Illinois Woman Joins Zimmer Litigation

An Illinois woman has filed a Zimmer knee lawsuit after experiencing serious and painful complications associated with her knee replacement system, the Zimmer NexGen High-Flex Knee System. Lois Zaremba filed her lawsuit on January 19, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Zaremba claims that she had the Zimmer NexGen High-Flex Knee Replacement System implanted on the 26th of December, 2007. According to the Zimmer knee lawsuit filed by Zaremba's Zimmer knee lawyer, Zaremba experienced serious Zimmer knee problems that have caused her considerable and ongoing pain. 

Zimmer May Have Known Knee Risks, Alleges Lawsuit

A new lawsuit filed on January 5th, 2012, by plaintiff James Furman against Zimmer Inc. is the latest in a number of Zimmer knee lawsuits that alleges Zimmer knew the risks associated with its NexGen knee replacement systems and decided to manufacture and market the devices anyway. The lawsuit, filed in the District Court of Minnesota, by Furman's Zimmer knee lawyer, states that Furman received a Zimmer knee replacement system--the NexGen LPS-Flex femoral component--on July 18 2006. From there, he experienced a number of complications.

Plaintiff experienced Zimmer knee side effects

The complaint filed by Furman's Zimmer knee lawyer states that neither Furman nor his physicians knew of the risks and potential complications associated with Zimmer knee replacement systems at the time, including the NexGen products which have been central in so many Zimmer lawsuits. Not long after he received the device, he began to experience severe side effects, including "severe and debilitating pain after the implant" to the point that his knee joint mobility was limited. Furman was forced to undergo Zimmer knee revision surgery on the 23rd of December, 2008, according to the complaint. 

Zimmer knee side effects associated with surgical technique, company claims

Although a number of patients have come forward with stories of severe Zimmer knee problems, Zimmer continues to claim that problems with NexGen devices do not stem from defects in the products themselves; instead, they place the blame on inadequate surgical technique. However, a number of lawsuits, including Furman's, claim that Zimmer actually knew of the possibility of complications and side effects associated with Zimmer devices, and should have warned patients and medical professionals more thoroughly. 

Furman seeks compensatory and special damages because of his Zimmer knee injuries, asking for more than $75,000 to cover past and present injuries, medical expenses (past and future), lost income, and permanent disability. His Zimmer knee lawyer is also claiming product liability, negligence, and breach of warranty in the Zimmer knee complaint. 

Zimmer NexGen Knee Failure Attorneys Appointed and Case to Proceed

Zimmer knee revision surgery multidistrict litigation (MDL) will begin soon. Several attorneys were recently appointed by U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer to be the leaders in the litigation. Three attorneys will serve as Co-lead Counsel, one attorney as Liaison Counsel, and approximately twelve will be part of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee. A Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex lawsuit was filed in the MDL last August because many people needed knee revision surgery, or suffered from Zimmer NexGen knee failure. The orthopedics giant Zimmer is alleged to be at fault.

The number of plaintiffs filing such suits is growing quite rapidly. When the MDL was first established, and Zimmer knee lawsuits were transferred to the Northern District of Illinois, twenty-eight lawsuits had been filed. Since then, at least seventy-two more were filed and consolidated. Perhaps hundreds more may be filed. That is because many people have experienced problems with the Zimmer NextGen CR-Flex that resulted in knee failure or surgery.

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. 

Alabama Zimmer Lawsuit Moved to Zimmer Knee MDL

A lawsuit entered the U.S. District Court System in the Southern District of Alabama was filed by Willa J. Crawford, an Alabama resident, on November 23, 2011. This was one of many involving the Zimmer CR Flex implant. Her claim stated that her CR Flex implant had loosened prematurely, and as a result of this and other related Zimmer knee problems Ms. Crawford had to undergo Zimmer knee revision surgery to replace the implant. This lawsuit is not dissimilar from many other Zimmer lawsuits that have been filed across the country. 

Ms. Crawford's Zimmer knee lawsuit was moved to the Zimmer multi district litigation taking place in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois earlier this month, on the 4th of January 2012. This move means that the case is being considered along with the other cases that have been filed based on Zimmer knee complaints from patients who have been experiencing Zimmer knee complications and side effects.

