Zimmer Hip Failure Complication Lawyers

Zimmer Holdings, Inc. is one of the largest producers of hip replacement devices in the United States. The company is famous for manufacturing and selling, among other items, the Durom Acetabular Component. This component is also known as the Durom Cup. The company voluntarily recalled the Durom Acetabular Component after injured claimants linked the device to corrosion and early failure.

Patients who have received a Zimmer Durom Acetabular Component, or Durom Cup, may be eligible to obtain compensation for their injuries. The legal professionals at Arnold & Smith, PLLC have helped clients throughout the Charlotte area recover the compensation they deserve from the manufacturers of defective products. When medical manufacturers make unsafe and dangerous products, or when they fail to adequately warn patients about the risks posed by products, the companies should be held accountable. Contact our Charlotte product liability law firm today to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our experienced legal professionals.

Zimmer voluntarily recalled the Zimmer Durom Acetabular Component (the “Durom Cup”) after receiving thousands of complaints from patients. Unfortunately, surgeons had already implanted approximately 12,000 of the devices into patients before Zimmer issued the recall, leaving many persons to deal with the with ramifications of defective hip implants.

Patients who undergo hip implant surgery seek to reduce pain and increase their mobility. Sadly, many patients who received the “Durom Cup” devices had to undergo a second hip replacement surgery soon after receiving their first implant. A recent study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) showed that the “Durom Cup” devices failed at a significantly high rate compared to other similar devices. The study found that medical professionals performed revision surgeries in 29 of 180 patients. In 30 cases out of 206 total hip replacements, surgeons had to address acetabular component loosening within two years of implantation. All 29 patients who underwent revision surgery suffered a clinical failure of their hip implant devices.

Plaintiffs who have filed lawsuits against Zimmer Holdings, Inc. have alleged that the design of the hip implant caused significant medical complications. Plaintiffs in lawsuits against the company have alleged that the hip implant was defectively designed. They have contended that the femoral neck component should have been designed as a fixed component. Instead, the neck was designed with two different parts that allow for adjusting it to different lengths. While the manufacturer intended this design to hasten recovery time and conserve bone mass, unfortunately, the design had unintended, negative consequences.

Claimants have alleged that the design caused the neck components to prematurely degrade and corrode. Plaintiffs have alleged that their hip implant components have broken, fractured, and corroded. Claimants have alleged that these injuries have caused permanent physical impairment as well as serious pain.

Many patients who received the Wright Profemur hip have reported injuries caused by fracturing of the hip’s femoral stem. Other patients have alleged that the hip implant failed to fully attach to the hip bone, as designed and intended. One patient’s expert alleged in a case that the hip implant’s press-fit design created a risk of the neck component loosening and failing to work in as little as three years. That is an adverse result for patients who receive devices that are promised to last for decades.

Claimants have alleged that undergoing a revision surgery soon after an initial hip implant procedure has been devastating to their health and wellbeing. Hip revision surgery is more dangerous than initial hip implant surgery. Patients who undergo revision surgery need to take more time off of work in order to recover. Surgeons often need to break the defective hip implant in order to remove and replace it. Bone fracturing and other trauma associated with removing an implant from the tissue and bone to which it is detached can result in a lengthy and excruciating recovery period.

When medical companies produce defective devices that cause injuries, injured patients should hold them accountable. Medical manufacturing companies owe their patients a duty to produce reasonably safe products and to adequately warn users of the potential risks involved. If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of the implantation of a faulty hip implant device, the sooner you speak to an experienced lawyer, the better. Contact our skilled Charlotte product liability lawyers as soon as possible to schedule a free initial consultation.