An article in the Irish Times earlier this month reported that a growing number of Irish citizens affected by the recent Depuy ASR Hip Recalls have been considering filing lawsuits against the company. Patients and many legal teams across the US already involved in the Depuy ASR Lawsuit claim the company has known about the defects in its products for years before the recall initiated two months ago.
A News Inferno article published on September 17, 2010 reported that an Australian man has also joined a Depuy Class Action Lawsuit. The article reported that, “The problems with the ASR system had been well documented well before the recall was issued. In March, DePuy Orthopedics warned that one of the devices appeared to have a high early failure rate.”
Further, “According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) records, since early 2008, it received about 300 complaints on the ASR involving patients in the U.S.” These alarming statistics could prove devastating to Depuy in the coming months as the Depuy Hip Class Action lawsuits proceed.
Over 93,000 people worldwide have had the Depuy ASR hip replacements implanted. The News Inferno article reported that the devices would likely adversely affect approximately 700 of 5000 Australian patients with the implants. Many of those patients are expected to follow suit, the article continued.
It remains unclear whether or not further lawsuits will be filed in Ireland on behalf of patients with the Depuy implants. The Irish Times article reported, “more than 400 Irish patients could require corrective procedures to remedy the problems experienced with the product.” It is likely many of these patients will join forces with class action lawsuits already underway or else file new lawsuits if affected by the device.
References:
Donnellan, Eithne. (September 7, 2010) “Faulty hip replacement patients may sue device manufacturer.” Retrieved on September 20, 2010 from the Irish Times web site.
News Inferno Staff. (September 17, 2010) “Australian Signs on to US Johnson & Johnson DePuy ASR Hip Implant Lawsuit.” Retrieved on September 20, 2010 from the News Inferno web site.
Medical News Staff. (September 9, 2010) “Patients expects good long-term solutions for artificial hip system: Report.” Retrieved on September 20, 2010 from the Medical News web site.