DePuy Recall vs. Zimmer

DePuy Orthopaedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson, isn’t the first company to issue a recall on hip implant prosthetics. As a DePuy hip implant lawyer, I have experience with current and past device recalls, and the different reasons companies issue such recalls.

On July 24, 2008, Zimmer Holdings halted sales of the Durom Cup artificial hip due to high failure rates. The recalled product was used in nearly 12,000 hip replacement surgeries in the United States from its introduction in 2006 until the point of recall. While the company allegedly blamed surgeons for failed precision when implanting the cups, surgeons reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the problem was with the product.

DuPuy Orthopedics also allegedly charged physicians with improper implantation of its metal-on-metal hip implants, which are now being investigated by the FDA after receiving more than 400 complaints about the faulty device.

As a North Charleston personal injury lawyer, I know the blame game can oftentimes hold up accountability to what matters most; the patient’s care and comfort. Defective design and improper implantation are both reasons for litigation, and I have experience handling such cases.

While the problems with Zimmer cups were later attributed to poor design, causing the device to loosen, the early failure rate for DuPuy implants – 12-13 % failure in the first five years over the average 5 % – have yet to be determined. However, as a hip replacement recall lawyer I work with developing litigation to ensure fair compensation for pain and suffering among victims.