Few things are harder in life to regain than trust. The DePuy company will certainly have a hard time regaining any measure of trust from consumers after its recall of two hip replacement systems, leading to what appears to be significant medical device liability .
The Johnson & Johnson subsidiary says the recalled hip replacements are the ASR XL Acetabular System and DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System.
Approximately 93,000 of the devices have been implanted in people around the world, according to a statement by DePuy.
The company acknowledges that one out of eight of the implanted devices will fail, requiring expensive, painful corrective surgery.
Symptoms and Serious Problems
Patients who have so far needed "revision" surgery to replace defective DePuy implants have reported a variety of symptoms, including:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Difficulty walking
The symptoms can be indicative of one or more of several serious problems with the implant:
- Loosening: the implant is not staying in its correct position, attached to the bone
- Fracture: the bone around the implant is broken
- Dislocation: two moving parts of the implant are no longer properly aligned
In a carefully worded statement, Johnson & Johnson says it will "cover reasonable and customary costs of testing and treatment" for its flawed products. We would argue that "reasonable" treatment includes surgery, which is generally expensive.
What's Left Unsaid
But the global health care giant with revenues of $15 billion in the most recent quarter of 2010 says nothing in its cautious PR statements about compensating patients for the big impact hip surgery will have on their physical and mental health. Nor does it mention future medical costs, physical rehabilitation, scarring or disfigurement, or the pain patients will have to endure in surgery because of DePuy's defective products.
Pursuing Fair, Full Compensation for Damages
From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to anywhere in the country, if you have a DePuy hip replacement implant you'll want to consult with an experiencedproduct liabilityattorney who has successfully litigated personal injury cases involving defective products and medical devices. We will assess the facts of your case, advise you of your legal options and help you recover the compensation to which you are entitled.