Device Failure Leads to Zimmer Knee Lawsuit

Catherine Pollow-Daniels filed her Zimmer knee lawsuit on December 27, 2011 in U.S. District Court in the District of Arizona. Her Zimmer knee lawyer, on behalf of Pollow-Daniels, alleges that the plaintiff's NexGen knee replacement resulted in Zimmer knee failure, forcing the plaintiff to undergo knee revision surgery and suffer personal injury.

Implant Failure Cause for Zimmer Knee Lawsuit

Through her Zimmer knee lawyer, Pollow-Daniels explains that on July 5, 2006, she received a Zimmer NexGen knee implant. Her knee replacement device included two parts – an MIS stemmed tibial component and the NexGen LPS High Flex femoral component – that were later subject to Zimmer knee recall in 2010 due to their tendency to loosen. The plaintiff claims that she began suffering from severe and debilitating pain a short time after surgery, and this eventually led to knee revision surgery in May 2010. According to her Zimmer knee lawsuit, Pollow-Daniels continues to suffer ongoing medical expenses related to her bodily injury.

Zimmer Knee Lawyer Cites Knee Failure Study

The plaintiff alleges that Zimmer was aware of problems with the NexGen knee replacement, particularly device loosening after surgery, and should have disclosed this knowledge to consumers. Her Zimmer knee lawyer cites a peer-review study that was published in 2007 in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (British Edition). Researchers surveyed recipients of Zimmer knee replacements and revealed that 38 percent of study participants who had received the LPS high flex knee implants had experienced device loosening within three years of surgery. Approximately half reported that they had to undergo knee replacement surgery to correct the problem.

Lawsuits Seek Zimmer Knee Settlements

The federal Zimmer knee MDL is headquartered in the Northern District of Illinois. Like Pollow-Daniels, these plaintiffs seek compensation from Zimmer in excess of $75,000. In her case, Pollow-Daniels is seeking damages for loss of movement, significant pain, and personal injury. The plaintiff asks the court for compensation for her rehabilitation costs and/or home health care, as well as past and present medical expenses, permanent disability, and loss of income related to Zimmer knee failure.

Zimmer NexGen Knee Failure Lawsuit Filed

Dennis G. Parle filed a Zimmer NexGen knee failure lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the District of Arizona on December 27, 2011. Parle alleges that he suffered Zimmer knee failure, and requests damages for severe pain and bodily harm.

Company Orders Voluntary Zimmer Knee Recall

In his Zimmer knee lawsuit, Parle claims that he received Zimmer's NexGen knee implant on January 26, 2006. His NexGen joint replacement contained two parts – the NexGen MIS Tibial component and the Zimmer NexGen LPS High-flex femoral component – that were later subject to the voluntary Zimmer knee recall of 2010. In September of that year, Zimmer issued a voluntary Class II recall for NexGen TM Tibial Trays, and NexGen MIS Tibial Components and Modular Tibial Plates and Keels. In December 2010, the company voluntarily issued a second Zimmer knee recall, this one for defective parts found in several hundred NexGen LPS knee implants. In both cases, these components reportedly were subject to device loosening after surgery.

Plaintiff Cites Zimmer NexGen Knee Failure

After his surgery in 2006, the plaintiff alleges that he soon began to experience pain related to his knee implant. Parle claims that, as a result of his defective joint replacement, he was forced to undergo Zimmer knee revision surgery and receive a new implant. Parle's Zimmer lawsuit alleges that the manufacturer was, or should have been, aware of problems related to device loosening, and asserts that Zimmer exhibited corporate negligence by failing to notify the public of potential problems. Parle's lawsuit claims that the NexGen Total Knee Replacement System was "reasonably unsafe," and asks the court for damages to compensate for loss of movement, "severe and debilitating pain," and "serious bodily injury and harm."

Zimmer Knee Lawsuits Consolidated in MDL

In August 2011, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) voted to consolidate Zimmer NexGen knee failure lawsuits into federal multidistrict litigation (MDL). The MDL is headquartered in the Northern District of Illinois, and already numbered at least 100 lawsuits by November 2011.

