Opening Statements Heard in DePuy Hip Trial


During opening statements on Friday against Johnson & Johnson, they were aware their metal-on-metal hip implants were defective when they started selling them in 2004. So far, there have been over 10,000 lawsuits filed against the company, whose hip implants were found to fail at a much higher rate. The first personal injury trial against the company was filed by 66-year-old Loren Kransky. His attorney stated the hip implant caused elevated levels of metal ions in his client’s bloodstream, while lawyers for J&J said that elevated levels do not lead to health issues. All-metal implants are known to shed metal ions due to two connecting components. This may potentially lead to damage to bone and soft tissue.

Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration proposed that companies making all-metal hip replacements supply additional information that they implants are safe and effective before they’re sold to the public. Around 500,000 Americans are known to have a metal-on-metal hip replacement, according to news reports. The metal devices have a ceramic or metal ball with plastic socket, however it was discovered the devices tended to fail at a rate higher than others and many began having health concerns relating to the device.