Smith and Nephew Hip Failures

I am providing this lawsuit update for the patients victimized by Smith and Nephew Hip Failures.

Folks blame Smith & Nephew Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) and R3 hip replacement implants for their injuries and premature device failure. These plaintiffs filed a petition in early February with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate all pending federal BHR and R3 cases in a single venue or courthouse.

Smith & Nephew Hip Implant Lawsuits Headed to Multidistrict Litigation

According to the plaintiffs’ request, a Maryland federal court has been recommended as the court to consolidate and centralize the litigation under one judge, because a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing case on file there is in an advanced stage of litigation.

The federal judicial system uses the multidistrict litigation (MDL) process to help stream line complex medical device and drug related lawsuits by centralizing those cases to one federal judge for pre-trial discovery in advance of trial.

Who is Smith and Nephew?

Smith & Nephew, a global medical device manufacturing company based in England, is exposed to hundreds of personal injury and product liability claims over its BHR and R3 line of metal hip implant devices.

The plaintiffs blame the premature failure of Smith & Nephew’s BHR and R3 metal-on-metal hip implant devices for their injuries, metallosis and the need for painful revision surgeries.

What is a Hip Replacement?

Metal-on-metal hip replacement system is made of a metal ball (femoral head), a metal femoral stem in the thighbone (femur) and a metal cup in the hip bone (acetabular component).

Smith and Nephew Hip Recalls

This not the first ride at the hip recall rodeo for Smith and Nephew. Smith & Nephew recalled the R3 in June 2012 due to high failure rates and took the BHR device off the market in June 2015 due to similar high failure rates, particularly in women and patients with smaller hip joints.

Texas Smith and Nephew BHR Failure lawsuit

Linda Taylor from Texas, filed her personal injury claim against Smith and Nephew in the Southern District of Texas in January 2017.

According to Taylor, she had a Smith & Nephew Birmingham hip implanted in 2007, and then developed premature failure of her BHR hip implant with metallosis.

According to medical studies, hip implant devices are expected to last between 10 and 20 years but Taylor had to undergo revision surgery just eight years after receiving the hip implant due to hip pain and premature hip failure.

The FDA approved the BHR hip implant in May 2006, requiring Smith & Nephew to meet post-marketing surveillance and reporting requirements designed to ensure that in real-world use, the hip replacement system was safe and effective. However, Taylor’s lawsuit alleges that the company failed to do so.

According to Taylor, “Smith & Nephew knew for years about reports of complications with Birmingham hip resurfacing, including revision surgeries and failures, yet failed to adequately inform the doctors or patients.”

If you think you may have Smith & Nephew Birmingham Resurfacing metal hip device and are experiencing pain caused by metal corrosion or have suffered premature hip failure requiring full revision and emergency care, please call us 888-210-9693.