Zimmer Knee Problems Lead to MDL

Lawsuits are now popping up throughout the nation over Zimmer Knee Failure due to a breakdown of key elements in the implant, sometimes occurring immediately after the initial knee replacement surgery. Patricia Derenburger’s brought her case to a Zimmer knee lawyer and, much like other litigants; she claims that, shortly after her surgery, she began to suffer from severe pain in her knee. After undergoing a knee revision surgery, which replaced the original implant, Dereburger continued to experience significant pain. On Dec. 13, 2011, Derenburger’s Zimmer Knee Lawsuit was consolidated into the multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. All of the cases involved are currently being overseen by Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer.

Sometimes, high-flex knee devices don’t always deliver as promised. In 2007, a study published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (British Edition) found that 38 percent of patients who underwent total knee replacement with a Zimmer NexGen knee experienced loosening within two years. About half of those patients had to undergo revisions. All litigation involved in the MDL involves common questions of fact. They allege that the Zimmer CR-Flex, LPS-Flex and/or MIS Tibial components are prone to premature loosening, causing affected individuals pain and loss of movement, and often forcing them to undergo revision surgery. The actions also raise factual issues as to whether the Zimmer high-flex components (CR-Flex and LPS-Flex) actually provide an individual with any increase in flexion.

The multidistrict litigation process, more commonly referred to as the Zimmer NexGen MDL, is often confused with a class action lawsuit against Zimmer. While the MDL and a Zimmer NexGen knee class action lawsuit have many similarities during pretrial proceedings, each claim remains an individual lawsuit, where the plaintiff must establish that their injuries were caused by problems with the Zimmer knee design and each claim will be decided individually be a jury. It is expected that hundreds of lawsuits will eventually be filed over Zimmer NexGen knee replacement problems, which involve early failure of the artificial knee and often result in the need for additional revision surgery.

The Future Of Zimmer Knee Lawsuits To Be Decided In Illinois

All federal lawsuits over problems with Zimmer NexGen recall have been consolidated for pretrial proceedings as part of an MDL, or multidistrict litigation, which will be centralized in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Following oral arguments last month, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued an order on Monday establishing the MDL, which will result in the transfer of dozens of Zimmer NexGen knee implant lawsuits currently pending in federal district courts throughout the United States. In addition, all future lawsuits will be transferred to the MDL as they are filed by Zimmer knee lawyer who are continuing to review claims for individuals throughout the country.

The NexGen MIS Tibial component is marketed and promoted as compatible with the LPS-Flex and CR-Flex femoral components and they are often used together. According to the motion, of the 28 cases now pending against Zimmer, many are a combination of a NexGen high-flex and NexGen MIS tibial. Zimmer obtained approval for the Zimmer NexGen recall components through the FDA’s controversial 510(k) approval process,

Judicial Panel Claims Zimmer Knee’s “High-Flex” Shows No Improvement

All federal lawsuits over problems with Zimmer NexGen knee replacements have been consolidated for pretrial proceedings as part of an MDL, or multidistrict litigation, which will be centralized in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.Following oral arguments last month, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued an order on Monday establishing the MDL, which will result in the transfer of dozens of Zimmer NexGen knee implant Zimmer knee lawsuit. The panel indicated that there are currently 28 cases that will be transferred into the MDL, and there appear to be at least 45 related claims pending that may be included in the MDL as well. In addition, all future lawsuits will be transferred to the MDL as they are filed by Zimmer knee lawyer who are continuing to review claims for individuals throughout the country.

Zimmer opposed consolidation of the lawsuits, arguing that it will not promote the efficient litigation of the cases, as there are at least eight different artificial Zimmer knee problems products made by the company that are included in various lawsuits.

Various Zimmer Knee Products Listed in Lawsuits

A number of Zimmer NexGen recall replacement recalls have been issued and problems have been linked to other NexGen replacement knee components. As a result of defective designs, individuals throughout the United States may have been exposed to an increased risk of loosening or early failure, often resulting in the need for Zimmer knee revision surgery. More than 200,000 potentially defective Zimmer NexGen knee replacement components may have been used throughout the United States, which could have caused thousands of people to experience problems or require additional knee revision surgery due to early failure of their knee replacement.

All federal lawsuits over problems with Zimmer knee recall replacements have been consolidated for pretrial proceedings as part of an MDL, or multidistrict litigation, which will be centralized in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. 

