Stryker Hip Implants Have Led to Claims, Recalls

The Stryker Company has produced several different metal-on-metal hip implants. These dangerously defective products can lead to serious injuries, including the loss of mobility, skin discoloration, inflammation of tissue, metal poisoning, and even the need for hip implant revision surgery. Stryker’s Rejuvenate and ABG II modular hip step, and its Accolade V40 femoral head have all been recalled after complaints arose from patients alleging injury after having the devices implanted.

If a person has received a Stryker hip implant and has experienced any negative health complications related to the implant or implant procedure, it is critical that the person treat with a qualified medical provider to determine the best course of action. A person who suspects a defective device may have caused one’s injury may consult with a lawyer before undergoing revision surgery.

The professionals at Arnold & Smith, PLLC have extensive experience representing clients in product liability lawsuits. We can help a person by reviewing the facts of a case and helping a person determine one’s best legal options. Contact our Charlotte personal injury law firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Claimants in actions have contended that metal-on-metal hip implants are incredibly dangerous. A metal socket and a metal ball rub against each other, causing metal particles to be released into a patient’s bloodstream. This process can lead to cobalt-chromium poisoning. Many orthopedic medical device companies have stopped producing metal-on-metal hip implants for this reason.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported on the dangerous complications that can follow using metal-on-metal hip implants. These implants have prompted massive recalls—over 40,000 devices—and thousands of product liability lawsuits. Patients have alleged that Stryker’s defective implants have caused:

• Dislocation;
• Adverse tissue reaction;
• Pain and inflammation;
• Loss of mobility;
• Joint instability;
• Broken bones;
• Leg length discrepancies;
• Dislocation of the hip joint;
• Need for hip revision surgery.

After being confronted with the dangers posed by its devices, the Stryker Corporation issued a Safety Communications Warning, along with the FDA. The company alerted patients who had received defective hip implants that they were at risk of developing life-threatening adverse tissue reactions. Many patients who had received the hip implants had already suffered pain and swelling in the affected hip joint.

After acknowledging issues with some of its implant devices, the Stryker Company asked doctors perform comprehensive medical examinations, including blood testing, of potentially affected patients. It then commissioned Broadspire Services to manage cases involving patients who had been injured by defective hip implants. Stryker posted a Frequently Asked Questions section on its website detailing how to pursue various kinds of claims related to the faulty implants. The company provided guidance to doctors regarding how to submit uninsured patient bills for revision surgeries that became necessary as a result of the faulty implants.

Unfortunately, many claimants have complained that Broadspire has failed to provide relevant information regarding how patients will be reimbursed for necessary treatment, including revision surgery, testing, and diagnostic appointments. The Stryker and Broadspire sites failed to notify affected persons as to the types of medical costs that would be covered, and the extent to which Stryker and Broadspire would reimburse claimants.

Many claimants injured by defective Stryker implants may consider whether to participate in the Broadspire program. Critics of the program have pointed out that claimants may not recover the total amount of funds to which they are entitled. For example, while the Stryker and Broadspire program may assist an injured person with defraying medical costs, it may not compensate a person at all for one’s pain and suffering.

Under the law, a person injured by the negligence of another is entitled to damages for physical pain and for mental or emotional suffering. Oftentimes, a person can present evidence to a jury regarding the changes in one’s lifestyle occasioned by an at-fault party’s negligence.

If an injured person hires an attorney to represent one’s interests, the person will have a better chance of recovering the damages to which one is entitled under the law, including compensation for your lost wages, pain and suffering, and the changes in one’s lifestyle caused by the negligence.

Broadspire Services does not have a legal duty to represent an injured person’s best interests. Instead, Broadspire works for and on behalf of Stryker. An experienced personal injury attorney must, consistent with ethical obligations, zealously advocate on behalf of injured clients.

The best thing a person who has a potential hip-replacement lawsuit can do is contact our product liability lawyers as soon as possible to schedule a free initial consultation.