Johnson & Johnson recently agreed to pay close to $1 billion to settle lawsuits over their allegedly defective metal-on-metal hip implants. 
According to Reuters, the agreement was reached in May and will resolve about 95 percent of the more than 6,000 lawsuits the company was facing. The lawsuits claim that the implants failed in many people, breaking or causing other issues, ultimately resulting in further surgeries for patients who needed removals.
The $1 billion total also includes an earlier settlement for $400 million. There are also about 4,500 lawsuits pending from people who claim they received defective hip implants but have not had them surgically removed yet. Litigation for these cases is ongoing.
The hip implants were manufactured by J&J’s DePuy Orthopedics unit. In some cases, claimants said that the implants actually broke down and caused metal ions to seep into their blood, resulting in allergic reactions, bone erosion and tissue death.
Ultimately, DePuy ceased selling the metal-on-metal Pinnacle devices after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration strengthened its artificial hip regulations, according to Reuters.
Has a Defective Hip Implant Injured You? Contact Our Central Texas Injury Attorneys
If you have been injured by defective medical device, including a hip implant, contact our Central Texas personal injury attorneys today. Our lawyers can investigate your medical history to determine if your medical device was involved in a recall or has caused other people harm.
We will fight dangerous medical device manufacturers to help provide you with damages for your injuries. You should not have to suffer because a giant corporation manufactured a defective product.
We will continue to monitor defective hip implant news and keep you up to date. We are the personal injury law experts of Central Texas. Contact us today.
