More Than 700 Lawsuits Now Filed on Behalf of Stryker Hip Implant Patients

More than 700 lawsuits have been filed in federal and state courts on behalf of patients who allege Stryker Corporation released defective metal implants into the market and failed to provide adequate warnings to doctors and patients about risks associated with the hip replacements.

Patients reported pain and swelling around the hip.

As of October 23, 2013, 433 claims have been filed in the multicounty litigation (MCL) against Stryker in the New Jersey Superior Court, Bergen County. The number of claims against Stryker in state court has grown rapidly during the last year; there were only about 50 suits filed when the MCL was originally created in January 2013. With an additional 346 claims filed in the multidistrict litigation (MDL) against Stryker in U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, the metal hip manufacturer now faces a total of 779 pending actions.

Traditional hip implants are made from a combination of metal, ceramic, or plastic; however, the Stryker metal implants targeted by the litigation consist of two metal components: a metal stem and a metal neck. In July 2012, Stryker recalled their ABG II and Rejuvenate modular-neck stems because they were reported to corrode, fret, or fail prematurely. Patients reported pain and swelling around the hip, and physicians found soft tissue and bone damage near the implants. In lawsuits filed against Stryker, plaintiffs claim they suffered from metal poisoning as a result of friction between the implant’s neck and stem, which reportedly released metal particles into their bloodstream and surrounding body tissue. Some plaintiffs claim they were forced to undergo revision surgery to resolve problems with their implants.

The next case management conference for the MCL and status conference for the MDL will take place on November 18 and November 21, respectively.