January 27, 2015 - If you have experienced Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip metallosis or chromium and cobalt blood poisoning, or have been forced to undergo Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip revision surgery, you may wonder whether you should file an Indiana Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip lawsuit, and just how to go about it. Stryker introduced their innovative new hip implant designs in the Rejuvenate and the ABGII in early 2010. Just over two years later, in July, 2012, the company was issuing a recall for both implants. While Stryker initially claimed the design of the Rejuvenate and ABGII would be safer than that of “true” metal-on-metal hip implants (due in part to the use of a ceramic, rather than metal ball), it turned out that during periods of activity, the metal components of the implant rubbed together, creating Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII fretting and corrosion.
When the device undergoes this fretting and corrosion, tiny cobalt and chromium ions shear away, traveling to the surrounding hip tissues and/or the bloodstream. Many patients were experiencing extremely early Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip implant failure as well, requiring them to undergo hip revision surgery. Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip revision surgery is both costlier and more dangerous than the original hip implant surgery. Because the stem component—particularly in the Rejuvenate—is extremely long, it can take surgeons as long as three or more hours to remove the implant. Excessive blood loss as well as infection can occur during such a lengthy surgery, and the recovery time for Stryker revision surgery can be as long as six weeks.
Indiana Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII Hip Lawsuits
Following the Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip recalls, lawsuits began coming in quickly. Currently there are over 2,300 lawsuits, most of them consolidated into Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip multidistrict litigation in New Jersey and Minnesota. At least seventeen Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip lawsuits have been settled during mediation, although the details of the settlements are confidential. More Stryker lawsuits are currently in the mediation process, and others are being chosen as bellwether cases. The bellwether cases will be representative of a group of Stryker cases, whether due to the date of implantation, the type of implant, the level of injury suffered by the patient or whether the patient has undergone Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip revision surgery.
Understanding the Indiana Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII Hip Statute of Limitations
All states have a specific length of time in which those injured by a product or device may file a lawsuit. This time period is known as the statute of limitations. Indiana, like many other states, has a two year statute of limitations which begins to run on the date of the injury. Indiana also has a ten-year statute of repose, which is triggered by an event, rather than an injury. This event could be the date the device was manufactured or sold. If you are an Indiana resident who has been harmed by the Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip recalls, it is important that you speak to an experienced Indiana Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip lawyer as soon as possible in order to ensure you do not lose your right to file suit against Stryker.
Contacting an Indiana Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII Hip Lawyer
If you are a resident of Indiana, who has suffered injury due to a defective Stryker hip implant, you are encouraged to contact a knowledgeable Indiana Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip lawyer to discuss the specific details of your case. Your Stryker attorney will assess your case, then discuss your options with you. You may be entitled to medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages, and, if so, an Indiana Stryker Rejuvenate/ABGII hip lawyer can help to protect your rights. Any resident of Indiana is urged to speak to a Stryker hip lawyer, particularly those in the following Indiana locales:
· Indianapolis, Indiana
· Fort Wayne, Indiana
· Evansville, Indiana
· South Bend, Indiana
· Carmel, Indiana
· Bloomington, Indiana
· Fishers, Indiana
· Hammond, Indiana