Medical Devices Health Alert: J & J Announnces Another Recall

The Cartwright Law Firm is issuing this Health Alert related to potentially faulty Medical Devices: Johnson & Johnson, already subjected to thousands of lawsuits following the 2010 recall of their ASR all-metal hip implants the company sold world-wide, has now recalled a second type of metal hip component it says was sold only outside of the United States.

J&J’s DePuy unit reported the Adept modular heads, a component used with its Adept metal-on-metal hip replacement device, should not be used after data showed that the devices were failing at a higher than expected rate.

They reported that British data showed the Adept implants needed to be replaced in approximately12 percent of patients after only seven years. An Australian patient registry showed a revision rate of seven percent after three years.

J & J said it sold around 7,500 of the hip components between 2004 to late 2011  in 21 countries, but not in the United States.

In August 2010, J&J recalled two types of its ASR metal-on-metal hip implants after they were linked to high failure rates.

The failures of the ASR hip replacements has generated more than 10,000 lawsuits to date. The first suit, brought by a retired man who alleges the hip caused metal poisoning, is currently being heard in Los Angeles Superior Court.

J&J has set aside more than $3 billion to cover costs for the ASR hip recall. The company over the past couple of years has also had to recall over-the-counter drugs, contact lenses, heart devices, such as stents, and insulin pump cartridges. The attorneys at The Cartwright Law Firm are currently handling dozens of the ASR-related cases, as well as other cases related to other medical devices. If you or someone you know has had an ASR, or any other type of metal-on-metal hip implant, contact us today for more information about your rights, and what to do if you or thay are currently experiencing issues with your replacement hip.