As medical science advances and many people live longer, hip replacement surgeries have become more important than ever before. Hip replacement surgery has also come a long way over the last few decades. Hip implants now allow many people to move around in a pain-free and comfortable way, which wouldn’t have been available to previous generations. A modern-day hip implant is much more durable than its predecessors and is designed to last at least 15 years following the operation that installs the medical device.
Surgery for hip replacement has now become so commonplace that it is seen by many professionals as a routine surgery. Unfortunately, as this kind of surgery becomes more common, there has been an increase in authorized surgeries, which actually cause new additional damage rather than solving the problem. Patients suffering from this kind of medical malpractice can be left in a position that is often worse than when they started, leading to additional pain and often requiring corrective surgeries.
There are many people who could be blamed for botched hip surgery and its side effects, from the doctor who performed the revision surgery to the manufacturer of the medical device used. DePuy hip devices, specifically their ASR hip device, are especially notorious for various problems and side effects.
There is one constant, regardless of who is liable for your hip complications, you should not be left without legal recourse for any damages caused to you. If you have had any complications following revision surgery of any kind, you are most likely entitled to compensation. No doctor or medical corporation should profit from a defective device.
Luckily, here at The Law Place, we have over 75 years of collective experience dealing with medical malpractice cases and specifically with hip replacement and hip implant defects. Fort Myers personal injury attorneys at our firm will fight for your medical justice and the correct level of compensation. Contact us today on (941) 444-4444.
An Overview of Hip Replacement
Hip replacement is an extremely common surgical procedure that is usually performed on patients aged between 60 and 80 years old. When executed successfully by a trained medical professional, it can dramatically increase the quality of life for arthritis sufferers or others with a similar condition.
However, doctors often rush into suggesting a hip replacement or hip implant. The installation of a metal hip implant represents a major surgery and should remain a last resort after attempting both physiotherapy and steroid treatments extensively.
Before suggesting a hip implant or replacement, your doctor should be absolutely certain that you need this operation and will be in the right position to deal with the rehabilitative process of such a major surgery.
What Defects with My Medical Device Serve as Sufficient Grounds for a Lawsuit?
Medical malpractice and product liability (especially with DePuy ASR hip devices) are the most common lawsuits of this kind. If you have suffered or continue to suffer from any of the following symptoms, then it is highly likely that you are eligible for compensation:
- Pain and discomfort, especially if it is severe.
- Damage to the bones.
- Decrease/loss of mobility.
- Infections.
- Metallosis.
- Swellings or inflammations.
- Malfunctioning hip implants, including the loosening of the medical device.
If you are suffering from any of these complications, a personal injury lawyer from The Law Place in Fort Myers can help you. Contact us as soon as possible for a free consultation.
We’re here to serve you. Our phones are open 24 hours a day.
What is Metallosis?
Metallosis is a common symptom of a botched hip implant surgery, especially with a DePuy ASR hip implant.
Metallosis is a serious medical condition caused when metal particles break away from a hip implant which is metal-on-metal based.
When metal components in a hip implant grind together, small particles or shards of metal can dislodge and enter the bloodstream. If this process continues unchecked, it can ultimately lead to blood poisoning, which is a very severe and potentially life-threatening side effect. This is particularly common with DePuy ASR hip implants.
Other than blood poisoning, these hip implant complications can cause discomfort resulting from inflammation as they lodge into the muscles and bone tissues surrounding the hip implant.
If you are suffering from Metallosis from a DePuy hip or otherwise branded hip implant, get in contact with The Law Place in Fort Myers today. Our personal injury attorneys can help you seek compensation to reimburse you for your damages and help you to afford a new and more effective treatment.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience
Which Hip Replacement Products Are Known to Be Defective?
Complications often arise from the disconnect between medical professionals and the pharmaceutical companies from which they purchase their medical devices. Many doctors can install a defective device without knowing its potential defects. We have already covered DePuy hip, specifically their ASR hip products, but the full list is longer.
Unfortunately, cases like this are all too common. Due to their profitability, defective products remain in the market for a long time, even after they are known to be defective. The two types of common defects are Manufacturing Defects and Design Defects. Both of these types of defects count as product liability.
A list of potentially defective products which your personal injury attorneys can help you recover compensation for is as follows:
- Biomet – Biomet hip implants are metal-on-metal and are known to cause metallosis.
