Patients with complications from Wright ProFemur hip implants may qualify to file a lawsuit
The Wright ProFemur Total Hip System has been linked to an increased risk of serious and painful complications. In some cases, these complications were so severe that they required surgical intervention in order to repair the damage.
If you or a loved one underwent hip replacement surgery with a Wright ProFemur implant and have experienced complications involve this device – including problems that required surgical repair – you may be eligible to join the existing lawsuits that have been filed against Wright Medical.
Wright ProFemur Hip Implants Linked to Increased Side Effects
The increased risk of side effects that has been linked to Wright ProFemur hip implants is due to a flaw in the way that these devices were designed. Unlike other hip implants, the Wright ProFemur Total Hip System uses a titanium modular neck that can be adjusted by a surgeon depending on the height of the patient. However, several recent studies have shown that hip implants with a titanium modular neck like the one used in Wright’s ProFemur implants are more prone to problems that other metal-on-metal hip implants, which can place patients at an increased risk of serious and painful side effects.
Patients who were implanted with Wright ProFemur hip implants and developed complications from the device have reported side effects that include severe pain, difficulty walking or standing, infections, device migration or dislocation, and fractures. In some cases, these complications were so severe that patients were forced to undergo revision surgery in order to repair the problems caused by their Wright ProFemur device.
Although Wright’s ProFemur hip implants are designed to last 15-20 years, many patients have been forced to have their implant removed or replaced due to complications caused by the defective design of this product. According to a 2009 study published by researchers in Australia, 11% of all patients who were treated with ProFemur implants were forced to undergo premature revision surgery in order to correct problems with their hip replacements. Despite this increased risk of complications, neither the FDA nor Wright has announced plans to recell the ProFemur hip implants.
Lawsuits Filed by Patients With Defective ProFemur Implants
Wright Medical and MicroPort Medical (a company that purchased Wright’s hip division in 2013) are facing hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of patients with ProFemur hip implants. These lawsuits have alleged that that Wright’s ProFemur Total Hip System was defectively designed and that the manufacturers failed to properly warn patients about the increased risk of serious side effects they could face from being implanted with these hip replacements.
In August 2020, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation agreed to consolidate dozens of lawsuits filed against Wright and MicroPort into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Arkansas. The purpose of combining these lawsuits into a single MDL is to streamline the pretrial discovery proceedings for these lawsuits, making it easier and quicker for patients who have been injured by defective implants to receive a settlement.
Currently, the Arkansas ProFemur MDL involves 41 lawsuits that had been filed against Wright and MicroPort in 25 federal district courts. Legal experts expect that as the MDL moves towards its first bellwether trial, dozens or perhaps hundreds of additional cases will be added to the litigation as more patients with defective ProFemur implants come forward to take legal action.
Contact Our Law Firm for a Free Legal Consultation
If you or a loved one have experienced infections, migration, dislocation, fractures, or other complications linked to Wright’s ProFemur hip implants, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for your injuries and medical expenses. The first step in taking legal action is to speak with an experienced hip replacement attorney, who can advise you regarding your legal rights and walk you through the first steps in filing a claim.
For more information about whether you may qualify to file a lawsuit and to schedule your free consultation, contact the lawyers at Hissey, Mulderig & Friend by calling toll-free at 1-866-806-8117. You can also reach us by filling the free case evaluation form located on the right side of this page.
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