Sommers Schwartz Now Accepting Cases Involving Defects in Stryker Hip Implants

The Michigan firm of Sommers Schwartz announces their support of patients who have suffered injuries because of Stryker's Rejuvenate hip implant device, which has been voluntarily recalled because it may cause metal poisoning and other risks.

Southfield, MI (PRWEB) January 04, 2013

Unlike hip implants using a metal-on-metal design, Stryker Corporation incorporated ceramic components into its Rejuvenate hip implant device. Despite the differences in this newer device, however, Rejuvenate patients are nevertheless experiencing similar injuries. The team of Michigan personal injury lawyers at Sommers Schwartz is now starting to accept future cases from Rejuvenate patients who have suffered injuries from their hip implant. No cases have been filed yet, but they look forward to working with victims in the future to help them seek just compensation cover all associated expenses & suffering.

Hip implants are designed around a ball and socket configuration much like the bones that comprise one's hip. Some manufacturers, such as Johnson & Johnson's DePuy division, issued recalls of some of their products (click here to view the FDA report on the DePuy recall) due to reports of excessive metal wear causing a form of tissue damage called metallosis (metal poisoning), and other unintended side effects.

As David Floy, president of DePuy Orthopaedics said in an official statement on the Johnson & Johnson website, “We regret that this recall will be concerning for patients, their family members and surgeons. We are committed to assisting patients and health care providers by providing information through multiple channels and paying for the cost of doctor visits, tests and procedures associated with the recall.”

An estimated 500,000 patients received metal-on-metal hip implants and because of the high rate of failure, many have sought damages in court. Other manufacturers of metal on metal hip implants include Biomet, Smith and Nephew and Wright Technologies.

Stryker's Rejuvenate product was intended to be an alternative to the metal-on-metal devices, and the company promoted it as a modular, custom-fit hip replacement offering a better range of motion – a particularly strong selling point to younger patients. Although the ceramic components in the ball and socket don't present the same dangers as metal-on-metal designs, the metal surfaces in the neck and stem can rub against one another, causing metallic debris to come loose and cause damage to surrounding tissues.

Approved for sale in the U.S. in 2008, the Rejuvenate device was implanted in an estimated 20,000 patients before Stryker issued a recall in July 2012 (click here to view the press release regarding the Stryker recall) that also included its ABG II product, another modular stem design. Stryker's website provides information about the voluntary recall and says, “We decided to voluntarily recall these modular-neck stem hip systems because there is a potential for fretting and corrosion at the modular neck junction which may lead to adverse local tissue reactions.” Typically, hip implants are expected to last 15 to 20 years, but some Rejuvenate patients suffered failure after less than five years.

“The most significant risk is metallosis,” says Robert B. Sickels, an attorney at Sommers Schwartz, P.C. “The tissue in your body can often react quite adversely to heavy metals, causing pain, limited mobility, hip joint failure, and disintegration of surrounding tissues and bone. Well intentioned or not, Rejuvenate is flawed, and so many unsuspecting patients are vulnerable. The law provides a limited window of time for them to pursue their legal rights against Stryker or the manufacturer of any defective hip implant or medical device.”

The skilled Michigan injury lawyers at Sommers Schwartz are prepared to take on new cases today and offer free consultation to discuss the injuries caused by hip implants and the legal actions available.

Sommers Schwartz, P.C., a law firm located in Southfield, Michigan, represents individuals in Michigan and across the country who have been harmed as a result of medical errors, defective products, loss of employment, and other forms of negligence or intentional injury, as well as businesses involved in complex litigation matters that jeopardize their existence. Additional information about Sommers Schwartz can be found on its website: http://www.sommerspc.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/1/prweb10279567.htm