A jury in Los Angeles last Friday awarded $8.3 million to a man who accused a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson of knowingly marketing a faulty hip implant that was later recalled. It was the first of approximately 10,000 lawsuits which have already been brought, with many more sure to come throughout at least the United States. The basis for the cases is its design which places metal on metal components in a way that can cause metal poisoning and other health issues. The Wall Street Journal noted that, in a statement issued after Friday’s ruling, DePuy spokesperson Lorie Gawreluk said the company maintains that the ASR XL hip implants were not designed defectively and it is planing to appeal the decision, based on the results of post-trial motions. The jurors who heard the case, however, clearly disagreed. After the verdict, one juror reportedly stated that he “wanted punitive damages”, citing “evidence that DePuy took too long to correct problems found with the device.” In August, 2010, Johnson & Johnson is reported to have recalled 93,000 of the implants, when it said 12 percent failed within five years. Meanwhile, analysts are projecting that overall, lawsuits over the device “could cost J&J billions of dollars to resolve.” For more information about our firm, and how you can take action for your injuries, please contact us at 312-332-1400 or visit our website at lanebrownlaw.com.
