Since DePuy was forced to recall the defective ASR hip implants in August, an MDL was formed to handle those lawsuits. Attorneys who have filed lawsuits on behalf of clients who have been injured by DePuy’s Pinnacle Hip System have petitioned the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation that all of the federal DePuy Pinnacle lawsuits be consolidated and centralized before a single District Judge. If the panel agrees to form a DePuy Pinnacle MDL, a new MDL will be formed that will solely focus on DePuy Pinnacle lawsuits. The likelihood that an MDL for Pinnacles would be attached to or included with the ASR MDL is highly unlikely.
This MDL will function in a similar manner as the MDL for ASR’s. All discovery and pretrial motions will be consolidated under one District Judge and the lawsuits will revert back to their original districts for trial, if necessary. Injuries from the Pinnacle Hip System are similar to ASR injuries: pain, swelling, inflammation and metal poisoning. High levels of cobalt and chromium found in blood and urine samples are causing the most alarm as metallosis can cause rashes, soft-tissue damage and pseudo-tumors.
If you or a loved one have had hip replacement surgery and have been implanted with a defective DePuy hip, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and other injuries. Our firm is currently investigating claims for those people who have been implanted with DePuy hip replacement devices, both ASR and Pinnacle. If you would like a free case evaluation, please contact Booth Samuels at toll free 1-866-515-8880 or at booths@pittmandutton.com.
