Patients who have undergone a DePuy Hip Replacement surgery are understandably concerned about their future. There are many questions about what to do and how to get help. Many of these individuals are seeking the advice of attorneys to help determine what the best course of action is. One reason individuals have sought legal assistance is the hope that doing so will quickly facilitate medical testing to determine a patients risks.

The main reason for this is so you can be tested for metallosis, which is caused when metal shards, caused by the rubbing action of the metal-on-metal device, separate from the device and are absorbed by the surrounding tissue.

Even if you currently have no signs that the hip is failing, you could have developed metallosis, which can eventually cause the surrounding tissue to die and the hip to fail.

If you are not certain whether or not you have a DePuy hip implant, contact your doctor to find out.

If you do have one of the recalled DePuy hip devices implanted and you feel pain in the hip, popping, grinding or clicking, or you have difficulty bearing weight on the hip, seek medical attention because there is a chance that the device is failing. Unfortunately, if the hip implant fails the only remedy is to have revision surgery to replace the hip device. That surgery can be complex and painful, involving long recovery times and a higher risk of complications.

If you or a family member has a had a medical procedure involving a defective product like the DePuy Hip Implant, call attorney John H. (Jack) Hickey for a free consultation.

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

Call us today. All consultations are free and strictly confidential. TOLL FREE: 1.800.215.7117.

Primary Sources: http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/15255/depuy-hip-replacement-recall.html

The following is a description of a personal injury case we have filed which resulted from an unreasonable slippery flooring surface. This is a case involving a personal injury aboard the Carnival Pride, a cruise ship owned by Carnival Cruise Lines. However, it is not only the Carnival Pride that has this flooring. The entire fleet of Spirit Class cruise ships has this same dangerous flooring.

The following are the names of the Carnival ships in the Spirit Class:
• Carnival Spirit
• Carnival Pride
• Carnival Legend
• Carnival Miracle

Carnival Corporation owns and operates the cruise ship, Carnival Pride. Carnival Corporation through its employees on the Carnival Pride failed to maintain its floor and allowed a large area of water to remain on a slick, slippery multicolored floor surface on the Lido Deck of the Carnival Pride, near the pool. The puddle caused the surface onto which it flowed to be slick, slippery, and extremely dangerous. Carnival knew or should have known that that particular floor is prone to having water spills because of its location adjacent to the pool. Further, Carnival should have cleaned up and dried up the large area of water on the slick, slippery multicolored surface where passengers are allowed to walk.

This slick, slippery multicolored floor surface, used on other Carnival ships as well as the Pride, is a product of API. API is a company that produces multiple types of flooring surfaces used for marine environments. The API surface that Carnival has chosen for the Carnival Pride and other cruise ships has proven to be extremely slippery, especially when wet. The case we are describing here is a perfect example.

As a result of the Carnival’s negligence, our client, on August 22, 2009, walked into the area and she slipped and fell on the extremely slick, slippery API flooring. Our client in this case broke her right kneecap, which required surgery and implantation of hardware. Since the accident, our client has needed multiple surgeries and will still need more in the future.

Recently, DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. announced they were voluntarily recalling two devices used in hip replacement surgery – the ASR™ XL Acetabular System and DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System. Patients who had surgery using one of these devices often required a second follow up surgery, which in the reason for the recall. Research on the frequency of these second surgeries, called revision surgeries, is still being collected.

New, unpublished 2010 data from the National Joint Registry (NJR) of England and Wales shows a five-year revision rate of approximately 12% for the ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System and approximately 13% for the ASR™ XL Acetabular System. These revision rates are across the entire size range. The risk for revision was highest with ASR head sizes below 50 mm in diameter and among female patients. Previous post-market surveillance data from a variety of sources – including national joint replacement registries, published literature, company sponsored clinical trials, internal complaints data and unpublished clinical research reports – had shown lower revision rates and that the ASR hip was performing in line with other devices in its class.

DePuy intends to cover reasonable and customary costs of monitoring and treatment for services, including revision surgeries, associated with the recall of ASR.

DePuy has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies globally of the voluntary recall.

Primary Sources:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100826/DePuy-Orthopaedics-announces-voluntary-recall-of-ASR-XL-Acetabular-and-Hip-Resurfacing-systems.aspx

The following is a description of a personal injury case we have filed. This is a case involving a personal injury aboard the Grandeur of the Seas, a cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

Royal Caribbean, on October 12, 2007, negligently allowed the floor by the Casino Royale to remain wet and slippery and to be exposed and open for foot traffic of passengers, such as our client, as a result of an overflowed toilet. Royal Caribbean negligently failed to post any warning signs or any other warnings of the hazardous condition.

As a result of the negligence of Royal Caribbean, when our client attempted to enter the casino, she slipped and fell which caused her to suffer serious, debilitating, and permanent injuries.