Smith & Nephew Recalls May Lead to Potential Smith & Nephew Hip Lawsuits
A Smith & Nephew hip lawsuit seeks to hold Smith & Nephew, Inc. both legally and financially responsible for patients’ adverse side effects from the Birmingham hip resurfacing system.
In March of 2008, Smith & Nephew introduced a new product to coincide with the Birmingham hip resurfacing system: the R3 Acetabular system. A portion of the system consisted of the following components: the Acetabular Cup, R3 TM Constrained Liner (Acetabular Liner), R3 TM Ceramic Acetabular Liner (Ceramic Liner), Biolox Forte Liners (Ceramic Liner).
The products were designed to provide more options for orthopedic surgeons, and to reduce the wear and tear that can result in additional health complications.
Potential Reasons for a Smith & Nephew Hip Lawsuit
The four components that were to be used with the Birmingham hip resurfacing system implant faced alleged issues, which resulted in a Smith & Nephew hip recall of the products.
In June 2007, Smith & Nephew recalled 185 Birmingham hip-resurfacing system implants. Batches of the product were mislabeled during packaging, so the carton labels failed to reflect the correct size of the Acetabular Cup. Because of the mislabeling, several mismatches between implant sizes.
Additionally, reports sent to Smith & Nephew, Inc. regarding the R3 TM Constrained Liner stated that the femoral head was becoming dislodged from the liner during surgery. As a result, Smith & Nephew notified distributors and hospitals of the problem.
In addition to the constrained liner, Smith & Nephew’s R3 Forte Ceramic Liners had some alleged defects. A small number of the R3 Forte Ceramic Liner’s titanium rings were pressed with a greater force than allowed by manufacturing specifications, which can lower the strength of the liners. As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall of the products on March 11, 2011.
Am I Eligible for a Smith & Nephew hip Lawsuit?
If you or a loved one has undergone a Smith & Nephew hip replacement and faced any adverse side effects, you may want to contact a Chaffin Luhana Smith & Nephew hip lawyer today at 1-888-480-1123 regarding a potential Smith & Nephew hip lawsuit. The call is free and confidential. You may be eligible for a Smith & Nephew hip settlement, and a Chaffin Luhana lawyer can help.
