Stryker to settle hip implant lawsuit for $1 billion

Nearly a year after DePuy Orthopaedics settled what was one of the largest hip replacement recall lawsuits, it appears that another similar settlement is in the works. According to a recent New York Times report, Stryker, a Michigan based artificial hip implant provider, will settle the lawsuit against it brought by thousands of hip replacement patients that have experienced complications after using Stryker products.

Many patients who used the all-metal implants, which had become popular because of how durable they reportedly were, found that metal debris would come from the device’s ball and cup as the parts wore out, which would irritate the tissue surrounding the replacement hip.

Manufacturers have a legal duty to ensure that the products they put on the market are safe for a consumer’s intended use. If the product turns out to be defective (either through design or the means in which it was built), a manufacturer could be held liable for injuries to consumers. Before they were recalled, all-metal devices accounted for nearly one in three of the estimated 250,000 hip replacement procedures performed in the United States.

In last year’s settlement involving DePuy, 8,000 patients were reportedly injured by defective implants. It remains to be seen how many Stryker hip replacement patients will be affected, but the company anticipates that it will spend nearly $1 billion settling lawsuits.

If you have questions regarding whether you would be part of the settlement, an experienced products liability attorney can answer your questions and explain your rights and options.