The once trusted and highly respected Johnson & Johnson name has taken some major image hits in the last 15 months according to a recent article.  During this time, the $60 Billion company has voluntarily recalled over 50 products.

In its cover story, Johnson & Johnson’s Quality Catastrophe, Bloomberg/ Businessweek highlights a number of the products involved and suggests a systematic and widespread quality control problem of late.

Among the products recalled, the DePuy ASR metal-on-metal prosthetic hips are arguably the most troubling for the company and potentially the hardest to defend.  Michael Kelly, a partner at San Francisco’s Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger which represents a number of plaintiffs currently pursuing litigation over the defective hips, says that’s because marketing took priority over science.  Among other things, it is alleged that the manufacturer was aware of the defective nature of these particular products yet failed to address the problem.

Even Academia is re-thinking its curricula when it comes to J&J.  Our company’s Finn Financial Group Facebook Page  recently highlighted a video featuring University of Michigan professor Erik Gordon discussing the brand damage J&J is suffering in large part due to its handling of the DePuy situation specifically.  He suggests the ramifications will likely be felt (and studied) for years to come.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing problems with a DePuy ASR hip replacement, call us to let us know how we may be of service.