Hip Implant Manufacturers Target of Congressional Probe

Nadrich & Cohen LLP reports that the federal government is attempting to implement new legislation that would require enhanced safety testing and tracking of hip implant devices.

Los Angeles, CA, December 23, 2011 – In response to growing concerns over the safety and efficacy of metal-on-metal hip implants, members of the U.S. Senate have proposed a new law which would require companies that manufacture these devices to conduct additional safety testing once they are made available to the public.

The new legislation was proposed in an effort to curb the number of lawsuits being filed by consumers who claim they suffered serious injuries after receiving a metal hip replacement device. Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopedics is currently facing numerous lawsuits from patients who say the company’s ASR and Pinnacle hip implant systems caused serious pain, tissue damage and other complications. Other hip implant manufacturers under fire from angry consumers include Wright Medical Technologies, which produced the now-recalled CONSERVE hip implant system, Biomet, manufacturer of the Magnum hip replacement system and Zimmer, maker of the Durom cup.

The senators who sponsored the bill are hoping that it will allow for greater tracking of the failure rates of these devices. Specifically, the legislation is designed to track those devices which are approved under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 510(k) rule. This system allows for a streamlined approval process in which medical device manufacturers are only required to prove that their product is similar to one already available on the open market. The 510(k) process has been highly criticized in recent years, most notably after the recall of DePuy’s ASR XL Acetabular and ASR Hip Resurfacing Systems in 2010.

As part of their efforts to enhance consumer safety, the senators who proposed the bill also sent letters to five major manufacturers of medical devices, including Zimmer and Johnson & Johnson. The letters included a request for more information about how the safety of hip implants is monitored and how product recalls are handled when they become necessary.

In the case of Johnson & Johnson, the senators wanted to know specifically when the company became aware of problems with its ASR hip implants and how the safety issues were tracked. As of November 2011, the company faced approximately 3,500 lawsuits from plaintiffs alleging serious injury after receiving one of these devices.

If you or a loved one has experienced serious pain, swelling, infection, tissue damage or other negative side effects that you believe were caused by a metal-on-metal hip implant, you need to contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your case. Prominent national law firm Nadrich & Cohen LLP is currently reviewing hip implant claims from patients in all 50 states. No-cost, no-obligation case evaluations are available by calling 1-800-722-0765 or visiting our hip injury resource center at www.DePuyHipReplacementLawyers.net.

Nadrich & Cohen LLP is a national law firm specializing in representing clients nationwide who’ve been injured by defective medical devices, harmful prescription drugs, faulty products, traffic accidents, workplace accidents and dog bites. To learn more about our firm, visit www.PersonalInjuryLawCal.com.

Jennifer Poole
National Client Intake Coordinator
Nadrich & Cohen LLP
12100 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 1250
Los Angeles, CA 90025
800-718-4658
www.personalinjurylawcal.com

This release was published on openPR.