A number of patients who have received Zimmer Durom Cup hip
implants have noticed significant problems associated with the device, and have
therefore decided to file suit against the orthopedic manufacturing company.
The number of Zimmer lawsuits continues to grow as time wears on, and most of
the cases involve some kind of Zimmer hip revision surgery, a second surgery
intended to fix problems associated with the initial hip implant system. This
surgery can not only be financially taxing for a patient, but can also come
with a number of risks that are not present in the initial surgery, including
an increased healing time and additional risk of infection and complications
due to tissue and bone degradation.
The number of Zimmer hip lawsuits has grown to the point
that many of them have been consolidated in multidistrict litigation, which is
being overseen by Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer in the Northern District of
Illinois. There are also a number of hip implant lawsuits dealing with other
Zimmer products, including the Zimmer VerSys Hip System with femoral head and
femoral stem. Hip implant failure and problems with hip implant devices usually
manifest with symptoms that can include pain, trouble walking, trouble getting
up from a seated position, and other complications that can reduce a patient’s
ability to function normally in their day to day life.
Plaintiffs Seek Compensation for a Variety Reasons
Plaintiffs in Zimmer lawsuits are seeking damages that can
help cover medical costs and other costs associated with the injury, such as
wages lost due to an inability to work or work at the same level the patient
was able to before. In addition, punitive damages will likely be brought
against the company in order to provide them with some sort of punishment for
endangering the welfare of patients.
Metal poisoning is an additional concern when it comes to
metal-on-metal hip replacement systems—or all metal-on-metal joint replacement
systems, for that matter. It occurs when the two components grate against one
another within the body, sloughing off shreds of metal. This can lead to tissue
inflammation and other side effects and symptoms that can reduce a patient’s
quality of life.
