Defective Products

DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation. DePuy Orthopaedics’ Pinnacle Ultamet hip implant system is a so-called “metal-on-metal” system, in which the femoral head, made of a cobalt and chromium alloy, rotates within an acetabular cup or shell made from the same alloy. In most hip replacement systems, the acetabular cup has a plastic liner, which prevents any “metal-on-metal” contact between the femoral head and the acetabular cup.

As a result of this contact, and the resulting wear, patients implanted with the Pinnacle Ultamet frequently develop toxic levels of cobalt and chromium, causing pain, death of the surrounding tissue, pseudotumors, and other serious complications. Himmelstein Law Network represented recipients of the Pinnacle Ultamet hip implant system, in In re DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implants Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2244. 

Biomet M2a Magnum Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation. Biomet Orthopedics manufactured the M2a Magnum hip implant system, a “metal-on-metal” system like the Pinnacle Ultamet, which suffers from the same defects. Patients implanted with the M2a Magnum frequently develop toxic levels of cobalt and chromium, causing pain, death of the surrounding tissue, pseudotumors, and other serious complications. Himmelstein Law Network represented recipients of the Biomet M2a Magnum hip implant system, in In re Biomet M2a Magnum Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2391.

Lucent Technologies “Y2K” Litigation. I represented small businesses in a successful “Y2K” class action against Lucent Technologies for failing to disclose that telephone systems it sold as late as 1997 would cease to function properly after 1999. The case settled for $110 million.