In August 2010, Depuy Orthopedics – a branch of ailing pharmaceutical and healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson – announced a worldwide recall of its popular hip replacement devices. As many as 93,000 people around the world may be affected by the Depuy ASR Hip Recalls.
Law firms around the U.S. have brought class action lawsuits against the company on behalf of patients who have received these hip replacements. Many of the plaintiffs claim that the company had prior knowledge of the defects inherent to the hip replacements years before the Depuy ASR Recalls.
The Depuy web site encourages patients to document their costs and loss of income from being out of work and undergoing further surgeries due to the recalled replacements. They specify that the Depuy Hip Recalls only cover hip replacements implanted from 2003 to the present.
Depuy promises to “cover reasonable and customary costs of testing and treatment, including revision surgery if it is necessary, associated with the ASR recall,” the Depuy website said. Further, DePuy said it would issue customers a claim number in order to, “process other reasonable out-of-pocket costs, such as lost work time and travel expenses, which may be reimbursed. These costs will be more clearly defined shortly and are subject to review on a case-by-case basis.”
Many patients are wary of Depuy’s noncommittal attitude regarding reimbursement for the recalled hip replacement devices. Patients with the recalled ASR hip replacements are urged to contact legal representation before signing any agreements with Depuy.
References:
Depuy Staff. (September 9, 2010) “ASR Recall FAQ’s” Retrieved on September 20, 2010 from the Depuy web site.
Depuy Staff. (September 9, 2010) “ASR Hip System Recall Guide.” Retrieved on September 20, 2010 from the Depuy web site.