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Seeger Weiss is pleased to announce that founding partner Christopher A. Seeger has been named to the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee (PEC) in the In Re: Depuy Orthopaedics, Inc ASR Hip Implant Products (MDL No. 2197) by Judge David A. Katz, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio. More than a hundred lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson, the pharmaceutical giant that is also the parent company of Depuy Orthopaedics, Inc. This litigation, which is expected to include hundreds of patients who had been fitted with a defective ASR hip implant, was centralized in the North District of Ohio in December 2010 by order of the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
Mr. Seeger’s PEC appointment follows his vast experience and proven leadership in other large, complex litigations, including the Vioxx® Products Liability Litigation, for which he and others negotiated a $4.85 billion settlement on behalf of thousands of plaintiffs. Mr. Seeger also currently serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the Yasmin and Yaz MDL and on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for the Gadolinium-Based Contrast Dyes MDL. The Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee is a smaller group than the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and coordinates the activities of the Steering Committee. In the Depuy litigation, the PEC consists of six attorneys who are responsible for successful completion of the Steering Committee’s activities.
In August 2010, industry giant Johnson & Johnson and its medical device subsidiary, DePuy Orthopaedics, recalled two acetyabular cups hip replacement systems because of their high rate of failures, after a study from the National Joint Registry of England and Wales showed that 1 out of every 8 patients (12%-13%) who had the devices had to undergo revision surgery within five years of receiving it. By the time of the recall, more than 93,000 patients worldwide were fitted with an ASR hip implant. Roughly a third of those were patients in the United States.
The ASR Hip Implant System is a metal-on-metal hip implant made of chromium and cobalt, consisting of a cup that’s implanted into the hip with a ball joint that connects to the leg. Many believe that the complications linked to the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular hip implant are caused by the wearing away of the metal components, which can release metal shavings into patients’ bloodstream. This contamination can lead to tissue breakdown, bone loss, and even the formation of non-cancerous tumors. In particular, the metal once in the bloodstream can cause cobalt poisoning, a disorder that, if left untreated, can put patients at risk of tinnitus (ringing in the ears), vertigo, deafness, blindness, optic nerve atrophy, convulsions, headaches, peripheral neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, and hypothyroidism. Learn more about the Depuy ASR Hip recall at www.seegerweiss.com/depuy-defective-hip-replacement.
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If you or someone you know had your hip replaced using Depuy’s ASR acetabular cups, contact us today. An experienced attorney with Seeger Weiss LLP will assist you in evaluating your claim. Attorney consultations incur no obligation on your part and all initial consultations are free of charge. Seeger Weiss LLP has office locations in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Notwithstanding claims relating to this product, the drug/medical device remains approved by the U.S. FDA.