Tags
current-events, December, DePuy, High Court, Hip Replacement, Ireland, Johnson, Nevada, science, UNited States
Johnson & Johnson settles US hip replacement cases | Irish Examiner.
Johnson & Johnson settles US hip replacement cases
By Evelyn Ring
Saturday, August 25, 2012
A lawyer representing Irish people affected by flawed hip implants has welcomed the settlement of the first compensation cases taken in the US.
Earlier this month Johnson & Johnson, agreed to pay $600,000 (€479,692) in settlement of three cases due to go to court in Nevada in December.
The US multinational’s DePuy unit recalled 93,000 ASR hips worldwide in 2010, saying that 12% of the devices failed within five years.
At least 3,500 patients in Ireland received the faulty devices and the first of a series of compensation cases could be heard in the High Court next year.
Co Kildare-based solicitor Liam Moloney, who represents just under 100 Irish people affected by the health scandal, said that while the US settlements did not set a precedent in Ireland, it was an indication that Johnson & Johnson was not going to fight liability.
The three people whose cases were settled in the US had claimed they experienced pain and other side effects. Each of them received $200,000 in settlement of their action.
Business experts in the US reported that Johnson & Johnson was able to negotiate settlements at the low end of what they should have expected to pay, with future settlements ranging between $200,000 to $500,000.
Many patients have claimed that the metal-on-metal hip replacement systems caused significant pain, and shed dangerous amounts of chromium and cobalt into their bloodstream, which caused serious health problems.
Johnson & Johnson disclosed in Jan 2010 that it had set aside $800m to cover legal issues associated with the DePuy ASR hip implant.
Mr Moloney said that all of his cases were lodged in the High Court. In some of the cases, there were elements of medical negligence as well as product liability.
Mr Moloney said that, in some cases, patients had received two DePuy implants before the recall was announced.
Mr Moloney said Johnson & Johnson had shown in the manner in which it was dealing with lawsuits in the US that it wanted to settle the cases as quickly as possible.
Mr Moloney said there was no indication by Johnson & Johnson that it was going to settle Irish cases being taken.
However, there had been no admission of liability.
“If they are starting to settle the cases in America, we would be hopeful that a similar attitude would be adopted by them in due course in Ireland,” he said.
Related articles
- DePuy ASR Hip Implant Settlements Reached Prior To Jury Trial (earlsview.com)
- DePuy Hip Implant Claim Update: August 13, 2012 – Maryland Injury Lawyer Blog (earlsview.com)
- First DePuy Hip Replacement Lawsuits Settled for $200,000 Each (earlsview.com)
- J&J Said to Pay $600000 to Settle First Suits Over DePuy Hips – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
- ‘Toxic’ hip replacement fears – Health – Belfast Newsletter (earlsview.com)
- J&J Said to Pay $600,000 to Settle First Suits Over Hips – Businessweek (earlsview.com)
- DePuy ASR Hip Implant Failures Mount, with Devastating Effects (blogs.lawyers.com)
- Thousands Must Have Second Operation to Replace Defective DePuy Hip (blogs.lawyers.com)
- DePuy ASR Hip Settlements – Rottenstein Law Group (earlsview.com)
- ‘Toxic’ hip replacement fears – Health – Bognor Regis Observer (earlsview.com)
Pingback: Norfolk man’s legal action over hip replacements – Health – Eastern Daily Press « Earl's View
Pingback: Solicitor says DePuy case may affect 600 in Cork | The Cork News « Earl's View
Pingback: New Technique Reduces Hip Pain Osteoarthritis & The Need For Hip Replacements | Splash Press Release « Earl's View
Pingback: Patients take on hip firms – Health – The Star « Earl's View
Pingback: Why some metal hip replacements fail | Chemistry World « Earl's View
Pingback: Metal-on-Metal Hip Trials Scheduled for 2013 – Florida Mass Tort Attorneys, Lawyers | Searcy Mass Torts « Earl's View
Pingback: Will a 2-year statute of limitations defense curb J&J’s DePuy hip lawsuits? | MassDevice – Medical Device Industry News- page 1 « Earl's View
Pingback: No cancer rise in hip implant patients – Behind The Headlines – Rutland and Stamford Mercury « Earl's View
Pingback: Australia – Sky News: Hip replacements should be checked – TGA « Earl's View
Pingback: Australia – Stuart Cain DePuy Tragedy Continues… « Earl's View
Pingback: Hundreds of NZ hip replacements are faulty – National – NZ Herald News « Earl's View
Pingback: Johnson & Johnson facing massive class action – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) « Earl's View