Jury Awards $247 Million to Plaintiffs in Hip Implant Lawsuit

Patients across the United States who received metal-on-metal hip implants that later failed are filing lawsuits against the manufacturers. In November 2017, six patients who filed suits were awarded $247 million in a case against DePuy Orthopaedics, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

Background

The patients are all residents of the state of New York. They received metal-on-metal implants and later suffered severe health complications. These included erosion of bone, tissue death and other problems. They claimed that Johnson & Johnson and DePuy marketed the implant in a deceptive fashion. According to the lawsuit, the companies claimed that their metal-on-metal device was superior to traditional implants made of plastic or ceramic. The companies, the lawsuit alleges, claimed that the metal-on-metal device would last longer.

This verdict is one of the bellwether trials being heard in a Dallas federal court. The outcomes of these cases will be used to gauge the value of future claims, and may also help shape the amount of potential settlements. In two previous bellwether cases, juries awarded $500 million and $1 billion to plaintiffs. These awards were later reduced to $150 million and $543 million, respectively.

Baron & Budd is representing clients who have suffered health issues due to defective metal-on-metal hip implant devices. If you have encountered complications due to one of these devices, please get in touch with us. We will listen to the details of your case and let you know how we might be of assistance. Please give us a call at 866-520-2755 or complete our contact form if you would like more information.