As we have previously reported, in August 2010, DePuy Orthopaedics recalled all of its ASR products after reports surfaced alleging a higher than normal failure rate for their metal-on-metal hip implant devices. The recall encompassed about 93,000 devices in the United States, which has prompted the filing of approximately 10,000 lawsuits since 2010.
The first trial in the DePuy ASR lawsuits began at the end of January 2013 in Los Angeles, California. The New York Times reports that DePuy Company Compliance Manager Jimmy Smith testified that DePuy had taken “inappropriate” steps to identify and eliminate risks in the design of its ASR product. According to a Bloomberg report, Smith told a California jury that DePuy used irrelevant testing procedures to determine the safety and effectiveness of the ASR product. Smith also told the jury that DePuy’s design analysis group fell short in 13 areas and “didn’t predict the levels of excessive wear and the loosening that have been identified.” When asked why DePuy cut corners when analyzing the safety of its product Smith testified it “would have been too expensive” to provide more comprehensive trial tests for the product.
If you have had a hip replacement, which used the DePuy ASR or DePuy Pinnacle devices, you can contact Stark & Stark and speak to one of the Mass Tort attorneys, free of charge, who can help assess any claims that you might have against the DePuy manufacturers.