According to court documents, consolidated pre-trial proceedings will go before Bergen County Superior Court Judge Brian R. Martinotti, the same judge currently handling the Depuy ASR hip implant multicounty litigation.
Online, February 11, 2013 (Newswire.com) - In an effort to maximize the efficiency of pre-trial efforts in multiple counties, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that Rejuvenate Hip Stem and ABG II Modular Hip Stem lawsuits throughout the state be centralized into a "Multicounty litigation." According to court documents, consolidated pre-trial proceedings will go before Bergen County Superior Court Judge Brian R. Martinotti, the same judge currently handling the Depuy ASR hip implant multicounty litigation. Keefe Bartels has been designated co-lead counsel of the Depuy litigation.
As the number of litigants increases, the case against Stryker becomes stronger. Since the 2012 Stryker Recall of nearly 30,000 implants, both the Rejuvenate and ABG II hip replacement implants have been the object of scrutiny by the medical and scientific community. Ongoing studies have shown that the materials and/or techniques used by Stryker during the manufacturing of these hip implants are proving problematic for many patients.
According to the Kalamazoo, Mich. based Stryker Corporation's website, the Rejuvenate and ABG II implants have been recalled due to their potential to corrode. When these implants corrode, local tissue damage and systemic damage to the central nervous system may become a concern. Premature device failure is also frequently reported.
The Stryker lawsuits are far from the only medical device maker being held accountable over faulty hip replacement implants. Worldwide, several medical supply manufacturers, including Depuy Orthopedics, Wright Medical Technologies, Biomet Orthopedics and Zimmer Orthopedics are embroiled in litigation over the design and manufacturing flaws that are allegedly responsible for a litany of health problems.
The Depuy ASR multicounty litigation venued in Bergen County (In Re DePuy ASR Hip Implants Litigation, BER-L-3971-11) closely resembles the Stryker suit. The DePuy suits also involve metal on metal hip implants, with many patients alleging premature device failure as well as heavy metal poisoning, resulting in short and long term health problems for patients.
Judge Martinotti has scheduled an initial hearing on the Stryker cases for February 20, 2012. During this conference, a number of issues will be raised, including the status of discovery and a proposed discovery schedule moving forward, the identification and preservation of digital information, lists of party witnesses, pending or anticipated motions, a proposed protective order, as well as an update on the status of any settlement discussions.
Keefe Bartels Trial Attorneys are a New Jersey based law firm dedicated to the protection and representation of mass tort litigants nationwide. In the past decade, we have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of patients who have been injured by faulty medical devices. If you or someone you know has been affected by faulty hip replacement implants or other medical device issues, contact one of our representatives today for a free consultation at 1-877-ATTY-247 or at http://www.defectivejoints.com
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