The verdict awarded $10 Million Punitive Damages
The jury awarded $1 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in
punitive damages to punish the Wright Conserve hip replacement manufacturer
for gross negligence for recklessly disregarding the safety of hip patients.
Over 500 Wright Conserve Hip Implant Lawsuits
Wright Conserve hip replacement manufacture is exposed to more than 530
personal injury and product liability lawsuits. Plaintiffs claim that
patients suffered serious and catastrophic hip failures from the metal-on-metal
design was unreasonably dangerous and defective.
According to the lawsuits, the metal-on-metal hip leads to metallic debris to be released during the grinding action between the metal cup and metal ball, which causes early implant failure. Some complications include premature device failure, loosening, metal poisoning and metallosis and severe pain. Artificial hip replacements are expected to last at least 15 to 20 years, but Christiansen’s Wright Conserve hip implant failed after only six years, resulting in the need for major revision surgery.
Metal on Metal Hip Implant Side Effects
Metal on Metal hip Implants have been linked to the following side effects:
- Premature failure of the metal hip implant (breaking, needing early replacement)
- Dislocation of the hip implant
- Release of toxic metal substances into the bloodstream
- Loss of bone through inflammation
- Inflammatory reactions causing pain and lack of mobility
- Early replacement with another hip implant
- Death of hip muscle and tissue
- Pseudotumors, fleshy growths around the hip joint
- Metallosis and Chromium Cobalt Poisoning
Wright Conserve Hip Multidistrict Litigation
Since February 2012, all Wright Conserve cases have been centralized and
coordinated before U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr. in the Northern
District of Georgia as part of multidistrict litigation or MDL. A series
of mini trials or bellwether trials involving Wright Conserve hips have
been scheduled to take place in 2016.
If you have been injured by a hip implant or medical device, call nationwide for an initial case evaluation and consultation.