Metal Hip Implant Failures Could Translate to Higher Taxes, Increased Health Care Costs

Nadrich & Cohen LLP reports that medical and legal experts are predicting that taxes, insurance costs and health care costs will skyrocket as more artificial hip implant devices fail.

Los Angeles, CA, December 28, 2011 – The report is based on a recent New York Times article, which profiled several individuals who received a metal-on-metal hip replacement system. One of the recipients profiled is currently facing nearly $500,000 in medical bills after his metal hip implant failed and he required additional surgery to correct the problem. The hip system failure has rendered him unable to perform even the simplest tasks and he is contemplating filing a personal injury lawsuit against the device’s manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson.

Should he file suit, his lawsuit will become one of thousands already filed against metal hip manufacturers, including Wright Medical Technologies, Inc., Smith & Nephew, Zimmer Holdings and Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopedics. DePuy alone faces an estimated 3,500 lawsuits filed by patients who received its now recalled ASR artificial hip and another 560 who received one of the company’s Pinnacle hip systems. Many of the plaintiffs in the lawsuits, which have been filed in state and federal courts across the country, are petitioning the U.S. Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate some of the cases for pretrial proceedings.

According to the NYT article, insurance companies have already begun informing plaintiffs that they will attempt to recover their expenses from any settlements that are received. It is also likely that Medicare will attempt to recover some of the cost from individuals who received a faulty hip implant at their expense. A new law is scheduled to take effect next year which would allow the organization greater ease in recovering taxpayer money used to treat individuals harmed by defective medical devices or prescription drugs. This could translate to an increase in taxes, which would place even more pressure on those already struggling in the difficult economy.

The article acknowledges that there is no official data on the number of metal hip implants that failed because there are no formal tracking registries that maintain this information. With an estimated 90,000 patients receiving an all-metal implant each year, it is likely that the number of personal injury lawsuits stemming from these devices is expected to grow.

Anyone who has experienced serious complications after receiving a metal hip replacement is urged to contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss their case. The law firm of Nadrich & Cohen LLP is currently working with patients in all 50 states to resolve their personal injury claim. Concerned hip implant recipients can schedule a free initial case evaluation by calling 1-800-722-0765 or by visiting www.DePuyHipReplacementLawyers.net.

Nadrich & Cohen LLP is a national law firm specializing in representing clients in every state who’ve been injured by defective medical devices, harmful prescription drugs, faulty products, car accidents, motorcycle accidents and dog bites.

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.