Company Fined $2.2 Billion Over Defective Hip Implants

 Posted on January 08, 2014 in Defective Medical Devices

In an attempt to settle thousands of defective medical device lawsuits over its recalled hip implants, Johnson & Johnson subsidiary DePuy has agreed to pay at least $2.47 billion. Patients have told a judge while outlining an accord, however, that the final settlement may be worth more than $4 billion total.

The global health care company recalled 93,000 defective ASR hip implants in 2010. Doctors and patients began complaining that the implants are weak and internal company documents have shown that 37 percent of the implants fail within 5 years.

The ASR implants were approved for sale in 2005 and consisted of a new metal-on-metal design that DePuy advertised would last 20 years and offer a wider range of motion than traditional hip implants. When they fail, however, the implants could cause dislocations, and debris from the device can get stuck in the soft tissue surrounding the joint as well as the muscles and ligaments.

This is the second large judgment against Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries in the past month. The company was recently ordered to pay $2.2 billion by the United States Justice Department in order to settle criminal and civil claims that the company marketed the prescription medication Risperdal to patients it was not approved to treat. The company has also been accused of paying doctors and pharmacists kickbacks for additional prescriptions.

Having a medical device fail can be an emotionally and financially draining experience. If you or someone you know has had to have their ASR hip implant removed, or if you've had a failure of an ASR hip implant that caused additional pain and injury, the first step is getting legal help. Contact an experienced defective medical device attorney in Illinois today. We can help you determine if you are entitled to any compensation and ensure that you receive any damages you may be entitled to.