J & J Ordered to Pay $500 Million in Hip Implant Case

Earlier this month, a federal jury in Texas found Johnson & Johnson liable for $500 million in damages in a Pinnacle hip implant case in which five patients sustained injuries following the implantation of the device sold by the company’s DePuy division.

The two-month trial led to a week-long deliberation, after which the jury concluded that Johnson & Johnson was liable for the injuries the patients sustained as a result of the device. Jurors determined that the implant was designed defectively, and that the company was aware of the risks, but failed to issue warnings to consumers.

Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $140 million in compensatory damages as well as $360 in punitive damages. The company has stated they will appeal the decision in efforts to lower the amount of punitive damages.

This verdict is the first to hold Johnson & Johnson responsible for the defective design of the Pinnacle hip implant. In a previous case that concluded in 2014, a federal jury found the company not liable. Thousands of additional Pinnacle hip implant cases have been filed against the company, 8,000 of which have been consolidated in the federal court of Texas.

History of Neglecting to Warn Consumers

Though marketed as safe and long-lasting, the patients in the case reported that the Pinnacle hip implant caused injuries including tissue loss, bone corrosion, and elevated blood metal levels. They also reported failure rates much sooner than expected.

The Pinnacle hip implant was pulled from the market in 2013. That same year, Johnson & Johnson settled 7,000 claims regarding a similar ASR metal-on-metal hip implant.

In February, the company was held liable in the wrongful death of a woman with ovarian cancer, connected to their talcum powder products. An award of $72 million was issued.

Have you or someone you loved suffered undue injuries from a defective device? If so, you may be able to recover damages – let our team of skilled defective product attorneys fight to recover the compensation you deserve.

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