While metal hip replacements are intended to improve mobility by replacing the ball-and-socket hip joint, these medical implants sometimes do more harm than good.
Typically, metal hip replacements consist of two metal parts: a ball and a cup. These parts can rub together, releasing metallic debris into the body and bloodstream. This condition is called “metallosis” and can cause several long-term medical conditions. These include severe chronic pain, swelling, blood poisoning, and death.
Due to current product liability laws, product manufacturers can be held liable for any injuries caused by these metal hip replacements. For the injured party to prove liability, one or more of these three conditions must be true:
Conditions to Prove Metal Hip Replacements are Defective
- The hip replacement has an inherent design defect that caused injury
- The hip replacement was manufactured with a defect that caused damage
- The hip replacement manufacturer did not adequately inform the injured party of all the potential dangers of the implant.
Typically, the product manufacturer is at fault. Sometimes, the surgeon who performed the hip replacement procedure is also at fault. All healthcare professionals have a legal obligation to perform medical procedures without causing harm to the patient — both at the moment and in the future.
If a surgeon makes an error while performing the procedure, and that error results in injury to the patient, this could be considered medical malpractice. In these cases, the surgeon may have implanted the replacement incorrectly. Falsely diagnosed a patient. Or failed to fully inform the patient of the risks associated with a metal hip replacement.
Contact a New York Defective Medical Device Lawyer
If you or a loved one has become injured or sick because of a metal hip replacement, contact Hach & Rose, LLP at (212) 779-0057 to speak with one of our defective medical device attorneys today.