Depuy Hip Recall Lawsuit & Lawyers: Truths and Myths

There are several truth and myths surrounding the DePuy hip implant lawsuit. Being informed of the facts increases the likelihood that you will take the necessary steps to protect your health and your potential hip injury claim.

MYTH: The side effects I'm experiencing with my DePuy hip implant are normal and should be expected.

This is absolutely untrue.  Many of the side-effects being reported by hip implant patients who have a DePuy device are the result of faulty design and negligent business practices by DePuy Orthopedics.  You should immediately contact a hip implant lawyer if you experience any of the following side-effects:

• Unexplained pain (mild and/or intense) in the area of the hip implant
• Swelling or inflammation in the hip implant area
• Tissue necrosis (death of the tissue) in the area of the implant
• Loosening of the hip implant device, or total failure of the device
• Metal toxicity caused by increase of cobalt, chromium, and/or molybdenum in the patient's bloodstream
• Bone loss
• Need for a revision surgery to replace the defective hip implant with another device
• Popping or crunching noise in the area of the hip implant
• Loss of mobility

TRUTH: If you are experiencing any problems that are associated with the hip implant you SHOULD consult with your doctor. 

MYTH: If I contact DePuy Orthopedics, they will take care of any problems for me.

This is NOT true. Johnson & Johnson owns DePuy Orthopedics, and they are going to do anything possible to limit their liability in this lawsuit. You need to remember that DePuy was aware of the failure rate associated with their hip implant devices, yet they delayed in announcing a recall, leaving several patients with defective devices in their bodies.

If you are still unsure, it's important that you know Johnson & Johnson recently made an admission to Congress that instead of announcing a national recall, they secretly bought defective children's medication from store shelves in an attempt to keep the matter quiet, thus placing the lives of countless children at risk. 

TRUTH: If I have a DePuy Orthopedics device that is included in the recall, I should get a blood test. 

The reason patients are being encouraged to get a blood test is due to the poor design of the metal-on-metal artificial hip that is wearing down at a much higher rate than other artificial devices and leaving shards of metal inside a patient's body. The chromium and cobalt debris that enters the patient's bloodstream can raise the metallic ion levels in a person's body, often producing no immediate symptoms, which is why patients should consult with their doctor and have a blood test performed. 

MYTH: The doctor who performed my surgery is at fault.

Unless there is a clear instance of malpractice associated with the surgery, it is highly unlikely that your surgeon did anything wrong.  DePuy Orthopedics is the party clearly at fault for the defective products that they manufactured. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that your doctor will be pursued in the DePuy hip implant lawsuit.


TRUTH: I should contact a DePuy hip lawsuit lawyer.

Absolutely. Even if you decide not to retain a lawyer, you should at least speak to a firm that is pursuing the DePuy hip implant lawsuit.  The main reason to do so is to protect any potential claim as well as have your rights explained to you. These lawsuits have a very strict deadline that limits your time to file.  If you miss the deadline, you forever miss your chance to recover any damages or present your claim to DePuy for financial consideration.