The lawyer trying the first 6,000 liability lawsuits against DePuy Orthopaedics for the Pinnacle hip replacement accused parent company Johnson & Johnson executives of knowing about the problem for more than a decade before the company pulled the product, according to a Bidness ETC report.
The company's metal-on-metal implants had a defect causing implications for patients. The ASR implants were recalled worldwide and several patients filed lawsuits against the company. New evidence shows internal reports stated 37 percent of devices failed after 4.6 years, and the company knew about it.
Johnson & Johnson settled 8,000 cases related to the device after paying $2.5 billion in damages, according to the report. The company is also required to pay a $4 billion settlement to health insurers to cover hip replacement surgeries.
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