Back in June 2012, when Stryker Orthopedics decided to recall its Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II modular-neck hip stems due to “fretting and/or corrosion” in the implant which can lead to an “adverse local tissue reaction, as well as “pain and/or swelling, in or around your hip,” they acknowledged a problem but stopped short of accepting full legal responsibility for alleged design defects and the failure of these artificial hip implants.
HOW MANY LAWSUITS HAVE BEEN FILED AGAINST STRYKER?
As a result, lawsuits have been filed by implant recipients all over the country, with more than 430 Stryker hip recall claims now pending in the multicounty litigation underway in New Jersey’s Bergen County Superior Court and over 340 additional Stryker hip lawsuits filed in a federal multidistrict litigation underway in the U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota.
HOW MUCH WILL HIP RECALL AND REVISIONS COST STRYKER?
According to the Wall Street Journal,“Stryker Corp. (SYK) says it may spend between $700 million and $1.13 billion to resolve litigation and other costs related to a product recall last year, nearly double its previous estimate, according to a regulatory filing.”
With hundreds of product liability suits already filed against Stryker and with them recording charges of $510 million to its earnings just this year to resolve the matter, plus roughly 20,000 of these potentially defective devices implanted in the U.S. market alone, Stryker says, the total cost to resolve the matter will depend “on the number of and actual costs of patients seeking testing and treatment services, the number of and actual costs of patients requiring revision surgeries, the number of and actual costs to settle lawsuits filed against us, and the amount of third-party insurance recoveries.”
Stryker Hip Failures: Don’t wait until it’s too late
Though Stryker has said they intend to reimburse patients for “reasonable and customary” medical costs, their vision of those resolutions may be very different from the patients who are still suffering with issues like metallosis or facing the pain and uncertainty of a complicated revision surgery that may leave them with less mobility than before.
All of the pending litigation alleges metal ions shed from fretting and corrosion of the Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems caused plaintiffs to suffer a variety of serious complications. These include metallosis, pain, swelling, and local tissue reactions, with many even requiring revision surgery.
Stryker has advised all recipients of Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems be tested for elevated metal ion levels in their blood, and have cross sectional imaging, regardless of symptomology.
Though the law in most states provides individuals with the right to compensation for injuries they suffered as a result of a defective medical device, if you do not do so in a timely manner, you may find yourself ineligible.
If you or a loved one has suffered serious complications that you believe are associated with Stryker’s Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implants it is extremely important that you explore your options to see if you are eligible for compensation for injury-related damages and complications, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Call us at Meshbesher & Spence today to protect your rights. 1(877) 572-5738 or (612) 339-9121.