Fourth DePuy Pinnacle Hip Lawsuit Heads to Trial in Federal Multidistrict Litigation, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourth federal bellwether trial involving an allegedly defective metal-on-metal version of DePuy Orthopaedics' Pinnacle Hip Replacement System got underway this week in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. The trial involves six consolidated hip replacement lawsuits filed on behalf of New York plaintiffs who allegedly suffered serious complications related to the premature failure of their Pinnacle device.  (In re: DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implant Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2244)

During opening statements on Wednesday, September 20^th, the plaintiffs' attorney asserted that DePuy and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, brought the all-metal Pinnacle hip to market even though they knew the device was defectively manufactured. The attorney also argued that the defendants' internal emails, a study commissioned by Johnson & Johnson, and marketing materials would prove that they had had employed deceptive means to induce surgeons to use metal-on-metal hip implants.

"Our Firm is representing hundreds of people implanted with the same metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip. We will be monitoring this trial closely, as it may provide some insight into how other juries will rule in similar Depuy hip implant lawsuits," says Sandy A. Liebhard, a partner at Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective medical devices, drugs and consumer products. The Firm continues to offer free legal reviews to individuals who allegedly suffered complications related to DePuy Pinnacle hip replacements, as well as other metal-on-metal hip implants.

DePuy Pinnacle Hip Litigation 
Johnson & Johnson and DePuy Orthopaedics have been named defendants in more than 9,000 hip replacement lawsuits involving an all-metal Pinnacle hip that utilizes the Ultamet liner. Plaintiffs charge that this configuration is prone to wear, which can cause the device to shed dangerous amounts of toxic metal debris into the tissue surrounding the joint, as well as the bloodstream. This can lead to metallosis, pseudotumor formation, adverse local tissue reactions, and other debilitating complications that result in premature failure of the device. They further allege the all-metal Pinnacle suffers from the same design flaws that prompted the 2010 recall of DePuy's metal-on-metal ASR hip implants, and question why the Pinnacle implants were not subject to a similar recall.

The federal multidistrict litigation underway in Texas concluded its first DePuy Pinnacle bellwether trial in October 2014, with a verdict for the defense.

In March 2016, the litigation's second bellwether trial concluded with a verdict in favor of five Pinnacle plaintiffs and a total award of $500 million. However, damages were reduced to $151 million to comply with Texas law governing punitive damages.

The litigation's third bellwether trial concluded last December, when $1 billion was awarded to six Pinnacle hip recipients. However, that verdict was reduced to $543 million.

Individuals who suffered serious complications allegedly related to the failure of a metal-on-metal hip implant may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other damages. To learn more about filing a hip replacement lawsuit, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website, or call 800-511-5092 for a free, no-obligation review of your case.

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP 
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3.5 billion on behalf of our clients. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is honored to once again be named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List," recognizing the top plaintiffs' firms in the country. This year's nomination marks the thirteenth year the firm has been named to this prestigious annual list.

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ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2017 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, 800-511-5092. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

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Bernstein Liebhard LLP 
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