When you go into the hospital to have a hip transplant, the last thing you expect is to be in more pain than when you arrived. Unfortunately, that has been the case for many Americans who received metal-on-metal hip implants made by Johnson & Johnson's DePuy unit.
The safety concerns began after many patients' DePuy artificial hip implants failed after only a few years. Hip implants are expected to last 10 to 20 years at a minimum in most cases. The DePuy hip implants were made of all metal after tests showed that they were less likely to dislocate and would not wear down as quickly.
Despite the promise of all-metal hip implants lasting longer, they definitely didn't perform better, at least not Johnson & Johnson hip implants. Recent reports show that metal-on-metal hip implants like the DePuy ones actually are more likely to fail compared to other types of hip implants. The dangers associated with all-metal hip implants have led to a government panel recommending that metal-on-metal hip implants not be recommended to patients anymore.
The high number of failed hip implants led to thousands of lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson. Lawsuits included allegations that the company continued to sell faulty implants that caused patients to suffer injuries and have multiple surgeries.
Several lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson have recently been settled. The settlement includes roughly 8,000 patients who had to have their metal hip implants replaced or removed due to the implant failing or being too painful. The settlement gives roughly $250,000 for each patient as well as covers any implants that were removed or replaced before Aug. 31 of this year.
This settlement does not address the hip implant lawsuits the company is facing, but it is a good sign that the company decided to settle the lawsuit instead of fighting in court. Patients who have a faulty hip implant should see this case as an example of the legal action they can take against the manufacturer, especially if their implant failed or required additional surgical procedures.
Source: USA Today, "J&J in $2.5 billion hip-device settlement," Matthew Perrone and John Seewer, Nov. 19, 2013
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