Stryker Hip Lawsuit News: Leadership Chosen in Federal Case Consolidation in Minnesota, Rottenstein Law Group LLP Reports
(PRWEB) November 19, 2013 -- A federal court in Minnesota has designated the leadership structure for Stryker hip lawsuits consolidated in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, according to court documents. The Rottenstein Law Group LLP, which maintains the Stryker lawsuits website http://www.strykerhipreplacementlawsuit.net, notes that this is an important milestone in the proceedings in the run-up to the first trials.
The proceedings are centered around 350 Stryker ABG II and Rejuvenate lawsuits consolidated into a multidistrict litigation in federal court before U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank, according to court documents (In re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation; MDL-2441, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota). Claimants have alleged they have suffered from serious adverse side effects, including pain, discomfort, the necessity for hip implant replacement and metal poisoning.
“There is an organizational structure for both the plaintiffs’ joint legal team and the defense,” said Rochelle Rottenstein, principal of the Rottenstein Law Group LLP. “Given the level of coordination involved in the consolidation of federal lawsuits brought by plaintiffs across the country, an organizational structure composed of qualified counsel is essential. In this case, there are nearly 30 attorneys on the plaintiffs’ side serving different roles to ensure that pretrial proceedings run smoothly and efficiently—which is the function of a multidistrict litigation—so that each lawsuit has the potential for settlement or a trial.”
In October, Stryker announced that it was estimating that the cost of litigation for the ABG II and Rejuvenate hip implants will range from $700 million to as much as $1.1 billion, according to an Oct. 23 Wall Street Journal report.* Stryker recalled the metal-on-metal hip implants in July 2012.
State Lawsuits and Settlements
Stryker lawsuits in New Jersey were consolidated in a fashion similar to their federal counterparts, albeit in state court. There are 600 lawsuits consolidated in New Jersey Superior Court before Judge Brian R. Martinotti, according to court documents (In re: Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Stem and the ABG II Modular Hip Stem Litigation; MCL-296, Bergen County Superior Court, New Jersey).
There is no word yet on specific Stryker settlement talks. However, there have been several news reports indicating that Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary DePuy Orthopaedic seek to resolve thousands of lawsuits in a multibillion-dollar DePuy settlement over its recalled ASR hip implant, a product similar to the ABG II and Rejuvenate, according to a Nov. 13 article in the New York Times.**
Stryker Patients Allege Serious Adverse Side Effects
One of the most frequently alleged adverse side effects of metal-on-metal hip implants, including those Stryker makes, is metal poisoning, also called “metallosis,” according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.*** This occurs when metal debris flake off into an implantee’s bloodstream because of friction between the device’s metal components. The metal accumulates in the bloodstream with the potential to cause several issues, including neurological problems.
The Rottenstein Law Group LLP represents clients nationally in metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits. The firm encourages hip implant patients to visit its Stryker hip lawsuits FAQ page for answers to questions about Stryker side effects and lawsuits. For updates on lawsuit news, visit RLG's Stryker hip lawsuit Facebook page.
*online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20131023-714444.html
**nytimes.com/2013/11/13/business/johnson-and-johnson-said-to-agree-to-4-billion-settlement-over-hip-implants.html?_r=0
***fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/MetalonMetalHipImplants/ucm241604.htm
About THE ROTTENSTEIN LAW GROUP LLP
The Rottenstein Law Group LLP is a New York-based firm that represents clients nationwide in mass tort actions. The firm was founded by Rochelle Rottenstein, who has more than two decades of experience as a lawyer, to represent clients hurt by defective medical devices and medications. (Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.)
Contact:
The Rottenstein Law Group LLP
Rochelle Rottenstein, Esq.
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Rochelle Rottenstein, Esq., The Rottenstein Law Group, LLP, http://www.rotlaw.com, +1 (212) 933-9500, [email protected]
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