Johnson and Johnson’s orthopedic division, DePuy Orthopedics, Inc., has issued a recall for two of their hip implant products, the ASR XL Acetabular System and the DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System. The recall was triggered by the exceptionally high number of individuals experiencing severe pain and discomfort after having the hip implant surgery. In fact, DePuy released a report that shows that five years after the hip implant surgery, approximately 1 in 8 individuals who received the ASR resurfacing device and 1 in 8 who had received the ASR total hip replacement, needed a second surgery called a revision surgery in order to correct the first implantation.
This is, of course, a disturbing report. Having hip replacement surgery is traumatic to begin with, but to require a second surgery to correct a problem that should not have existed, only further endangers the individual’s health and makes the healing process more difficult. To date, over 93,000 individuals have undergone hip replacement surgery and received one of the two recalled DePuy products.
Moreover, the recalled products have resulted in serious physical issues. Some of the physical issues the products have caused include the product itself wearing out after five years and leading to fractures of the artificial hip, loosening of the device itself causing bones breaking around the hip socket area, and swelling and difficulty walking. The recalled products have resulted in thousands of individual’s experiencing pain on a daily basis, these two products were supposed to help individuals, not hurt them.
Significantly, the DePuy ASR Hip resurfacing System was not approved for use inside the United States, and thus, did not go through the necessary testing and treatments to ensure that the hip implant was safe for individuals to receive. Questions surround whether or not Johnson and Johnson knew about the dangers of the two hip implant products years before they recently recalled them. In fact, these two products have had complaints dating back to 2005 from Canadians, Americans, British, and Welsh. Further, this is not the first product that Johnson and Johnson has had recalled in recent months, these two hip implants products will be the 11th recall for the company in the past 11 months.
It took Johnson and Johnson five years to recall the hip implants, even though they had a report stating the high number of people who were experiencing severe pain and discomfort, not to mention the need for a second corrective surgery. For a wide variety of issues relating to this unfortunate matter, financial compensation for those who have been effected by these two recalled products is available. Legal representation can and will help to protect and enforce individual’s legal rights.
If you have experienced pain and suffering or even have had to undergo a second corrective surgery after receiving one of the two recalled DePuy products, contact the Berniard Law Firm. Providing the best advice and guidance our law firm is fully capable of meeting your litigation needs.
Call the Berniard Law Firm at Toll Free 504-521-6000 and an attorney will be more than happy to help you get the financial support you deserve.