Texas Plaintiff: Lawsuit Moved to Illinois Court for MDL

A man has filed a Zimmer knee lawsuit in Texas, which was recently moved to the multidistrict litigation case that is currently taking place in Illinois. A number of plaintiffs have filed lawsuits through Zimmer knee lawyers that have been consolidated in a multidistrict lawsuit in Illinois. Zimmer knee lawsuits are often similar, although each plaintiff's case is different--however, they are often similar enough that pretrial processes such as discovery are the same, and multidistrict litigation consolidates these processes in order to speed up litigation and expedite the legal process. 

Bob Abell is a Texas resident who received a Zimmer NexGen knee replacement in his right knee in 2009. The next year, he found out that the implant was loose, and in September of 2010 he underwent Zimmer knee revision surgery in order to correct the problems that had been associated with the knee replacement system. Revision surgery is one of the results of Zimmer knee complications that is cited most in Zimmer knee lawsuits. 

Abell, with the help of a Zimmer knee lawyer, joined litigation with his own Zimmer knee lawsuit on October 21, 2011. He filed his lawsuit in his home state of Texas, but on January 3, 2012, it was moved to consolidated litigation in Illinois. His lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages and claims that the Zimmer knee side effects he experienced were a result of Zimmer knee failure, which he says was caused by Zimmer knee component defects.

The Zimmer NexGen knee replacement system was recalled twice in 2010. Both times, the Zimmer knee recall was initiated by Zimmer themselves, after a number of patients complained that they were experiencing side effects associated with the knee replacement systems. However, Zimmer knee recalls have never been umbrella recalls--the entire product has never been recalled, but certain components have been. Only Zimmer and the Food and Drug Administration have the power to initiate a recall. It is unclear whether amidst continuing litigation either party will decide to move forward with an umbrella recall of the Zimmer knee replacement systems.