size components and changing instructions for use of the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing system due to performance data.

The company warned that it had looked at data submitted to the National Joint Registry of England and Wales and found that “revision rates associated with men requiring femoral head sizes 46mm or smaller and with all women patients exceed the current benchmark established by the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).”

Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head Lawsuits

The Stryker LFIT CoCr V40 femoral head is a component used as part of other hip replacement systems. In August 2016, the manufacturer issued a warning to the medical community that devices manufactured before 2011 appear to be prone to high failure rates which can cause loss of mobility, pain, inflammation, local tissue reactions, dislocation, joint instability, broken bones, and the need for revision surgery.

A higher than usual number of taper lock failures, which indicates a failure where the femoral head connects to the femoral neck, have been reported, resulting in warnings by Australian regulators and a Stryker LFIT v40 recall in Canada.

In June, a number of Stryker LFit lawsuits were consolidated at the state level in New Jersey for pretrial proceedings.

Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Recall

A Stryker Rejuvenate recall was issued in July 2012, after the manufacturer of the modular hip replacement system acknowledged that a higher than expected number of patients were experiencing problems with the device, often involving fretting or corrosion at the point where the two metal pieces fit inside each other, often resulting in the need for risky revision surgery to remove the implant.

Unlike traditional hip replacements, which feature a single femoral component, the Stryker Rejuvenate implants have a modular stem, where the surgeon is able to adjust the length to match the patient’s anatomy. However, as the metal components rub against each other during normal daily activities, it has been discovered that the design allows microscopic metallic debris to be released into the body, increasing the risk of loosening and failure.

In 2014, a global Stryker Rejuvenate settlement was reached by the manufacturer to resolve all cases where plaintiffs underwent revision surgery on or before November 2, 2014. However, additional cases are being reviewed as individuals experience problems with Stryker Rejuvenate hips.

DePuy ASR Recall

In August 2010, a DePuy ASR recall was issued due to high failure rates. The design features a metal femoral head that rotates within a metal acetabular cup, which can cause the release of metallic debris as the components grind together. This can result in metal blood poisoning known as hip metallosis, and can ultimately cause death of tissue around the implant and implant failure.

More than 12,000 DePuy ASR hip lawsuits have been filed.

In November 2013, DePuy Orthopaedics agreed to settle about 8,000 of the claims for $2.5 billion. The recall and subsequent cases were key in the medical community turning away from the metal-on-metal hip implant design.

DePuy Pinnacle Hip Lawsuits

The DePuy Pinnacle is another metal-on-metal hip replacement system, similar to the DePuy ASR. While it has not been recalled, thousands of lawsuits have been filed by individuals who indicate they suffered similar injuries to the DePuy ASR, including metallosis and total implant failures that required revision surgery.

A series of bellwether lawsuits have been scheduled and, as of December 2016, three cases have gone to trial. The first ended in a defense verdict, but the second resulted in a jury ordering the manufacturer to pay $140 million in compensatory damages and $360 million in punitive damages to five plaintiffs. The third resulted in a verdict in excess of $1 billion, including $32 million in compensatory damages, and $1.09 in punitive damages.

Other Metal-On-Metal Hip Implants

Thousands of metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuits have been filed in recent years throughout the U.S., alleging that the manufacturers failed to adequately research the design or warn about the large number of implants that were failing within a few years and requiring revision surgery.

These have included the Biomet Magnum, the Wright Conserve hip system, Stryker ABG II and others. Free consultation and claim evaluations are available for individuals throughout the United States who have suffered hip implant complications, or have had to undergo revision surgery due to the failure of a hip replacement.

11 Comments

  • BernardOctober 10, 2022 at 4:57 pm

    I had revision surgery on the fifth of this month to help relieve the pain that I had in my hip replacement

  • DelenaApril 17, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    I had my original hip replacement April 23, 2019 it dislocated in June for the first time of about 10. I had the revision on March 9, 2020. The inside plastic liner came out of the socket. Zimmer product, There in the revision surgery they had to make a second incision To remove the broken pieces from my body that had migrated up to my waist line.

  • MarkMarch 23, 2020 at 4:20 pm

    I had my right hip replaced in June of 2018. Two weeks later there were 3 dislocations. 2 required emergency room visits. Then one month later it had to be replaced with a different style. After 2 special braces worn and bed rest ordered. Still having mobility and pain along with work being missed. The original hip was a biomet g7.

  • DianeFebruary 13, 2020 at 5:17 pm

    I had a total hip replacement Smith and nephew in 2012 and 2017 the hip dislocated and broken in half had to have a revision done Had A Law firm look into a recall but said there was none! There had to be something wrong with the prosthetic that was put in it’s supposed to be titanium metal how does that break in half

  • MeredithJanuary 18, 2020 at 9:29 pm

    My dad just had to have a hip surgery at New England Baptist Hospital because his hip replacement failed. The part made by Stryker was recalled come to find out. He’s now out of work and has to had a rod placed in his femur because the debris couldn’t be completely cleared. How do we start the process of filing a claim with you?

  • LeondresJanuary 14, 2020 at 5:58 pm

    I need help finding out if its really to late to file a claim, i had revision surgery in dec 2015 and i had a laywer but i dont think anyone is taking me seriously!! Here it is 5yrs later and i feel like ive been played!!!

  • stanleySeptember 6, 2019 at 12:05 pm

    my wife broke her hip august 31, 2018 a consensus bi polar hip was put in , while still in the hospital the unit broke, a second surgery as preformed and another hip was put in it also broke with in a couple months she had to be bed ridden until strong enough for another surgery now one year and four surgeries later she is starting to walk with great dificulty'

  • CeleneAugust 5, 2019 at 8:43 pm

    Hip transplant. Have had 6 replacement surgeries. Now total neuropathy in right foot.

  • GladysMay 2, 2019 at 1:31 am

    I was wondering , I had hip surgery on 2016 but I still I have some complications and I might need to have another surgery revision because the implant used the cup are loosing , I was wondering if it the implants they used SMITH & NEPHEW

  • ElizabethSeptember 11, 2017 at 1:31 pm

    I had right hip replaced 9/11/14 and have had no problems with it. The same doctor replaced the left hip five months later on 2/17/15 and it has dislocated three times! The doctor wouldn't do anything until it dislocated three times! The third time was on 8/21/17 and the doctor did a revision surgery which is worse then the original surgery. I have had trouble with that hip since the beginning. It[Show More]I had right hip replaced 9/11/14 and have had no problems with it. The same doctor replaced the left hip five months later on 2/17/15 and it has dislocated three times! The doctor wouldn't do anything until it dislocated three times! The third time was on 8/21/17 and the doctor did a revision surgery which is worse then the original surgery. I have had trouble with that hip since the beginning. Its not fair that I have had to go through all of this pain.

  • VeraJune 15, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    I broke my hip in October 2016 . Had first surgery October 10. Had three screws.next dr said were an inch to long . Had Hip Replacement in February 2017 .Has become dislocated three times. I need to know what other information you may need. I can't get information until July 1 2017. Please let me know what I need.

Share Your Story With Our Community

I authorize the above comments be posted on this page*

Want your comments reviewed by a lawyer?

To have an attorney review your comments and contact you about a potential case, provide your contact information below. This will not be published.

NOTE: Providing information for review by an attorney does not form an attorney-client relationship.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

More Top Stories