Hip Implant Lawsuits

About Hip Implant Lawsuits

• Failed and faulty hip implants can cause significant and permanent health effects, such as long and painful recoveries, nerve and tissue damage, decreased mobility, and infections.
• Hip replacement lawsuits against manufacturers have alleged their products are defective and that they failed to warn and knew or should have known of the risks.
• A product liability lawyer can help people with failed hip implants get compensation for damages, including revision surgery, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, decreased quality of life, and more.

Hip Implant FAQs

What are artificial hip lawsuits about?

Hip implant lawsuits have been filed by patients who suffered serious health effects from defective devices and implants that failed far too early due to a manufacturer’s negligence. Hip replacement systems have snapped, corroded, and fractured inside patients’ bodies, and product liability lawsuits aim to hold manufacturers responsible and compensate injured victims for their losses.

How are people injured by failed hip implants?

There is a wide range of injuries from faulty hip implants, including severe pain and swelling, metal poisoning (metallosis), chronic inflammation, fractures, tissue and bone damage (osteolysis), nerve damage, and even neurological problems. Artificial hip failure often requires patients to undergo painful and complicated revision surgery.

Why do so many hip implants fail?

Hip replacement systems fail when they fracture, dislocate, deteriorate, or cause broken bones or infections, which may be caused by a design, manufacture, or packaging defect. Also, while total hip systems made of metal-on-metal are no longer used in the U.S., implants like these have caused severe injuries when the metal deteriorates and/or poisons the bloodstream.

How much is a hip replacement lawsuit worth?

How much a hip replacement lawsuit is worth greatly varies, but there have been thousands of jury awards and mass settlement amounts from $100,000 to millions of dollars per plaintiff. The best way to determine the potential value of your hip implant lawsuit is to speak with a product liability lawyer.

Who can file a defective hip replacement lawsuit?

Anyone with a failed hip replacement system may be eligible for compensation through a product liability lawsuit, depending on your situation. If you’ve suffered any injuries or losses due to a faulty hip implant, contact an experienced attorney to review your case and learn your legal options.

How do I know if my hip implant is failing?

The signs and symptoms of a failing hip implant include new and worsening pain, swelling, a popping or grinding noise, inability to bear weight on the side of your implant, redness, and device loosening. But if you have any concerns about your artificial hip, see your doctor.

Do I need revision surgery if my hip implant is recalled?

Unless you experience new or worsening symptoms, patients with a recalled hip implant do not usually need revision surgery. However, if your hip replacement system was recalled, it’s important to see your doctor; they should closely monitor you, and if signs of device failure occur, revision surgery may be necessary. 

Why Hip Implant Lawsuits Are Filed

Hip replacement surgery is supposed to provide many benefits and can be life-changing for patients. Artificial hips should last at least a decade, and yet, countless patients have had their implants fail just a few years after surgery, causing a range of injuries and damages. Others have suffered because the dangers and defects were discovered too late.

The sheer number of hip implants that fail each year due to a poor design or defect tends to result in a steady influx of artificial hip lawsuits involving multiple products and brands. These cases against device manufacturers usually allege failure to warn and that the company knew or should have known of the risks. While many plaintiffs accept undisclosed settlement amounts, thousands of hip replacement lawsuits in the U.S. have resulted in billions of dollars in settlements and jury awards in just the past decade.

Hip implant lawsuits are often consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) because there are hundreds or even thousands of plaintiffs with the same or similar experiences. There have also been class action lawsuits for failed and faulty hip replacement systems.

If your hip implant fails, speak with a product liability attorney as soon as possible. Regardless of whether or not your artificial hip has been recalled by the FDA or a class action or MDL has been resolved, you may still have grounds to file a claim.

Causes of Failed Hip Implants

Some of the most common causes of failed hip implants cited in lawsuits involve deteriorated metal-on-metal implants, dislocation of neck stems, device loosening, and bone and implant fractures. These device failures could occur during simple, everyday tasks, and when it happens, many patients fall, risking further injuries, are unable to get back up, and are in tremendous pain. 

