In 2010 DePuy Orthopaedics Inc recalled two of their widely used hip replacement systems – the DePuy ASR Articular Surface System and the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System – which have both been recorded as returning “higher than expected” failure rates. More than 3,500 of these faulty hip replacement systems have been implanted in over 70,000 hip replacements operations in Ireland since these systems were first introduced in 2003. For anybody who had such an operation this is a particularly worrying time while they wait to discover if they have been fitted with a faulty DePuy hip replacement system and, if so, whether they are entitled to make DePuy compensation claims.
The Problem with DePuy Hip Replacement Systems
The problem with these two models of DePuy hip replacement systems is that they shed a greater than usual amount of debris as the implant rubs against the hip joint into which they are implanted. People making DePuy compensation claims will notice that they experience inflammation around the hip area as the sub-microscopic particles released by the friction enter the bloodstream. These particles are known to cause infections, and the wearing away of the hip joint can lead to discomfort and the potential for the hip to fracture around the implant.
Although all hip replacement systems do this to a certain degree, the reason for DePuy recalling these two models – and the consequent DePuy compensation claims – is that their systems are shedding debris at more than twice the accepted rate. This means that even without the discomfort, risk of infection and hip fracture that a patient would suffer, the hip implant is going to need replacing much sooner than would normally be expected – a revision procedure which is more painful than the initial implant, and which requires a longer recovery period.
Procedures for DePuy Compensation Claims
If you believe that you may have had one of the faulty DePuy systems implanted in the course of a hip replacement operation, your first course of action should be to visit your local doctor and arrange for a blood test and x-ray to ensure that the implant is stable and that there is no risk of infection. This monitoring is recommended if you are experiencing any type of inflammation and have had any hip replacement operation in the past. You should also contact the hospital at which you had your hip replacement surgery to confirm whether you were iimplanted with one of the faulty models and thereafter, contact a solicitor in respect of making a Depuy compensation claim.
Under no circumstances should you sign the DePuy “consent form” which removes your right to compensation for their negligence in producing a faulty hip replacement system.
Product Liability or Professional Negligence?
One of the things that a solicitor familiar with the DePuy compensation claims will be able to advise you about is whether you should sue DePuy Orthopaedics Inc for product liability or the Health and Safety Executive for professional negligence. Although DePuy Orthopaedics Inc is guilty of producing a faulty product, the HSE had knowledge of the problems associated with the hip replacement system long before the recall was announced. Depending on when your hip replacement system was implanted you may be making DePuy compensation claims against one or the other – or both. Test DePuy compensation claims are already underway in the States, and your solicitor will have the latest information about the progress of these cases.
Who Should I Contact in Respect of DePuy Compensation Claims?
It is in your best interests to consult first with a solicitor who has been monitoring the progress of the DePuy compensation claims both in Ireland and the States.
DePuy have already offered to cover the cost of monitoring your DePuy hip replacement system and any revision surgery that is required, but there is no mention of any compensation payments for the pain and discomfort you may be suffering before an operation is carried out, or the potential loss of earnings while you sit through a protracted recovery period. So speaking with a specialised personal injury claims solicitor is the only way that you can be assured of receiving a fair and adequate amount of compensation for your DePuy compensation claim.
DePuy Compensation Claims Advice Service
Because of the lack of comprehensive information about the recall of the faulty DePuy hip replacement systems and DePuy compensation claims, we have established a free advice line which you can call and speak with an experienced solicitor about your DePuy compensation claim.
The number to call is 
, and our helpline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our solicitor will be able to give you helpful and practical advice about what you should do if you discover that you have been implanted with a faulty DePuy hip replacement system and give you the latest information about the progress of cases in other countries.
Please do not delay in contacting us because if your DePuy compensation claim turns out to be against the Health and Safety Executive for their professional negligence, you only have two years from the date of knowledge to file a claim. This may seem to be a long time frame, but a medical expert is possibly going to be required to support your case, and with potentially more than three and a half thousand DePuy compensation claims happening simultaneously, medical experts with relevant knowledge could be in short supply.
If you cannot call us right away you can leave your contact details in the call-back box on the left, indicating when would be a convenient time for us to call, and a member of our team will get back in touch with you at a more suitable time.