Depuy Hip Lawsuits: The Financial Mess One Could Have From A Hip Replacement Failure

Medical and legal specialists believe that hip replacement failures particularly

one now subject to DePuy Hip lawsuit may take its toll on taxpayers, insurers, employers and others in coming years. The forecast is contributed by the soaring cost of health care. The financial breakdown is thought to be huge and complicated since the episode involves a class of products, not just DePuys.

Take as an example the case of Thomas Dougherty. The case represents one particularly costly situation involving a hip replacement failure. It took Mr. Dougherty five months without a left hip while he was mostly confined in a recliner, his medical bills skyrocketing.

Mr. Dougherty underwent an operation in August to replace a defective artificial hip. However, his pelvis fractured soon thereafter. The replacement hip was soon given up for good. What set in was a serious infection. Therapy bills include $400,776 in hospitalizations, and $28,081 in doctors fees.

Im sitting here on a La-Z-Boy meant for someone who is 80 and Im 55, according to Mr. Dougherty, who now lives in Groveland, Ill. The poor man works at the heavy equipment manufacturer, Caterpillar. His bills, he added, are five times as much as his home.

The metal-on-metal hips replacement like the one Mr. Dougherty received has ball and joint that are made of metal. These devices are failing at high rates within a few years instead of lasting 15 years or more the normal performance rate of artificial joints. This is because the metal parts rub against each other, generating debris that is damaging tissue, in some cases resulting in crippling the recipients.

These incidents of hip replacement failures have set off a financial upheaval. It was brought by recent lawsuits and complaints against makers of all-metal replacement hips. Insurers, on their part, are warning their affected subscribers that they contemplate recovering their expenses from any settlement that patients may receive. To aggravate the situation, Medicare is expected to follow such action.

While Mr. Doughertys insurer has so far covered his bills, he was preparing to sue his surgeon, who he alleges may have incorrectly implanted the device, and Johnson & Johnson, which manufactured DePuy hip replacement system. His plan of suing them is based on the hope of recouping some of the insurers money.

It is significant to note that, aside from Mr. Dougherty, there are score of injured patients who are now considering, and have filed, DePuy Hip lawsuits.

Mr. Dougherty underwent another surgical procedure this month for a corrective hip implant. As all went well so far, he is hoping to be back on his feet and work by next year.

You cant do anything, he said of his current situation. You see your wife doing everything for you. It is just not right.

by: simple

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