April 10, 2012 – Sometimes, you just need to let the headline do the talking.  Case in point from today’s International Edition of Scandinavia’s largest subscription-based newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat:

“Thousands of Finns may have faulty hip implants”

To view a short video about one particular “Finn” who underwent bilateral hip replacement surgery and understands, go to:

ASRHipSettlement.com

If you think you will receive compensation for injuries stemming from a faulty implant device, you are wise to educate yourself about the benefits of structured settlements well in advance of finalizing any settlement.

Please call to let us know how we can help you.  We look forward to helping you secure a portion of your financial future.

Recalled DePuy ASR hips among devices untested

March 29, 2012 – In its upcoming May edition, Consumer Reports presents the results of its investigation which calls into question the current process of medical device regulation that their advocacy wing, Consumers Union, believes fails to “protect patients from harm.”

Entitled “CR Investigates:  Dangerous medical devices,” CR sheds light on the process involved in bringing medical devices to market in the United States.

For those specifically interested in the now-recalled DePuy ASR artificial hip implants, the report features compelling testimony from an orthopedic surgeon who personally suffered from the ill-effects of the DePuy ASR hip implant device.  Stephen Tower, MD was “injured by the same artificial hip he implanted in patients.”

A number of lawsuits have unfolded as a result of allegations that the DePuy ASR hip implant devices were defective.   Litigation is ongoing and our firm remains committed to following this matter closely as it progresses.

Patients who may eventually be anticipating negotiated settlements stemming from their lawsuits are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the advantages of settling with a structured settlement.  To watch a brief video on the topic, please visit our firm’s sister site at:

ASRHipSettlement.com

Call us for additional information about the advantages of settling your lawsuit with a structured settlement.  Our free consultations are designed to help you make an informed choice about your financial future.

 A Full Year Before World Wide Recall

The New York Times reports that an executive for DePuy Orthopaedics, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, sent an email to top executives of the company about the U. S. Food and Drug Administration’s unwillingness to approve one of the metal-on-metal artificial hips it manufactured because “a significant number of revisions” were needed compared to a control group.

DePuy ASR artificial hips were recalled in August of 2010.

Despite DePuy’s offer of assistance to patients impacted by the recall (they have an entire website dedicated to the effort), attorneys around the country have filed lawsuits against the medical device maker.

Our firm is uniquely positioned to serve as a resource to patients affected by the DePuy ASR recall and the attorneys who represent them.  For an informational video on why our firm is following this news so closely and to learn how we may be able to help, please visit:

ASRHipSettlement.com

We continue to monitor this on-going situation and look forward to being of service.  Please let us know how we can help you.

January 25, 2012 – Johnson & Johnson, parent company of DePuy Orthopedics, maker of the since recalled metal-on-metal ASR artificial hip systems, recently took quarterly charges of more than $3.0 Billion according to the New York Times.

As a structured settlement company with a personal interest in the litigation that has developed in light of problems associated with certain artificial hips, we have great interest in assisting those who are pursuing legal remedy for products liability lawsuits stemming from the hip recall.

For those affected, we have established a special website dedicated to the matter and encourage all prospective clients and their representatives to visit us there.  Please visit:

ASRHipSettlement.com

 We continue to follow the DePuy hip recall matter with great personal and professional interest and look forward to being of service to you.  Please let us know how we can help.

In a Congress that is often criticized for its inability to find common ground, today’s New York Times features an article which illustrates that bipartisanship is alive and well when it comes to medical implant device safety.

Titled “Bill Would Require More Monitoring of Implants,” the article describes efforts by key Senators to address what many believe to be a major flaw in the current implant approval process.

One of the sponsors of the legislation, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), is also a supporter of structured settlements.  He was one of our industry’s featured speakers at the annual convention of the National Structured Settlements Trade Association in Washington, DC in 2009.

As part of their legislative effort, Sens. Grassley, Herb Kohl (D-Wisconsin) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) also sent letters to several manufacturers requesting information on their tracking practices.  Johnson & Johnson, parent company of DePuy Orthopedics, maker of the now recalled ASR hip implants, was among the companies the Senators were seeking information from.

All patients affected by the recall of DePuy and other medical implant devices, are encouraged to visit our affiliated website, ASRHipSettlement, for information, including an informative video, on structured settlements as they apply to defective hip surgeries.

