Allegations Against Johnson & Johnson Continue After DePuy Hip Recall
Several years ago, Johnson & Johnson and their sister company, DePuy Orthopedics, Inc., created a metal-on-metal hip replacement device that was supposed to be durable enough to give patients their mobility back. Unfortunately, the product failed and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration initiated a DePuy hip replacement recall.
The recall was launched after it was determined premature wearing of the device was causing patients serious pain and other potentially deadly side effects. Some who received the device were diagnosed with a condition known as metallosis, which is a toxic buildup of heavy metals in the body and blood.
The condition is caused by fine metal shavings from the device being shed by friction. These shavings are then absorbed into the body, causing symptoms such as:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Inflammation
- Necrosis
- Fibrosis
An article from ABC News explains investigators recently determined the failure of the DePuy device might have been the result of mistakes made during manufacturing. Several sources have come forward with documentation that the company was aware the devices were not being made to specifications, but they failed to take action to correct the problem.
These discoveries have prompted the Little Rock defective product attorneys at Rainwater, Holt & Sexton to encourage anyone harmed as the result of a faulty metal-on-metal hip replacement device to protect their rights to compensation by talking to a qualified attorney today.
