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Seven Rochester area residents have filed a lawsuit in district court against a manufacturer for defective hip implants.
Faraci Lange LLP filed the first of several lawsuits against DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. and its Johnson & Johnson parent company on Wednesday, March 2, representing seven people who claim they were forced to have follow-up surgery to remove and replace the prosthetic device known as the ASR Hip after it caused additional injuries after surgery.
Holly Burrit, 52, Theresa Claybaugh, 50, Ann McCracken, 55, Jeanne Trembeth, 49, of Rochester and Michael Cooper, 25, of East Rochester, Glenda Mazza, 73, of Spencerport, and Ronald Nigro, 66, of Victor will be represented in the case.
DePuy, an Indiana-based manufacturer, recalled the device in August 2010, but lawyers from the plaintiff say the company was aware of its failure rate long before. They claim that DePuy received well over 300 complaints about the ASR Hip within the first three years of it becoming available on the U.S. market in 2005.
"The vast majority of the complaints came from patients who were forced to undergo revision surgery within just a few years of having the implant," said attorney Stephen Schwarz.
According to research by the plaintiff, the ASR hip is a metal ball that fits into a metal cup on the patient's hip bone. Friction between the ball and socket causes small metal particles to enter the bloodstream and cause inflammation and metallosis, resulting in pain or difficulty walking.
One of the plaintiffs is Ronald Nigro of Victor, who had revision surgery in October last year after the implant he received in February 2009 went bad.
Just three months after having the first implant he was at a fitness club when he noticed his thigh had completely deflated. After a series of doctors visits, blood tests, and physical therapy it was discovered that Nigro tested positive for high levels of cobalt and chromium in his blood stream. This caused severe inflammation that made it difficult to walk or stand up. In August of last year he received a letter from the hospital explaining that the ASR Hip was being recalled.
“I believe it’s Johnson & Johnson’s negligence that caused me to have this surgery done twice, and I think they should pay for that,” said Nigro.
Today, he is still recovering from the corrective surgery and cannot walk for long without suffering pain. And although Johnson & Johnson covered the medical costs, Nigro says it can't replace the two years of activity he lost.
“I’m hoping to get back to my life.”
Seven Rochester area residents have filed a lawsuit in district court against a manufacturer for defective hip implants.
Faraci Lange LLP filed the first of several lawsuits against DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. and its Johnson & Johnson parent company on Wednesday, March 2, representing seven people who claim they were forced to have follow-up surgery to remove and replace the prosthetic device known as the ASR Hip after it caused additional injuries after surgery.
Holly Burrit, 52, Theresa Claybaugh, 50, Ann McCracken, 55, Jeanne Trembeth, 49, of Rochester and Michael Cooper, 25, of East Rochester, Glenda Mazza, 73, of Spencerport, and Ronald Nigro, 66, of Victor will be represented in the case.
DePuy, an Indiana-based manufacturer, recalled the device in August 2010, but lawyers from the plaintiff say the company was aware of its failure rate long before. They claim that DePuy received well over 300 complaints about the ASR Hip within the first three years of it becoming available on the U.S. market in 2005.
"The vast majority of the complaints came from patients who were forced to undergo revision surgery within just a few years of having the implant," said attorney Stephen Schwarz.
According to research by the plaintiff, the ASR hip is a metal ball that fits into a metal cup on the patient's hip bone. Friction between the ball and socket causes small metal particles to enter the bloodstream and cause inflammation and metallosis, resulting in pain or difficulty walking.
One of the plaintiffs is Ronald Nigro of Victor, who had revision surgery in October last year after the implant he received in February 2009 went bad.
Just three months after having the first implant he was at a fitness club when he noticed his thigh had completely deflated. After a series of doctors visits, blood tests, and physical therapy it was discovered that Nigro tested positive for high levels of cobalt and chromium in his blood stream. This caused severe inflammation that made it difficult to walk or stand up. In August of last year he received a letter from the hospital explaining that the ASR Hip was being recalled.
“I believe it’s Johnson & Johnson’s negligence that caused me to have this surgery done twice, and I think they should pay for that,” said Nigro.
Today, he is still recovering from the corrective surgery and cannot walk for long without suffering pain. And although Johnson & Johnson covered the medical costs, Nigro says it can't replace the two years of activity he lost.
“I’m hoping to get back to my life.”