Our firm continues to follow this matter closely.

In yet another example of the adverse consequences stemming from some implanted DePuy metal-on-metal artificial hip devices, a number of San Diegans claim their hip surgeries poisoned them.

ABC affiliate Channel 10 in San Diego recently featured a report which focused on 62 year-old hip replacement patient Tony Stauffer who describes his painful ordeal.  The link includes an embedded video segment of the news story.

Stauffer’s attorney, John Gomez, laments the FDA’s fast-tracking of the recalled DePuy devices which may have exacerbated the problem.  Mr. Gomez represents several dozen San Diego area plaintiffs pursuing damages against DePuy.

For a personal testimony on why our firm is so interested in this particular litigation, patients and attorneys are invited to watch a short video we produced for patients pursuing remedy.

Go to ASRHipSettlement.com to view the video on our firm’s YouTube channel.

For those lucky enough to have avoided joint replacement surgery thus far in their lives, a helpful article appeared recently in The Huffington Post.

Entitled 13 Must-Know Facts About Joint Replacements, the article shares some timely tips for those who are contemplating surgery.

While our firm continues to follow the DePuy Hip Recall with great interest and understands this article comes too late for many, we’re pleased to share this constructive news for those are understandably anxious about joint replacement surgery.

NC House:  $500,000 caps on MedMal Noneconomic Damages

Continuing a trend across the country, the North Carolina House voted to override Gov. Beverly Perdue’s veto of legislation that caps medical malpractice noneconomic damages at $500,000 for medical malpractice cases.

This North Carolina change tracks with similar tort reform efforts and court decisions recently occurring in Texas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and other states from coast to coast.

Expect this trend to continue.

Not surprisingly, different interests line up on different sides of this debate:

Insurance Industry:  Argues tort reform and caps are necessary to help keep premiums affordable.

Legislatures:  Argue tort reform is necessary to attract businesses who would otherwise flee states with “unfriendly” business climates.

Plaintiff Attorneys:  Argue caps artificially limit an aggrieved plaintiff’s ability to receive fair compensation and give some defendants a “free pass” since they can make business decisions favorable to their bottom line without regard to the public’s well being.

Although the DePuy Hip Recall is primarily a products liability exposure for parent company Johnson & Johnson, it’s reasonable to assume that any successful tort reform efforts will ultimately inure to the benefit of the defendant in this litigation and similar mass torts.

The hit HBO documentary Hot Coffee takes the subject of tort reform head-on.

In addition to showing how tort reformers manipulated the “jackpot justice” theme that emerged from the infamous McDonald’s coffee lawsuit, one of the segments in the film provides evidence that confutes the insurance industry argument that tort reform lowers premiums.

Whichever side of the debate you come down on, it’s a safe bet that we’ll see this capping trend continue until/unless enough money gets on the other side of the argument.

Recalled DePuy Hip Problem Growing in Ireland

Two recent articles further illustrate the far-reaching nature of the DePuy Hip Recall. 

The Irish Independent recently featured an article which claims 113 Irish patients have already endured two hip surgeries due to the faulty hips while as many as 3,500 might be next in line to suffer.

Further north, the Belfast Telegraph adds another 200 patients to the potential problem list with a partial article which promises a first person account of the suffering.

Worldwide, it is estimated that over 93,000 patients are potentially affected by the recall.   Johnson & Johnson, DePuy’s parent company, has tentatively set aside nearly one billion dollars to handle the lawsuits stemming from the defective device.

Our firm continues to monitor this matter with great personal interest.

July 2, 2011 – While the legal system in the United States and many other countries permit patients to sue for damages caused by alleged defective medical devices, those in New Zealand are limited due to that country’s “no fault” system.

Today’s New Zealand Herald carries a story about the dilemma this presents for patients who received the recently recalled DePuy ASR artificial hip. 

Ten years ago, New Zealand established the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), a “no fault” system of insurance coverage funded by a combination of payroll and employee levies, gas and vehicle licensing fees and government assistance. 

Patients experiencing problems with their DePuy ASR surgeries are being told they cannot clear the ACC threshold sufficient to receive compensation for general damages, commonly called “pain and suffering.”

The outcome of this worldwide recall, and its impact on patients globally, is being watched by our firm very closely.