A Texas federal jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $500 million to five plaintiffs who suffered injuries from its Pinnacle hip implants, produced by the company’s DePuy unit.
The jury deliberated for one week following a two-month trial. Jurors determined that the Pinnacle hip implants were defectively designed and that the companies did not warn consumers about the risks associated with the product.
Johnson & Johnson has been required to pay $360 million in punitive damages in addition to $140 million in actual damages. The company has stated it will appeal the decision in hopes of reducing the verdict amount.
The case is the second of two federal trials involving the Pinnacle hip implant. Johnson & Johnson was cleared of any liability in the first case that ended in 2014.
Thousands of Pinnacle lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson, 8,000 of which have been consolidated in Texas federal court. Although this week’s verdict is important for holding the company accountable for its actions, the verdicts in these first cases are not binding on the rest of the litigation.
A Failure to Warn Consumers
The Texas plaintiffs were implanted with metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip implants under the impression that the devices were long-lasting, safe and durable. The devices however, failed more quickly and more frequently than expected, which caused serious injuries such as bone corrosion, tissue loss and elevated levels of metal in the blood.
The lawsuit claimed that Johnson & Johnson aggressively marketed the devices despite knowing about the risks. The company maintains that it acted responsibly in the situation.
The Pinnacle hip implant devices were removed from the market in 2013. That same year, Johnson & Johnson paid $2.5 million to settle 7,000 lawsuits over its ASR metal-on-metal hip implant, which was recalled in 2010.
This is the second massive verdict against Johnson & Johnson in less than two months. In February, the company was found liable for a woman’s death caused by ovarian cancer that was linked to the company’s talcum powder proucts Shower to Shower and Baby Powder. The jury awarded a $72 million verdict.
If you or a loved one has been injured or died because of a defective product, our class action lawyers can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
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