As Stryker Hip Lawsuits Settle, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes Release of National Joint Replacement Registry’s Inaugural Annual Report
New York, New York (PRWEB) November 13, 2014 -- In light of a recently-announced agreement to settle thousand of Stryker hip lawsuits (http://www.consumerinjurylawyers.com/stryker-rejuvenate/stryker-hip-lawsuits/) involving the 2012 recall of Rejuvenate and ABG II Modular-Neck Hip Stems, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes the release of the inaugural Annual Report from the newly-launched American National Joint Registry. The report, which was released on November 6th by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, includes data on roughly 43,000 hip and knee replacement surgeries performed at 120 U.S. hospitals in 2013, and reflects about 4.5% of such procedures performed annually. For now, the information collected by the registry includes data on gender, the age of patients, revision surgeries, and use of diagnostic codes. In the future, the registry will begin collecting information on post-operative complications and other more complex data.*
“Our Firm is representing numerous individuals who were allegedly harmed by Stryker’s now-recalled Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems. The information collected by this new registry may be useful in detecting the types of problems that result from artificial hips,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices.
Stryker Hip Settlement
The Stryker hip recall was announced in July 2012, after the Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems were found to be vulnerable to fretting and corrosion at the modular-neck junction. According to Stryker, this may place recipients of the implants at risk for adverse local tissue reactions, pain and swelling. The company has recommended that all patients fitted with one of these devices undergo medical testing and imaging screening to ensure their device is performing as intended, even if they have not experienced any symptoms that would suggest otherwise.**
Since the recall was issued, thousands of Stryker hip lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts on behalf of individuals who were allegedly harmed by the metal hip components. On November 3, 2014, the Stryker hip settlement program was announced in New Jersey’s Bergen County Superior Court, where more than 2,100 claims involving the Rejuvenate and ABG II components are currently pending. (In Re Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Stem and the ABG II Modular Hip Stem Litigation, No. 296) The settlement could resolve those cases, as well as nearly 2,000 others that have been filed in a federal multidistrict litigation now underway in U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota. (In re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, No. 244)
According to court documents, the global settlement program provides for gross base awards of $300,000 per failed implant, with potential deductions and enhancements based on the particulars of each case, including additional compensation for claimants who suffered complications during revision surgery and for other damages, including future surgeries caused by complications. The settlement also provides compensation for individuals who need a revision but are medically unable to undergo the surgery. Claimants may begin receiving their awards by the summer of 2015.
There is no overall cap or fixed fund for Stryker’s liability under this settlement program. According to the Associated Press, Stryker has disclosed that it will pay at least $1.43 billion to fulfill the terms of the agreement.***
To learn more about Bernstein Liebhard LLP and its involvement in the Stryker hip recall litigation, please visit the Firm’s website. To arrange for a free case review, please call 800-511-5092.
*modernhealthcare.com/article/20141107/NEWS/141109960/first-data-flows-from-national-registry-tracking-joint-replacements, Modern Health Care, November 7, 2014
**http://literature.ortho.stryker.com/files/REJUV_COM_23.pdf. Stryker
***abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/stryker-pay-143b-settle-hip-implant-cases-26664666, Associated Press, November 3, 2014
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. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3 billion on behalf of our clients. 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 12 consecutive years. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is the only firm in the country to be named to this prestigious list every year since it was first published in 2003.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
10 East 40th Street
New York, New York 10016
800-511-5092
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2014 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, 800-511-5092. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info (at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com
http://www.consumerinjurylawyers.com/
https://plus.google.com/115936073311125306742?rel=author
Felecia L. Stern, Bernstein Liebhard LLP, http://www.consumerinjurylawyers.com/, +1 800-511-5092, [email protected]
Share this article