Atlanta, Georgia based law firm Childers, Schlueter & Smith, LLC recently filed another 25 Stryker hip replacement lawsuits, joining nearly 1,800 other Stryker lawsuits pending in U.S. District Court. Stryker lawsuits have been consolidated into multicounty litigation (MCL) in the Superior Court in Bergen County, New Jersey, and into multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U. S. District Court of Minnesota. The MDL is being overseen by U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank, and is expected to grow by hundreds of new hip implant recall cases in the next few months alone.
Many of the new plaintiffs in the MDL proceedings have undergone surgery to have their hip stems removed, but some are still in the medical monitoring phase to determine if a hip implant revision surgery will be necessary in the future. These lawsuits, like the others, claim that Stryker did not adequately test the artificial hip stems to ascertain that they would not fret, corrode, or otherwise deteriorate and lead to severe metal toxicity in those receiving the implants. The lawsuits also allege that:
- Stryker’s representation that the hips stems would not fret or corrode were misleading to both physicians and consumers
- Stryker marketed the device as a perfect fit for younger patients, leading doctors and patients to believe that it was superior to other hip implants available
- The hip stems contain design and manufacturing defects that can cause serious or even permanent damage to patients
- Stryker aggressively marketed the hip implants without informing consumers about the risks when safer alternatives were available
Stryker Recall
The Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems were voluntarily recalled by Stryker in June 2012 after reports of corrosion and fretting at the modular neck-junction were received. At the time of the recall, Stryker issued a report stating that the neck components of Rejuvenate and ABG II are made of chromium and cobalt, the stems are coated with titanium, and the two parts wearing against each other will generate metallic debris released into the patient’s bloodstream or surrounding body tissue.
The metallic debris can cause patients to experience negative side effects, including local tissue reactions, swelling, and pain. It can also require the removal of the lower portion of the modular stem due to design failures in the human body. Stryker advised that hip implant recipients should have their blood tested for metal ions and imaging screening, even if they are not experiencing any problems with their hips.
CSS is experienced in handling the legal matters faced by claimants that have recalled Stryker hip device(s) and ensures its clients are well informed on the monitoring process of their claims. In addition to these services, the challenges of reimbursement for past and future medical expenses, mileage and lost wages through the Broadspire process are handled for free to CSS clients while the Firm pursues the product liability claim on a contingent fee basis. (no fee until your claim is settled or tried to verdict in favor of a client).
For more information of the Top 10 Things All Stryker Hip Implant Patients Need To Know check out our previous blog on the hip implant recall.
If you have questions about your potential Stryker hip implant recall case and want answers, please contact us today. Our hip implant lawyers are standing by to help and will discuss your claim with you in detail. All inquiries are kept completely confidential.
A partner with Childers, Schlueter & Smith, LLC, Richard Schlueter has spent his career representing individuals and families who have been harmed as the result of wrongful conduct by others. Recently, Richard was selected for inclusion into the Nation’s Top 1 percent of lawyers by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel (NADC).
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