Negligence

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, total hip arthoplasty, which involves medical devices such as those manufactured by DePuy, is usually a very successful surgery for the majority of patients. Total hip arthoplasty, or THA, is medical code for hip replacement surgery. Hip replacement surgery involves the insertion of a hip implant unit

Attorney Jeffrey Berniard has asked the Federal Judicial Panel of Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to consolidate at least thirty separate claims filed against DePuy for the manufacture of defective hip implants into one master case. In his motion, Berniard asks the federal court system to allow the consolidated claims to be heard in the United States

After DePuy announced its nationwide recall of nearly 100,000 hip implant units, the company indicated it would reimburse affected consumers and their insurers for “reasonable and customary costs of testing and treatment… including revision surgery if it is necessary.” Unfortunately, the medical device manufacturer has not specified which expenses will be deemed “reasonable” and “customary,”

Manufacturers who market products to the general public are legally vested with a responsibility to ensure their products are reasonably safe and do not pose unnecessary risks to consumers. DePuy, a company that manufactures and markets medical devices, is currently being scrutinized by regulators and consumer advocates for failing to meet that responsibility when it

For anyone finding themselves with a heavy heart toward DePuy when they think of the mounting litigation sure to take place in response to the company’s recent hip implant recall, this should give them pause. In the third quarter of 2010, Johnson & Johnson, DePuy’s parent company, announced sales of $15 billion in total sales.