The DePuy Pinnacle hip implant is alleged to have caused a variety of complications, including pain, weakness and elevated chromium and cobalt levels in the blood. Similar allegations were initially made in respect of the DePuy device, which subsequently were shown to be correct.
New legal claims are being brought in the USA in relation to the Pinnacle hip device. The law suits claim that the device was defectively designed and that the company were aware of the device’s potential harm risks but failed to disclose them to the Plaintiff, his doctor or the general public. The law suits include information that more than 1,300 adverse event reports involving the Pinnacle hip have been filed with the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The claimant argues that had the company revealed these risks he would not have consented to having the pinnacle hip implanted. DePuy Orthopaedics Inc and Johnson & Johnson are the Defendants in the case.
The law suit also alleges that the Pinnacle hip’s all-metal design is flawed. Many believe that chromium and cobalt particles are shed into the blood stream when the device’s metal parts rub against each other during normal movement such as walking. In January 2013 the US FDA issued a safety alert describing the risks. The Agency also issued new guidelines for metal-on-metal hip recipients advising that symptomatic patients undergo physical exams, diagnostic imaging and blood metal ion testing. The FDA like Europe is also considering stricter guidelines for claims of medical devices.
Speaking about the likelihood of further legal claims in respect of the DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant Device Liam Moloney Solicitor in Naas, Co Kildare whose firm are handling many cases on behalf of consumers who received the DePuy Implant Device said today “any consumer who has received a DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant Device and who is experiencing difficulties with the device should immediately seek advice from their doctor. They should be referred for MRI scans to show whether the device is functioning correctly and should also undergo blood tests to rule out an increase in the chromium and cobalt levels in their blood”
