The first Metal on Metal Hip Implant trials began last week in Los Angeles. In the opening statements, Johnson and Johnson was accused of knowingly marketing a faulty hip implant.
Johnson and Johnson manufactured the faulty hip implants under the subsidiary DePuy Orthopedics.
The DePuy ASR Total Hip Replacement system was recalled In 2010 due to a high early failure rate. Thousands of patients were forced to undergo a revision surgery. A number of them allege that the device caused them to suffer metal poisoning. Metal poisoning from hp implants can be caused when the metal enters the blood stream as a result of corrosion caused by friction between the ball and socket.
During the trials, the court unsealed documents from Johnson and Johnson that proved the company knew about the problems with the DePuy metal on metal hip implant as far back as 2008.
Since the DePuy recall, patients have been filing metal on metal hip lawsuits against various manufacturers alleging those devices also have an earlier failure rate. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since ordered that the manufacturers of all metal on metal hip implants to conduct post market surveillance on the effectiveness of their devices and report back to the agency.
Johnson and Johnson has set aside $1 Billion to deal with the costs associated with DePuy recall and the DePuy lawsuits.
For more information on the start of the trials, please visit: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/25/trial-under-way-in-la-hip-joint-replacement-suit/
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