- Stryker rejuvenate – Stryker has a history of being forced to recall their defective products. Their products were designed for high flexibility but, in actuality, corrode quickly, leading to metallosis.
- Wright hip implants – Wright implants have resulted in over 200 device failure reports to the FDA for typical metal-on-metal complication issues.
- DePuy – DePuy is a notorious company when it comes to defective implants. The DePuy hip implant, known as the DePuy ASR hip implant, is perhaps the most notorious. DePuy produce a large number of different metal-on-metal implants that have inherent design problems. DePuy hip products have led to many cases of metallosis, infections, and immobility. DePuy itself is a sub-division of Johnson and Johnson, who are notorious for having civil lawsuits raised against them. Avoid DePuy hip products at all costs.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers.
More Information on DePuy Hip Implant Product Liability
Here at The Law Place, our personal injury attorneys have dealt with many different defective hip products. However, because DePuy hip products have a long history of being defective, some additional information will be covered here.
DePuy products have been in international circulation from as early as 2003. In 2005, their new ASR XL Acetabular System was approved through an FDA program, which allowed the company to avoid the cost and time involved in proper medical clinical trials. This meant that this particular DePuy hip device was largely unexplored for complications.
For some time, despite this DePuy hip implant having known failures, it continued to be sold. Unfortunately, many surgeons are subject to advertising campaigns by DePuy and other pharmaceutical technology companies.
After several years and high-profile lawsuits, DePuy was forced to recall the ASR model. However, the near-identical Pinnacle DePuy hip product was never recalled. Instead, it was simply discontinued in 2013. This means that there is a large amount of DePuy products either still in circulation or inside unsuspecting bodies posing severe health risks.
If you or a loved one has suffered at the hands of a company like DePuy, you are likely to be entitled to compensation. Big pharmaceutical companies should not be above the law, nor should they be allowed to turn a profit for causing human suffering. Contact The Law Place in Fort Myers and let an experienced personal injury lawyer fight for your compensation while also contributing to overall corporate justice.
What Damages Can a Lawyer Help Me to Claim?
There are a number of different damages which a lawyer from The Law Place in Fort Myers can help you to recover, depending on the specifics of your case.
The most common damages associated with medical malpractice or product liability cases are as follows:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Additional support
- Mobility aids and equipment
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death
The best way to identify which damages apply to your case is to get in touch with The Law Place today for a free consultation. We will lay out what damages you could be owed and the road map to achieving compensation for them.
How Much Will a Lawyer from The Law Place in Fort Myers Cost Me?
Every lawyer employed by The Law Place works on what is known as a contingency basis. This means that you will be charged no fees until the completion of your settlement, then all fees will be taken from said settlement. This also means that if for some reason, your case is unsuccessful, the entire process will not cost you a single cent. Here at The Law Place, we are thorough believers that recovering compensation for negligence should not involve any risk on your part.
All of our contingency work is monitored by the State Bar Association, so you can be safe in the knowledge that there will be no hidden costs or tricks.
Contact The Law Place Today
If you have suffered from medical malpractice or been a victim of product liability from a hip replacement gone wrong, you could be entitled to compensation for the complications this has had on your life. The compensation you receive can help you feel a sense of justice, cover any additional expenses, or even go towards seeking a new and correct treatment for your hip difficulties.
We know that you have many choices when it comes to selecting a law firm to represent your case in the Fort Myers area. Our lawyers at The Law Place have over 75 years of combined experience in dealing with medical negligence claims. Unlike other law firms, we operate all our cases as a team. This means that you can benefit from the skills, knowledge, and legal standing accrued by each member of our handpicked team. Due to our fee model, raising a case could not be easier or more risk-free. You will not pay a single cent until the completion of your case, and unsuccessful cases will cost you absolutely nothing.
If you have been a victim of a defective medical device, don’t waste time. Contact The Law Place today. We offer free consultations at no-obligation, and our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to suit your busy schedule. Dealing with pharmaceutical companies and their large, well-trained legal teams can be an intimidating process, to say the least. However, we firmly believe that no entity, no matter how large or powerful, should get away with neglectful treatment that negatively impacts your life.
If you would like to raise a claim or even just get more information, call one of our dedicated team on (941) 444-4444 today.