The solution to a failed joint replacement is frequently the same – patients must undergo revision surgery, a costly procedure that isn’t always paid for by insurance, takes longer to recover from, and comes with additional risks. Artificial hip lawsuits often include damages associated with these surgeries. Many patients with a failed implant never get back the mobility they once had or could have had if not for the device manufacturer’s negligence, that led to revision surgery.

Injuries from Faulty Hip Implants

Individuals who receive artificial hips do so to regain mobility, reduce pain, and improve their quality of life. Every surgery has risks, but with the general expectation that hip implants will last 10-20 years, these surgeries are highly common, and more and more are performed each year.

However, the failed and defective hip replacement systems involved in past and current product liability lawsuits have caused serious injuries and suffering, including:

• Temporary or permanent mobility issues
• Nerve and tissue damage
• Severe and/or chronic pain
• Bone fractures
• Neurological damage
• Emotional trauma

The injuries from failed hip implants may require time off work and highly restrict a patient’s lifestyle. If revision surgery is needed to fix or replace a faulty hip replacement system, the complex procedure takes longer to recover from, and many patients never get back the level of mobility they should have had from the initial implant. Revision surgery is also expensive and, far too often, leads to out-of-pocket costs.

Through an artificial hip lawsuit, patients may recover financial losses and be compensated for the physical, emotional, professional, and social damages they experience. These lawsuits also hold negligent device manufacturers accountable and even spark changes within the industry to increase the safety and effectiveness of hip replacements.  

FDA Recalls of Hip Replacement Systems

Hip implant recalls by the FDA may occur for a few different reasons. First, a voluntary recall may come from the manufacturer after receiving complaints, reports of high failure rates, or discovering a design, manufacture, or packaging defect. Other recalls may come after the FDA receives numerous serious reports of problems from consumers or healthcare providers or an investigation reveals an issue with the hip implant or an unapproved product change.

The FDA then communicates the dangers to surgeons and instructs them to closely monitor patients with affected devices and provide instructions for patients. Hospitals and other healthcare providers are also instructed to remove faulty artificial hips from their inventory.

Hundreds of models and components of artificial hips have been recalled over the years. Some of the most notable hip replacement recalls include:

• Exactech GXL Liners for Novation, Acumatch, and MCS Hip replacement devices (2021)
• MicroPort Profemur Dual Modular Neck recall (2020)
• Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implants recall (2012)
• Smith & Nephew Acetabular system recall (2012)
• DePuy ASR hip system recall (2010)
• Zimmer Durom Cup recall (2008)

This list is far from complete; in fact, hundreds of models and components of hip replacement systems have been recalled since 2000, many of which have been involved in defective device lawsuits. If you’re unsure if your implant was part of a recall or suspect you may be experiencing symptoms of device failure, see your doctor, then contact an attorney for advice.

Hire a Hip Implant Lawyer for Your Product Liability Case

Medical device manufacturers have a duty to create safe hip implants. They must provide specific information for surgeons and patients, such as risks, warnings, and surgical instructions. Manufacturers may be held responsible through a product liability lawsuit when a defect or early failure rate is discovered, multiple serious reports of device issues are filed, or design changes are made without approval from the necessary regulatory bodies.

The health effects of a failed hip implant are extensive, but there’s much more than the physical pain and suffering and long recovery times. Defective artificial hips, especially those that require revision surgery, can cause permanent mobility issues and nerve and tissue damage. Failed joint replacements can also cause emotional trauma, impact a person’s ability to work or advance in their field, decrease quality of life, and be financially draining on the patient and their family. When a hip replacement manufacturer is negligent, and patients suffer, those affected deserve to be compensated.

If your hip implant failed and/or was defective, a product liability or defective device attorney can protect your rights and ensure you’re adequately paid for the manufacturer’s mistakes, intentional or not. It’s easy to be intimidated by the thought of standing up to wealthy healthcare product companies. However, when represented by an experienced lawyer, a hip replacement lawsuit is the best way to get what you’re entitled to.