DALLAS, Dec. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal jury
in Dallas has returned a combined
verdict of more than $1 billion on
behalf of six people who suffered serious medical complications
caused by defective metal-on-metal hip implants made by Johnson
& Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and its subsidiary DePuy Orthopaedics
Inc.
The verdict includes more than $30
million in actual damages for the six plaintiffs and more
than $1 billion in punitive damages
assessed against Johnson & Johnson and DePuy.
The verdict is the third bellwether trial among thousands of
similar lawsuits nationwide that have been consolidated in
multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of Texas. A
bellwether trial is one that is typically representative of all the
issues involved in the litigation of a mass tort case. In
March 2016, a Dallas jury awarded more than $500 million to five individuals who suffered
similar physical and medical complications caused by the
controversial Pinnacle hip implant.
"Once again, a jury has listened to the testimony of both sides,
and returned a verdict affirming what we've known all along: a
responsible company would settle these cases and take care of their
injured consumers, rather than forcing them through expensive and
vexatious litigation just to delay justice," said lead attorney
Mark Lanier of the Lanier Law Firm
in Houston. "This jury spoke loud
and clear, and I hope J&J will finally listen."
The case is IN RE: DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., Pinnacle Hip
Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3:11-md-0244
The Pinnacle implant was designed with a metal, rather than a
safer ceramic or polyethylene, socket. The metal-on-metal design
causes the socket to rub against the ball head, which can lead to
corrosion and can cause bone and surrounding tissue to erode over
time. Each of the six plaintiffs in the trial had to undergo
revision surgeries to replace the implants and repair the damage.
Jurors heard testimony that Johnson & Johnson and DePuy
aggressively marketed the implants and employed tactics that
included paying kickbacks to surgeons for using the device although
they were aware of safer alternatives.
A fourth bellwether trial, which will involve 10 patients, has
been scheduled by U.S. District Judge Ed
Kinkeade in Dallas for
September, 2017.
With offices in Houston,
Los Angeles, and New York, The Lanier Law Firm is committed to
addressing client concerns with effective and innovative solutions
in courtrooms across the country. The firm is composed of
outstanding trial attorneys with decades of experience handling
cases involving pharmaceutical liability, asbestos exposure,
commercial litigation, product liability, maritime law, and serious
personal injuries. To learn more about the firm, visit
http://www.lanierlawfirm.com.
For more information, please contact J.D. Cargill at 713-659-5200 or
jdc@lanierlawfirm.com.
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SOURCE Lanier Law Firm