If you have suffered injury caused by a defective metal-on-metal hip implant, call 888-341-1405 for a no-obligation evaluation of your legal rights, or tell us your story using our online contact form.
A federal jury in Georgia awarded $11 million to plaintiff Robyn Christiansen in the first Wright Conserve metal-on-metal hip implant bellwether trial. After a two-week trial and three days of deliberations, the jury ruled that the Conserve hip implant was defectively designed and unreasonably dangerous, and that manufacturer Wright Medical had mislead the plaintiff as to the product’s safety. The jury found Wright Medical 100% at fault and awarded Christiansen $1 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages.
Ms. Christiansen was implanted with a Conserve metal-on-metal hip in April 2006. The hip implant failed in 2012 and she was forced to undergo painful removal and replacement surgery. Evidence presented at the trial showed her surgeon found metallosis, fluid buildup and tissue necrosis.
In June, a plaintiff in California state court was awarded $4.5 million for damages caused by a different Wright Medical metal-on-metal hip implant, the Profemur R. The majority of cases brought to date involve Wright’s Conserve line of metal hip implants.
Wright Medical placed its Conserve, Dynasty, and Profemur hip components on the market by utilizing the FDA’s 501(k) clearance process. Under 501(k) Wright represented to the FDA that the devices were “substantially equivalent” to products already on the market. By using this approval process Wright avoided the time and expense of conducting clinical trials on their new metal on metal hips. The consequences have been severe for patients who received Conserve, Dynasty, and Profemur implants.
Symptoms of a defective metal hip implant include pain or swelling at or near the hip, a change in walking ability, thigh pain radiating to the knee, pain in the groin when going from a sitting to a standing position, or a noise from the hip joint. The FDA lists a variety of symptoms that should be followed up. If you experience any symptom you believe is related to your hip implant, you should see your doctor immediately. You should ask if your doctor if you should have a blood test for the presence of metal ions and fragments in the tissue surrounding the hip joint.
If you received a Wright Conserve, Dynasty, or Profemur metal-on-metal hip implant (or a metal-on-metal hip implant manufactured by any other company including DePuy Orthopaedics, Stryker Orthopaedics, Zimmer Holdings, or Biomet) you may be eligible to file a claim for money damages for the pain, suffering, physical injuries, lost income, medical expenses from replacement, and any other losses you suffered as a result of your injuries. Contact the Boston law firm of Thornton Law Firm LLP online or at 1-888-341-1405 for a free consultation with a recognized leader in Massachusetts drug and medical device litigation. The consultation is free and completely confidential. We offer a fair and accurate assessment of your case. Like all legal cases, hip implant claims have short, strictly enforced time limits. Do not delay seeking legal advice.
