DePuy, a Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)unit, has agreed to settle the majority of the individual consumer lawsuits that claim that the company’s DePuy Synthes metal-on-metal hip implants were defective and that the company misled patients about potential dangers.
Mark Lanier, an attorney for some of the 10,000 plaintiffs, said, “The parties have reached an agreement that hopefully will resolve most, if not all, of the litigation.” He indicated, “It’s still not a done deal, but we’re getting close.” The details of the agreement have not been released.
Following the announcement of the settlement talks, the jury that had been empaneled to hear most recent Pinnacle lawsuit was released. The case, In Re DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, 11-md-2244, U.S District Court, Northern District of Texas (Dallas), was broughtby five Pinnacle hip implant recipients.
This announcement comes just two weeks after DePuy agreed to pay $120 million to settle the multistate lawsuits that alleged that the company made false claims and engaged in deceptive marketing for its metal-on-metal hip implant devices.
Over the past two years, plaintiffs have been awarded at least $1.7 billion in related defective hip implant cases. In August, a Texas judge awarded $246.1 million to plaintiffs in the bellwether case that claimed that the Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implants led to injuries including bone erosion and tissue death and that JNJ made false claims when promoting the device. In December 2016, a Texas federal jury ordered JNJ and DePuy to pay more than $1 billion to six plaintiffs who claimed to be injured by the Pinnacle implants.
Financial Blueprint of a Medical Negligence Case
Medical Negligence and personal injury cases are often a topic of conversation in Ireland. A case is built on the strength of expert reports and testimony. The ancillary costs are driven up by lack of access to salient medical records and details. This further underlines the need for mandatory disclosure and the need for patients to have live access to their own updated medical records.
At Peter McDonnell & Associates we know from experience that the single greatest cause of worry for clients is the issue of legal fees and costs. People worry that before a case commences or at the end of their case, they will be presented with a large legal bill that will be impossible to pay.
Contact us to find out how to fund a High Court Action on 087 2285247 or law@petermcdonnell.ie
*In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or a proportion of any award or settlement.