Consumer Alert: Yet another DePuy hip replacement device – the Pinnacle hip replacement system – has been found to be defective and dangerous, resulting in a number of the same side effects as the ASR & ASR XL models, which were recalled in August 2010. Lawsuits currently being filed have many wondering if DePuy will be announcing a recall of the Pinnacle device.
Free DePuy Pinnacle Hip Replacement Case Evaluation: If you or a loved one has suffered from serious side effects after being implanted with a DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement system, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.
Update: J&J Ordered to Pay $1 Billion in DePuy Hip Bellwether Trial
December 2, 2016 – A Texas jury has found Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics unit liable for over $1.04 billion in a 6-plaintiff bellwether trial alleging injuries from its Pinnacle line of hip replacement devices. Following a two month trial that ended Wednesday, jurors deliberated for less than a day before finding that DePuy had negligently designed its Pinnacle hip, failed to warn surgeons about dangerous conditions associated with the implant, and concealed its risks from the public.
What’s the problem?
April 20, 2011 – In what appears to be the latest problem for DePuy Orthapedics, a growing number of reports have linked the Pinnacle Acetabular System to a higher-than-expected failure rate and a possible defective design. The Pinnacle features TrueGlide™ technology, which allows the body to create a thin film of lubrication between surfaces, resulting in a more fluid range of natural motion. Unfortunately, potential design defects may increase the risk of:
- unexpected pain
- difficulty standing or walking
- loss of mobility
- loosening of the device
- hip replacement failure
- metallosis
- biologic toxicity
- additional hip revision surgery
The Pinnacle device is extremely similar to the DePuy ASR hip system, which was recalled in August 2010 due to an abnormally high rate of failure. Like the recalled products, surgical placement is extremely complicated, and without perfect placement the problems can be even more exacerbated. The Pinnacle was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 via the controversial 501(K) process, which allows a manufacturer to obtain market approval with very little clinical testing of the device – including no human testing – if a manufacturer can prove it is “substantially similar” to another product already on the market.
DePuy Pinnacle Hip Lawsuits
A number of DePuy Pinnacle hip lawsuits have already been filed around the country, the first of which was filed in Tennessee claiming that the plaintiff’s device had failed less than a year after being implanted. A slew of additional lawsuits were filed last month in Louisiana federal court claiming the victims suffered permanent injuries because of the DePuy Pinnacle. On March 25, a California resident filed a formal request to consolidate DePuy Pinnacle hip lawsuits into a single wave of litigation against the manufacturer.
DePuy Pinnacle Hip Lawsuit Update 12/7/12: DePuy Pinnacle hip injury lawsuits continue to be filed in courthouses around the country, with more than 3,200 cases currently consolidated in the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) for pretrial proceedings. According to the vast majority of the complaints, the Pinnacle’s design is inherently flawed, and allows microscopic metal particles to enter the bloodstream as the device’s components rub together. Click here to learn more.
Do I have a DePuy Pinnacle Hip Replacement Lawsuit?
The Medical Device Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury cases in all 50 states.