Dozens of New Jersey plaintiffs, alleging that faulty hip implants manufactured by Stryker caused serious injuries, have asked the state’s Multicounty Litigation Center to allow their cases to be consolidated before one judge in Bergen County Superior Court. All 85 of the cases involve the same defective medical device – Stryker-manufactured LFIT Anatomic Cobalt Chromium V40 Femoral Heads – and share in common the same core complaints: “[D]esign defect[s], failure to warn, breach of warranty and possibly manufacturing defect[s].” Philadelphia personal injury lawyer Brent Wieand explains the potential hazards of using the device.
On August 29, 2016, Stryker issued an “urgent notification” warning of serious potential hazards associated with LFIT Anatomic CoCr (Cobalt Chromium) V40 Femoral Heads. The notice explains that “Stryker has received higher than expected complaints of taper lock failure for specific lots of the following certain sizes of LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40TM Femoral Heads manufactured prior to 2011,” namely the following products:
The notice then lists numerous hazards associated with these defective Stryker implants, including but not limited to generation of excessive debris, insufficient tension in soft tissue (such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments), and insufficient range of motion. Over time, these issues can cause serious injuries to develop, including but not limited to:
Additionally, these injuries can cause the patient’s right and left leg to become different lengths, which can not only produce severe anxiety and embarrassment, but further exacerbate the sufferer’s pain, balance, and mobility issues.
The notice – which recommended that affected patients should continue to follow “the normal protocol established by his/her surgeon” – later received a Class II recall designation from the FDA. The FDA defines a Class II recall as “a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a… product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
The warning notice describes “revision to alleviate hazardous situation” as a potential outcome or patient harm resulting from the defective implants.
If you or one of your family members suffered from severe pain, loss of mobility, pelvic fractures, infections, or other hip joint injuries after receiving a defective Stryker hip implant, or if hip pain or hip weakness from a Stryker medical implant caused you to suffer an accidental fall and become injured, you may be able to recover financial compensation with assistance from a Philadelphia product liability lawyer, including:
We are investigating claims of defective product lawsuits on behalf of Pennsylvania and New Jersey Residents. To discuss your a defective hip implant injury in a free, friendly, no-obligation consultation, contact the Wieand Law Firm at (888) 789-3161 right away. We will keep your information confidential.
*Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes. It is not legal advice and should not be used as legal advice. The Wieand Law Firm, LLC is based in Philadelphia, PA, and proud to serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.*
