Little Rock DePuy Hip Replacement Lawyer
DePuy Hip Replacement Litigation
If you underwent a hip replacement surgery after July 2003, with the DePuy Orthopaedics ASR XL Acetabular System (total hip replacement) or the ASR Hip Resurfacing System (hip resurfacing), you may be among the estimated 93,000 patients who have a potential claim against the manufacturer for damages.
The Brad Hendricks Law Firm wants to help if you or a loved one has been harmed by these products marketed by DePuy Orthopedics, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
The ASR hip replacement system was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2005. At that time, the devices were given a 501(k) approval by the FDA. In other words, the devices were approved under the belief that they were "substantially similar" to other hip replacement devices on the market. Accordingly, the DePuy systems were approved without going through more arduous clinical trial.
Touted as a "high performance" replacement system with significant advantages over other brands of implants, DePuy claimed its metal-on-metal implant system had an estimated life of approximately 15 years. However, on August 26, 2010, DePuy issued a worldwide recall of its ASR XL Acetabular and ASR Hip Resurfacing systems, citing a failure rate exceeding 12% after only five (5) years. Some expect this failure rate to increase dramatically, as the problems with the systems become more widely reported.
DePuy had previously halted all sales of these systems in late-2009, denying that its decision was related to reported failures; however, since 2008, the United States Food and Drug Administration ("the FDA") has received an estimated 500 complaints regarding the premature failure of the implants. Unfortunately, this recall comes much too late for those patients who were sold the devices, many of whom reported the following problems:
- Loosening, where the implant failed to stay attached to the bone in the proper position
- Fractures, where the bone around the implant may have broken; and
- Dislocations, where the two parts of the implant that move against each other are no longer aligned.
Problems occur across all hip sizes, although a higher percentage of defective hips have smaller heads, which are usually used in women. Those impacted by the premature failure of the devices face considerable physical, emotional, and financial adversity, through no fault of their own.
If you have received a hip implant since 2003, or if you have been advised to undergo an additional hip replacement surgery, you should contact your doctor immediately to determine which hip replacement device was initially implanted, even if you are currently experiencing no adverse symptoms or side effects. Complications from these devices can occur at any time.
If you have a DePuy hip replacement implant, you should not have to suffer because of DePuy's failure to release information about the problems in its hip replacement systems. You, or a loved one, may be entitled to compensation.
For a free consultation about your claim, please contact The Brad Hendricks Law Firm today at (501) 221-0444 or (800) 661-0196.
For all your legal needs, and for your peace of mind, you can count on us.
