Current DePuy Hip Replacement Recall Shows Johnson & Johnson Not Learning from Past Recalls

The DePuy hip replacement recall is the latest defective product recall coming from pharmaceutical giant, Johnson & Johnson. The number of recalls from J&J has been increasing with 40 products being recalled due to manufacturing defects and hazardous risk factors in April 2010 alone. The response from J&J to these recalls has been dubious and should be a clear indicator of what to expect for those involved in a hip replacement lawsuit.

Although J&J CEO William Weldon made a public apology before Congress in September of 2010 for “letting the public down”, these conciliatory words were just an attempt to mask the practices of the company to prevent any more recalled products from coming to light. While a public admission has been made about poorly manufacturing equipment and contaminated drugs causing these recalls, the company has been reluctant in revealing its practices of managing the recall of its potentially harmful drugs and products. Apparently, management of previously recalled products, specifically the defective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Motrin, has been to prevent revealing to the public the need for its recall by hiring contractors to buy bottles off shelves nationwide, also known as “phantom recalls”.

Government organizations such as the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as well as the Principal Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have questioned the ethical nature of the “phantom recall”, sighting impropriety on the part of J&J. The company remained silent about accusations that it told these contractors to dress as regular customers while removing potentially dangerous products that J&J knew was contaminated.

The amount of deception on the part of DePuy’s parent company in conjunction with the lack of sufficient quality control is quite disturbing. While seeming apologetic on the surface, underneath is the company’s attitude towards disregarding the health and safety of its clients and a desire to avoid having more defective products undergo a public recall. It should not be surprising that J&J and DePuy are encouraging victims of the hip replacement recall to sign over their legal rights in exchange for payoffs that would be substantially less than those that may be awarded by a jury.

It is for these reasons that those affected by the DePuy recall should be aware of J&J’s former recall practices and get the consult of an experienced attorney handling hip replacement lawsuits. For more information regarding ongoing litigation, visit the DePuy hip replacement lawsuit website.

DePuy Orthopaedics Concedes that Recalled Hip Replacement Explants Belong to Patients

DePuy Orthopaedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson, has stated to the court hearing pretrial proceedings that patients undergoing revision surgery to remove one of the company’s defective hip replacement devices are entitled to keep the explanted device. That statement was made on February 8, during a conference between DePuy hip recall plaintiffs’ lawyers, counsel representing DePuy and Johnson & Johnson, and Judge David Katz of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The defendants in the widespread hip replacement recall case “are committed to working out a protocol that both sides will agree to.” Bloomberg News further reported that a DePuy spokesperson said that “The patient’s surgeon should take appropriate steps” to ensure that the explant is not disposed of, but returned to the former recipient. It is, in fact, the patient’s rightful property. Previously, when revision surgeries were performed, the explanted hip replacement device was either thrown away or retrieved by a DePuy representative, without the patient’s knowledge or consent.

DePuy Orthopaedics has been embroiled in a worldwide recall of its ASR XL Acetabular System and ASR Hip Resurfacing System since the devices were removed from the U.S. market in August 2010. It was discovered that they were failing approximately 5 years after implantation in 12 to 13 percent of patients. The recall has affected 93,000 individuals worldwide, with a majority of them having to undergo revision surgery to remove the defective device. Symptoms of the failing device include constant pain, swelling, allergic reaction to excessive amounts of metal deposits present in the blood, and detachment of the implant from surrounding bone. These discoveries were made by joint registries outside the United States, and U.S. regulatory loopholes that allowed these devices to be brought to market without proper testing and clinical trials.

The Rottenstein Law Group has established a Web site to address the concerns of patients experiencing symptoms from a possibly failing hip replacement device. They are encouraged to speak to a hip replacement lawyer to discuss their options, rather than dealing directly with a representative of DePuy. Victims are entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, travel expenses and medical costs that are not covered by insurance.

The First Steps To Take After The DePuy Hip Replacement Recall

In the aftermath of the DePuy recall that was issued for two hip replacement devices, called ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System, a couple hundred individuals filed lawsuits against the orthopedic device manufacturer. Both devices have a high failure rate of 13 percent, more than double the standard percentage of 5 percent. Furthermore, one in eight recipients need to undergo a second corrective hip replacement procedure or a revision surgery. If you experience one or more of these symptoms after being implanted with a hip replacement device, you should immediately seek medical advice: intense pain (whether pressure is applied to the hip replacement or not), inflammation, dislocation, infection, bone detachment and allergic reactions to leaking metal particles.

Among affected recipients, it was discovered that there were some who have elevated levels of cobalt and chromium in their bloodstream. A flaw in the design of these implants allow their components to rub together causing metal ions to leak into a person's system which leads to metal poisoning or metallosis. This condition causes extensive internal damage and other indicators include hip pain, soft tissue damage, muscle damage, vision loss, nerve damage, and even neurological problems.

If you have been implanted with a DePuy device, or know of someone who was, seeing a doctor should be top priority. Although you may have yet to experience the signs and symptoms mentioned above, it is important that you determine if you have been adversely affected by the defective devices or not. The DePuy hip replacement recall have put you through tremendous loss, pain and suffering, you should let the company compensate you for these. Visit the DePuy recall information center today.

A Failed Hip Replacement Device and the Revision Surgery

Arthritis, bone problems and accidents are just some of the reasons why a person would need to have a hip replacement procedure. Improving the patient's way of life, reverting back to the active lifestyle he or she once had are the goals the patient, as well as surgeon, strive for. One of the easiest and most successful surgical procedures today is the hip replacement procedure. In general, hip implants last around 15 to 20 years. Patients who have been affected by the DePuy hip recall are now facing the possibility of going through a second round of hip replacement surgery (or what is called a revision surgery) to augment the damage inflicted.

One in eight recipient of either the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System is in need of a revision surgery, a data from the British joint replacement registry reveals. The wearing of the hip device is a normal occurrence. But the complications that arise from a defective hip replacement make it difficult for surgeons to perform the operation. Intense pain, swelling in the hip area, limited or loss of mobility and cobalt and chromium poisoning – which could lead to nerve and neurological damage, are just some of the health complications the defective devices cause.

A longer recovery and rehabilitation period is needed by those who underwent a hip revision surgery as a result of using the DePuy device. About 93,000 individuals are now affected because of the company's disregard for public safety. Having been implanted with a failed hip replacement device creates a lot of problems for patients and speaking with a product liability lawyer would give you the insight on how to recover compensation from DePuy.