Johnson & Johnson DePuy Orthopaedics Lawsuit

Oct. 20, 2011 - PRLog -- Attorneys Bobby D. Davidson and Lisa G. Douglas, Law Offices of Lisa Douglas, Inc. File Depuy Orthopaedics, Johnson & Johnson lawsuit
October 11 2011

LITTLE ROCK, AR– Attorneys Bobby D. Davidson and Lisa G. Douglas, Law Offices of Lisa Douglas, Inc. representing victims of defective Depuy Hip Implants, filed a lawsuit [1] on October 11, 2011, against Depuy Orthopaedics and Johnson & Johnson; DePuy Orthopaedics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.  DePuy Orthopaedics developed the DePuy Acetabular ASR XL Acetabular metal on metal total hip replacement system, and the ASR metal Resurfacing System.  Both systems are defective and have been recalled as a result of component loosening, misalignment, infection, bone fracture, dislocation, and metal debris being released into the soft tissue, resulting in a high revision rate.  The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Arkansas.

According to the complaint (# 1:11 CV 86JLH), DePuy Orthopaedics, and Johnson & Johnson marketed and overpromoted the DePuy Acetabular ASR XL hip replacement devices as “High performance hip replacements.”  DePuy Orthopaedics and Johnson & Johnson knew that these hip implant systems were defective and being revised at a much higher rate than normal prior to the recall, and knew that the metal components were generating metal debris, including Chromium and Cobalt, that would cause local tissue reactions and migrate to all parts of the body.

According to the complaint, DePuy Orthopaedics paid doctors millions of dollars to promote its defective DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System.  In fact, DePuy paid more than $80 million to some 200 doctors across the country since 2009 to promote their hip replacement parts.  

Since 2008, the Federal Food and Drug Administration has received hundreds of complaints involving patients in the United States who have received the DePuy ASR hip systems.  These hip replacement systems also were widely distributed in foreign countries.  There have been numerous failures of these devices reported throughout the world with an estimated 90,000 patients affected by the recall.

For more information or, if you are a member of the media and would like to view a copy of the complaint, contact Lisa Douglas or Bob Davidson at 1 501-798-0004 or LisaGDouglas@aol.com or bob.davidson@sbcglobal.net  or visit www.HipReplacements.us  

[1] In the United States District Court For the Eastern District of Arkansas Northern Division, Case # 1:11 cv 86JLH.

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Lisa Douglas has been licensed as a Registered Nurse for over 20 years. Focus of her law practice is injury and accident law, medical malpractice, social security, big trucking accidents, personal injury, product liability, and nursing home neglect.