Federal lawsuits over DePuy Pinnacle hip implants have been consolidated for pretrial proceedings as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) which will be centralized in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas under Judge James E. Kinkeade.
Following oral arguments, on May 23, 2011, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multi District Litigation issued an order establishing what will be In Re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2244. At least 57 DePuy Pinnacle hip implant lawsuits currently pending throughout U.S. federal district courts will be transferred and centralized under this MDL.
Complaints are being filed by individuals nationwide who are experiencing problems with the DePuy Pinnacle hip implant, claiming that the DePuy Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System was defectively designed and/or manufactured, and that inadequate warnings were provided about the risk of complications and problems following hip replacement.
The MDL Panel concluded that because all of the lawsuits involve common questions of fact, similar allegations and mutual defendants, consolidating the cases will not only convenience parties and witnesses and conserve costs, but will also prevent duplicative discovery, inconsistent rulings and promote judicial economy with the centralization.
Late last year, federal lawsuits filed over problems with the DePuy ASR hip replacement system were consolidated and centralized in the Northern District of Ohio, and now DePuy will be facing the same track for its DePuy Pinnacle hip implant.
If you or a loved one have had hip replacement surgery and have been implanted with a defective DePuy Pinnacle hip, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and other injuries.
