Florida Stryker Hip Metal Poisoning Lawsuit

Francis Hassett, from Florida claims he developed damaging metal poisoning after hip implant replacements with a Stryker Accolade TMZF femoral stem and LFit V40 femoral head.

According to Hassett, his Stryker defective hip implants caused a dangerous level of cobalt and chromium metal ions in his body, and a serious fluid leakage around the artificial hips, indicating severe local tissue inflammatory reactions.

Hassett had to endure painful revision surgeries to have the metal implants removed within five years after they were implanted.

Florida Stryker Hip Metal Poisoning Lawsuit

Hassett filed his lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida last month, against Howmedica Osteonics Corp, and its subsidiary Stryker Orthopaedics.

Hassett underwent a total right hip replacement in 2009, and a total left hip replacement in 2011, with the Stryker Accolade TMZF Plus and Stryker LFit V40 hip implant components.

Shortly after the hip implants surgeries, he developed severe pain in the hips, groin and buttocks, making it difficult to walk.

His doctors found that he was suffering from metal poisoning, known as metallosis, local tissue reactions, and that the hip implants were badly corroded and failing.

Stryker LFIT Metal Hips heading to MDL

As Stryker Orthopedics is exposed to another round of product liability litigation over their allegedly defective metal hip implants, an application has been filed to consolidate these lawsuits for centralization in a multidistrict litigation or MDL, before one judge.

Hassett’s lawsuit is one of many Stryker hip replacement lawsuits filed over early failure with the Accolade and L-Fit V40 devices, each with similar allegations.

 

What is the problem with metal hips?

Metal on metal hip implants have been around for the past two decades but they have been plagued with early failure, metal poisoning, tissue destruction and finally the need for painful replacement surgery.

Metal on metal hip implants have a high failure rate including those manufactured by Biomet, DePuy, Encore, Smith & Nephew, Stryker, Wright and Zimmer.

Stryker Orthopedics under fire again

This is not the first recall ride at the rodeo for Stryker, they announced a world wide recall over their metal on metal ABG II and Rejuvenate metal hip models in 2012 over similar early failure and metal poisoning complaints.

Stryker Metal Hip Failure LFIT V40 Femoral Head Recall

Stryker issued an “Urgent Medical Device Recall Notification” to surgeons in August 2016, warning that certain LFIT femoral heads had been associated with “higher than expected number of complaints involving taper lock failure of the recalled femoral heads.”

This Stryker metal femoral head component was removed from the market last year because of an increased risk of premature failure, metal corrosion and cobalt, chromium metal blood poisoning.

The LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40 femoral heads implants were sold from 2002 – 2011.

 

If you think you may have a Stryker V40 Head or a Stryker Accolade TMZF stem and are experiencing pain caused by metal corrosion or have suffered a spontaneous dissociation necessitating full revision and emergency care, please call us.