Johnson and Johnson Plaintiffs Get $245 Million Award After DePuy Pinnacle Hip Trial

A Texas judge entered in final judgments to six New York plaintiffs of $245 million. The six plaintiffs won a bellwether case in November against Johnson and Johnson and their DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. when a jury found the companies liable for defective devices.

Uriel Barzel received $39.2 million, Ramon Alicea received $38.9 million, Karen Kirschner received $48.6 million, Eugene Stevens received $36.8 million, Michael Stevens received $37.8 million, and Hazel Miura received $43.7 million. The amount covers various damages including pain and suffering, and loss of consortium and past and future medical expenses. Johnson and Johnson state they are planning to appeal the decision.

DePuy Hip Replacement

The lawsuit was against DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. and their line of metal-on-metal hip implants, Pinnacle. The Pinnacle devices were made with a metal ball in a metal cup or socket. These devices can prematurely erode and need to be replaced. The implants caused severe tissue damage and some suffered intense pain, bone erosion, and the loss of hip movement. The plaintiffs claim the Pinnacle devices were rushed into production before they were able to be tested in humans. They also allege that the devices were made of unsafe materials.

The dangers of metal-on-metal hip implants have become so apparent that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued multiple warnings to patients thinking about getting the implants.

DePuy Hip Replacement Side Effects Include

• Pain in the hip area
• Difficulty walking
• Swelling in the hip area
• Metallosis, a form of metal poisoning
• Hip infection
• Dislocation

DePuy Pinnacle Hip Replacement Lawsuits

Johnson & Johnson and DePuy Orthopaedics are facing thousands of lawsuits due to their defective metal-on-metal hip implants. As of November 2017, there are 9,700 DePuy Pinnacle lawsuits in courts across the United States. The trial was part of an MDL that has more than 9,600 lawsuits against Pinnacle hip replacements.

If you or a loved one has suffered from a Pinnacle Hip Replacement device, Contact us today at KBA Attorneys. At KBA Attorneys, we have litigated medical devices cases for many years and are here to help.