If you have undergone a hip replacement procedure and, afterward, you developed serious medical complications, you may be entitled to damages for injuries caused by an medical negligence. Patients undergo hip replacement surgery with the expectation that their quality of life will improve, not get worse. Unfortunately, several prominent hip replacement manufacturers have produced defective products that can cause serious pain and injuries.
If a person who has undergone hip replacement surgery suffers from pain, inflammation, infection, metal poisoning, or any other conditions that are common in persons with defective hip-replacement devices, the person may be entitled to damages for one’s injuries and pain. The experienced personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC can help a person determine whether one’s hip-replacement device is among the devices that have been recalled from the market. If it is, the professionals at Arnold & Smith, PLLC can advise a person as to whether, given the unique facts and circumstances of one’s case, pursuing a claim would be worthwhile.
A Patient Can Determine the Identity of a Device and Its MakerMany persons who undergo hip replacement surgeries may not consider that a surgeon may choose among many different hip-replacement devices manufactured by a range of medical-device companies. A person who desires to identify the hip-replacement device and manufacturer used in one’s hip-replacement procedure may obtain the medical records from the surgeon, which should list this information, or one can call one’s surgeon’s office to obtain the information.
Once a device and its manufacturer are identified, an affected person can undertake online research to determine whether the device has been recalled from the market. If a recalled hip-replacement device was used in an affected person’s procedure, the affected person should speak to a hip replacement lawyer as soon as possible.
A Patient With a Recalled Device Should Speak With an Experienced LawyerThe experienced attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC understand how daunting a potential injury action can seem. Undertaking legal action while, at the same time, seeking answers for what is causing one’s pain and suffering, can be frustrating. Patients dealing with both the medical and legal ramifications of an incident may feel lost or bewildered by the process.
As medical bills mount, an injured person may worry that one lacks the required money to hire a personal injury lawyer. However, the professionals at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, offer potential personal injury claimants a free, initial consultation. Victims of procedures involving defective medical devices can fully explain their situation without having to worry about incurring legal fees. An experienced attorney can review a potential claimant’s records and help the person determine whether he or she has a claim worth pursuing.
Injured Persons Should Act Quickly to Secure Legal RepresentationIf a person has undergone hip-replacement surgery and has developed complications that may have been caused by a medical error or by a defective hip-replacement device, it is important that the person act immediately to seek legal representation. Waiting too long to pursue a claim could result in the running of the statute of limitations and the extinguishment of a claim.
Cases involving medical injuries always begin with the applicable medical records, therefore, if a person has already obtained the medical records relating to a malpractice or defective-device related injury, our team of professionals can make a jumpstart on analyzing whether the person has a claim worth pursuing.
Our team of experienced professionals can help an injured person develop an effective case strategy, and the team can help compile necessary witness evidence to support an injured person’s claims.
Metal Hip Replacements Prove Especially Problematic for PatientsStudies have shown that hip-replacement components made with metal-on-metal parts can cause unique and deleterious side effects for patients. Metal-on-metal implants can cause a condition known as metallosis—a poisoning of the body resulting from high levels of chromium and cobalt in a person’s body. The absorption of these substances can harm a patient’s body.
If a person has received a Stryker hip implant device, a treating physician will likely advise the person to undergo regular blood tests to determine the level of heavy metals in one’s blood. Defective hip implants can cause necrosis, the formation of scar tissue, infections, and the grinding of metal pieces against each other leading to metallosis.
If a person has undergone a hip-replacement procedure and has experienced one or more of the complications listed above, the person may need to undergo revision surgery or other corrective treatment to ameliorate the complications.
Contact Our Team of Professionals to Discuss Your Potential CaseHip replacement and hip revision surgeries can be extremely expensive and can alter the day-to-day life of a patient. The sooner one speaks to an experienced personal injury lawyer, the better. Arnold & Smith, PLLC offers our potential personal injury clients a free initial consultation. Contact our Charlotte personal injury lawyers as soon as possible to schedule your free initial consultation today.