Michigan Hip Replacement Injury Lawyer

Patients who suffer from complications—such as metallosis, pseudotumors—or have had to undergo a revision surgery after having a hip implant have legal rights and may be able to sue the manufacturer for compensation. If you or a loved one was injured after undergoing a hip replacement surgery due to a defective product, a Michigan hip replacement injury lawyer could help you to pursue a lawsuit.

Often, these lawsuits result in significant settlements for the patient and seek compensation for their pain and suffering, as well as any medical costs incurred due to the complications as well as future medical costs associated. At Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. a skilled attorney could guide you through each step of this process.

Potential Hip Replacement Complications

While there are inherent risks involved with hip replacement procedures, such as allergic reactions, corrosion, and severe bleeding, this does not automatically mean that an injured person has grounds for a civil lawsuit. However, certain manufacturers have been found to have put products on the market which are at increased risk for complications.

While products like the Stryker Rejuvenate are discussed below, anyone who has suffered a worsened medical condition related to a hip replacement has legal options and should consider contacting a knowledgeable Michigan hip replacement injury lawyer for help. An experienced attorney could help to investigate the circumstances of an injury and determine if a manufacturer or other negligent party could be held responsible.

Stryker Rejuvenate Recall

The Stryker hip replacement was designed for primary total hip arthroplasty for degenerative arthritis or joint disease. Except for the stem of the device, the Stryker Rejuvenate is very similar to other metal-on-metal hip devices, such as DePuy, Biomet, and Zimmer.

However, Stryker did a voluntary recall in July of 2012, due to high failure rates and serious complications resulting from the device. The FDA discussed this recall, stating that there was a chance that this product could cause health complications for users. The high failure rate of the Stryker hip implant was due to the many complications that arose after the device was implanted. These complications include:

• Fretting and corrosion
• Severe pain in the hip area
• Elevated metal ions – Co/Cr/Ti – in blood (metallosis)
• Fluid collection in the hip area
• Pseudotumors

Many hip implant patients require surgery to remove the defective hip and replace it with another hip. This exposes the patient to significant pain and discomfort, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and often disability. This also leads to significant medical expenses and other economic losses. Because of this, having a seasoned Michigan lawyer who is familar with claims stemming from defective hip replacements could prove to be essential.

Defective Hip Implants

The Wright Profemur & Conserve hip replacement devices were approved in the U.S. as a “substantial equivalent” to an existing medical device, which allowed Wright Medical Group to introduce the hip replacement without conducting severe pre-market approval testing. However, since these hip devices have been implanted, there have been many accounts of design defects causing significant pain and complications to patients, including additional revision surgeries to account for the defectiveness of the hip implant.

Patients who have had a Wright hip replacement implanted and suffer serious complications do have legal rights and may be able to sue Wright Medical Group for their injuries suffered. The lawsuit could seek damages for their pain and suffering, as well as any medical costs incurred and future surgeries if required due to the defective nature of the Wright hip implant. Hip replacement devices include a number of Wright Total Hip System implant components including the:

• Converse Plus Cup
• Conserve Total Femoral Head
• Wright Modular Femoral Neck
• Profemur E Cementless Stem
• Wright Profemur Z Femoral Stem

Additional hip replacement brands and parts that patients have had complications with include:

• Exactech Connexion GXL Acetabular Liner
• Omnilife Science Apex K2 and Apex Arc Modular Neck Femoral Stem Hip
• DePuy Pinnacle Polyethylene Liners
• Encore Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacements
• Stryker LFIT V40 femoral heads
• Smith & Nephew Birmingham total hip replacements/R3 metal-on-metal hip replacements
• Smith & Nephew Emperion Stem
• Smith & Nephew Modular SMF and REDAPT modular neck femoral stems
• Zimmer MMC
• Zimmer CPT

Complications

There are many different complications associated with these types of devices. Some of these complications include:

• Severe pain in the hip, thigh, groin or lower back
• Metallosis (metal poisoning)
• Tissue destruction
• Pseudotumors
• Bone destruction
• Revision Surgery
• Hip fractures or dislocation
• Difficulty standing or walking
• Dissociations of the femoral head

How Much are Settlements in a Hip Replacement Lawsuit?

The amount of a defective hip settlement depends on a number of factors. These include the type or model of the hip, the medical complications a person suffered from the defective implant, the type of treatment that they received—like surgical removal of the bad device—and their prognosis. Other factors include their medical expenses and other economic losses, including loss of income and earning capacity.

In most mass tort defective hip lawsuits, like the Stryker hip cases, the parties will set a schedule that determines the settlement for each participant. The schedule includes the factors indicated above and often additional criteria to qualify for a settlement. However, because prices often change with each lawsuit, it is important to contact a seasoned hip replacement injury lawyer to discuss the potential value of a claim in Michigan.

Seek the Services of a Michigan Hip Replacement Injury Attorney

When a patient suffers significant complications due to the defectiveness of any kind of hip replacement device, you have legal rights and may be able to pursue compensation through a civil lawsuit. These defective product lawsuits seek compensation for pain and suffering damages, as well as payment of medical expenses incurred due to a defective hip implant and cost of future surgeries needed.

If you or a loved one was injured after undergoing a hip replacement surgery, retain a Michigan hip replacement injury lawyer for help. A compassionate attorney at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. could work tirelessly to gather evidence of a defective product, explain your legal options, and guide you through the claims process. Call today to start building a claim.