Zimmer Lower’s Revenue Estimates While Lawsuits Rage In Court

Back in July, Zimmer Holdings predicted its sales revenues to increase between 2.5% and 3.5%. The Company reported revenues of $4.220 billion for fiscal 2010. According toestimates, analysts were expecting the Company to report EPS of $4.77 on revenues of $4.473 billion for fiscal 2011. Since July of this year, Zimmer stock has been steadily sinking to the tune of about $15 per share or 22%. Zimmer has had a rough year on many fronts, not the least of which is the ever increasing number of lawsuits building against its knee and hip replacements. Since 2003, more than 200,000 Zimmer NexGen recall knee replacement components have been sold within the United States.

Following reports of at least 114 Zimmer knee complications, the manufacturer issued a recall for Zimmer NexGen MIS Tibial Components, NextGen TM Tibial Trays, NexGen MIS Modular Tibial Plates and Keels. The Zimmer NexGen MIS Zimmer knee recall affected more than 68,000 knee components that were distributed throughout the United States.Several months prior to the recall,

Zimmer Durom Cup MDL Could be Most Costly in History

The Zimmer Durom Cup is the component most often cited in Zimmer hip litigation, and it is theorized that as many as 12,000 plaintiffs could join the ever-growing Zimmer litigation. Settlements will depend on the amount of suffering and the nature of the side effect a plaintiff has had to endure as well as the number of patients involved.The Zimmer Durom Cup hip implant was first introduced in the United States in 2006, with a design that was supposed to avoid many problems associated with traditional hip replacement components. However, shortly after it was introduced, concerns emerged about a high number of Zimmer hip replacement recall failures involving the Durom Cup, where the component loosened and required Zimmer hip revision surgery.

No Zimmer hip settlements are expected until late 2011 or 2012 as the Zimmer hip MDL proceeds. While Zimmer’s own estimates in 2008 suggested that some doctors experienced failure rates as high as 5.7%, some claims have suggested that the between 20% and 30% of people may experience Zimmer Durom Cup hip problems.

Zimmer Hip Implant Failure Leads to More and More Lawsuits

Approximately 12,000 individuals had the Zimmer Durom Cup Zimmer hip implant failure between 2006 and 2008. While Zimmer’s own estimates in 2008 suggested that some doctors experienced failure rates as high as 5.7%, some claims have suggested that the between 20% and 30% of people may experience problems with a Zimmer Durom Cup hip.Zimmer press releases indicated that many U.S. surgeons had had success implanting the cup, but a subset of patients had experienced "elevated revision rates" since the product’s launch, contrasting with “excellent” clinical outcomes reported by surgeons in Europe.  The device is more often used in hip resurfacing procedures in Europe.

Zimmer Inc., recognizing the potential legal risk regarding the controversial hip, has set aside more than $40 million to cover the exposure resulting in the defective medical device.The class representative plaintiff in a class action Zimmer Hip Lawsuit against Zimmer,is Susan Wilkinson, who began experiencing pain and problems from her Zimmer hip implant only three months after she received it in April 2008. She subsequently had to undergo Zimmer hip revision surgery in 2009 to have the Durom Cup removed.In the United States, a temporary Zimmer Durom Cup recall was issued in July 2008,

Zimmer Knee Lawsuits Finally Consolidated

Zimmer, one of the nation’s largest orthopedic manufacturing companies, stands by the claim that the NexGen family of products—over 40 models of knee replacement systems—have one of the lowest failure rates and rates of Zimmer knee revision surgery out of all the knee revision products in the industry. A number of patients of the Zimmer NexGen recall CR-Flex device may beg to differ, however. A number of lawsuits filed across the country are pointing fingers at the orthopedics company, claiming that their devices have resulted in knee problems such as trouble standing, walking, and enjoying the same quality of life as they used to. Patients have also complained of severe knee pain and knee replacement failure. These conditions often lead to knee revision surgery.

Knee revision surgery is at the heart of a number of Zimmer lawsuits, which have been recently combined in multidistrict litigation by Zimmer knee lawyer. Knee revision surgery is a second surgery, which can be both costly and painful, that is intended to remove a faulty or defective knee replacement device and fit the patient with a new one that will hopefully cause fewer problems.

