DePuy Pinnacle Lawsuit News: Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes Publication of Study Tying Metal Hip Failure to High Blood Cobalt Levels

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Even though the metal-on-metal version of the Pinnacle wasn’t included in this study, it should be noted that plaintiffs in Pinnacle hip lawsuits allege that it suffers from many of the same design flaws that prompted the recall of the ASR hip.

New York, New York (PRWEB) February 05, 2014

As DePuy Pinnacle hip lawsuits (http://www.depuypinnacle-lawsuit.com/ ) continue to move forward in federal court, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes the publication of a new study finding that elevated blood cobalt levels are one factor that could predict metal-on-metal hip failure. Among other things, the study reported that cobalt concentrations greater than 20 μg/L are frequently associated with metal staining of tissues and the development of osteolysis. The research, which was published at BMJOpen on February 5, 2014, also found that women who received a DePuy ASR hip implant, which was recalled in August 2012 for a high rate of early failures, appeared to suffer more complex adverse local tissue reactions when exposed to high levels of metal debris.*

“Even though the metal-on-metal version of the Pinnacle wasn’t included in this study, it should be noted that plaintiffs in Pinnacle hip lawsuits allege that it suffers from many of the same design flaws that prompted the recall of the ASR hip. Many plaintiffs in these lawsuits also claim to have experienced elevated cobalt levels and adverse local tissue reactions, similar to the complications reported in this study,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices, including clients in DePuy Pinnacle lawsuits. The Firm continues to offer free legal evaluations to alleged victims of serious complications associated with the all-metal Pinnacle.

DePuy Pinnacle Lawsuits
According to court documents, nearly 5,600 Pinnacle hip lawsuits are pending in a multidistrict litigation underway in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. All of these lawsuits allege injury due to a metal-on-metal version of the Pinnacle Hip Replacement System that utilizes the Ultamet liner. Among other things, plaintiffs question whether or not the DePuy Pinnacle should have also been subject to a recall when the ASR was pulled from the market in 2010. (In re: DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implant Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2244)

Court records indicate that the first trials in the federal DePuy Pinnacle will begin in September 2014. Bernstein Liebhard LLP partner, Jeffrey S. Grand, is a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the federal DePuy Pinnacle litigation underway in Texas.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert in January 2013 that cautioned all-metal hip recipients to undergo metal ion blood testing if they experienced any symptoms that might mean their device was failing, including pain, swelling, or audible noises coming from their hip. The agency also proposed new rules that would subject metal-on-metal hip implants to stricter regulatory oversight.

According to a Bloomberg.com report from May 2013, increased FDA scrutiny of metal-on-metal hips helped to prompt a decision by DePuy Orthopaedics to end sales of such devices, including the all-metal Pinnacle.**

Victims of serious complications allegedly caused by the all-metal Pinnacle may be entitled to compensation for injury-related damages, including out-of-pocket medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. To find out more about filing a DePuy Pinnacle lawsuit, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP’s website. To arrange for a free, no obligation review of your case, please call 800-511-5092 today.

*bmjopen.bmj.com/content/3/3/e001541.full.pdf+html, BMJOpen, February 5, 2014
**bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-16/j-j-will-stop-sales-of-metal-on-metal-hip-replacements.html, Bloomberg.com, May 17, 2013

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the “Plaintiffs’ Hot List,” recognizing the top plaintiffs’ firms in the country, for
the past 11 consecutive years.

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