Knee Replacement Recall For Zimmer, Backed Up By Research

More than 150,000 Zimmer NexGen CR and Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral implants have been sold since 2003, and some doctors have reported experiencing a substantially higher-than-expected rate of Zimmer knee failures within a few years of surgery using these implants. This Zimmer NexGen knee has a “high-flex” porous femoral component that attaches to the bottom of the thighbone instead of using cement to keep the knee replacements in place. The high-flexion (hi-flex) knee implants, which promise a higher range of motion than traditional devices, and are generally used in younger, more active patients, but this appears to mean these patients more often require Zimmer knee revision surgery. Hi-flex knee replacement surgery requires that more bone at the back of the knee be removed so

Zimmer Knee Failure More Common than Should Be

Almost nine percent of patients of Zimmer’s NexGen knee replacement system have experienced knee replacement failure after their implant was installed, a number which has sent shockwaves through the medical community and which most medical experts think is unreasonable. Patients are suffering far more than they had ever expected – in many cases, side effects of Zimmer knee failure mimic the conditions that prompted them to get a knee replacement operation in the first place. In any case, the symptoms are painful and can include swelling and diminishment of the ability to walk and properly move around.

Future Of Knee Replacement Can Seem Fearful Due To Defective Zimmer Implants

Some 76 million baby boomers are getting older, and that means more physical problems for more people. Will this mean that there will be more implant device complications, such as the seemingly common Zimmer knee replacement failures, though? The AAOS says that in 2006 there were more than 1 million hip and knee replacement surgeries performed in the U.S. Of those, 7.5% were revision surgeries. The 77,000 procedures to replace or repair defective or poorly installed artificial hip and knee joints added $32 billion to the cost of medical care. The AAOS says that the registry costs about $20 to $25 million to launch.

In August, a DePuy ASR hip implant recall was issued for about 93,000 artificial hips after it was discovered that about 12% to 13% of the individuals who received the hip implant had their device fail within five years. Many DePuy ASR lawsuits have been filed on behalf of individuals who received the implant, alleging that doctors were expressing concerns to DePuy about a higher-than-expected failure rate for the metal hip system before the recall. This Zimmer NexGen knee has

Zimmer CEO Boasts of Gains, US Patients Complain of Pains

About 350 components used as part of Zimmer NexGen knee replacements were quietly recalled last year because some were found to have nonconforming and inconsistent geometry. This, however, has not affected their bottom line, as a recent financial report on Zimmer saw them beating analyst’s predictions. CEO David Dvorak recently stated that, “Our results reflect improved sales execution in support of new product introductions across our diverse geographic channels, as well as the positive impact of operational improvement initiatives and continued disciplined capital deployment." Some see this as a move by the company to generate revenue from area’s where their reputation has not been hurt by the recalls issued against them.

In 2010, Zimmer quietly issued recalls for Zimmer NexGen knee replacement components that may have been used in thousands of individuals throughout the United States. Following reports of at least 114 Zimmer NexGen knee replacement problems, the manufacturer issued a recall for Zimmer NexGen MIS Tibial Components, NextGen TM

Zimmer Knee Study Doesn’t Look Good for Manufacturers

The Food and Drug Administration recently commissioned a study on the effectiveness of the FDA’s pre-market approval process for artificial joints such as the Zimmer NexGen and DePuy ASR and DePuy Pinnacle systems. The results of this study are about to be released – while, at the same time, proponents of the orthopedics industry are rushing to negate the impact of the results of the study before they are even published. It is likely that the study will recommend harsher regulations for the approval of new knee implant devices. The Food and Drug Administration is currently using a program that can “fast track” the medical device approval process, which has resulted in several products currently on the market which have a high rate of premature knee failure and other knee implant complications, including the Zimmer NexGen system.

The study, conducted by the Institute of Medicine, will likely have an impact on the way new medical devices are approved for use across the country. This could cut the risks for complications experienced by hundreds – even thousands – of patients, and will also likely reduce the number of patients having to undergo Zimmer knee revision surgery after experiencing knee implant failure. Knee revision surgery is a painful, complicated, and expensive procedure that is intended to fix problems associated with a knee implant failure in a patient.