Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay almost $1 billion to resolve the majority of the outstanding lawsuits that claim that its Pinnacle hip implants were defective according to a report by Bloomberg.
This settlement was originally announced in February by plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier after a jury was empaneled to hear the latest Pinnacle lawsuit. The case was a consolidated lawsuit that was brought by five Pinnacle hip implant recipients in Texas. In Re DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, 11-md-2244, U.S District Court, Northern District of Texas (Dallas).
This settlement resolves more than 95% of the 6,000 lawsuits where surgeons extracted the Pinnacle implants because of defects that left patients unable to walk and in pain. The $1 billion total includes a prior settlement for more than $400 million. There are still almost 4,500 pending lawsuits by patients whose hip implants were not 100% metal or have not yet been surgically removed.
JNJ pulled Pinnacle’s metal-on-metal hip implant off the market in 2013 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration toughened regulations on these devices. Pinnacle hips made from different materials continue to be sold in the U.S. today.
The settlements are not being handled by a global settlement program. Instead, JNJ is resolving each individual attorney’s Pinnacle cases for a set amount and allowing the attorneys to divide those amounts among their clients. The more seriously injured patients will be paid higher settlement amounts.
Mindy Tinsley, spokeswoman for JNJ, released a statement saying that settlement negotiations for the Pinnacle lawsuits are continuing and that Johnson & Johnson has set aside funds for the litigation.
For additional OTW’s coverage of the Johnson & Johnson/DePuy Pinnacle hip lawsuit, see:
- Final Nail in JNJ’s $1.7 Billion Pinnacle Hip Lawsuit?
- DePuy Settles Hip Implant Suit for $120 Million
- $400 Million Settlement Reported in Johnson & Johnson Hip Lawsuits
- DePuy’s Pinnacle Metal-on-Metal False Claims Suit Revived
- Johnson & Johnson Cleared of Witness Tampering in Pinnacle Case
- Patients Win 3rd Pinnacle Hip Lawsuit in a Row
- $1 Billion Jury Award in 3rd Pinnacle Trial
- DePuy Scores Big Pinnacle Court Victory
Which individual lawyers were paid in the settlement of jnj pinnacle hip settlement? And, when does or did this happen?
When will the plaintiffs , whom were hurt and are still suffering from this pinnacle hip, receive a full disclosure of this settlement? Those with metaltosis and still not knowing what other body organs may still affect these individuals, and those who still don’t have proper use of their legs who must walk with assistance of a walker and cane???
I’d like to know what they are going to do with the people who have this in their body and cannot get a doctor to take it out? They act like they are afraid of being sued and do not want to get involved. I’ve been trying to get mine out for years. Depuy has admitted to the states that it is junk. I think they should have to recall and settle with us. What are their bodies and lives worth?
Dr Matthew Morrey of San Antonio, TX will do it. He did both mine & I asked if he would revise out-of-state state patients. He said yes. He never used MoM & knew co/Cr alloys are terrible. His dad & he both remembered how badly MoM hips hurt people the last time they were sold & so they never used them.
Hi Frances! I’ve been looking up articles pertaining to the Pinnacle since you described your horror story to me, and just read your comment here. I hope it helped him find a surgeon, and it’s great that you want to help others too. I texted my surgeon today (he is SO cool–he actually gave me his cell phone number!) and told him I have some questions to ask him, pertaining to the way the MoM surgeon performed my surgery (which resulted in a torn gluteus tendon and loose hip for 11 years), but told him I know he won’t want to answer any questions in writing. So I’m planning to go see him when he comes to do surgery in Meeker CO (a little mountain town, where he did my MoM revision) in late August. This man is SUCH a blessing to me, as I believe YOUR surgeon was to you TOO (God has been looking after us!). Thanks again for sharing your story–it’s one of the worst I’ve ever heard, and certainly hope that someday you’ll be compensated a DECENT amount!
Today I received another call from the lawyers messenger. They are required to deduct 10 % from the settlement to subsidize the court for indigent and illegals!!!!
This whole MDL is nothing but a money grab for the lawyers. . they don’t care about the victims and are making dirty deals with J & J. This is how MDLs work. . . victims are just pawns for the handful of lawyers who always spearhead these bogus mdls. Ten years after this mdl was formed NOTHING has been accomplished. The court of appeals tossed out the victorious victim bellwether cases just as the lawyers knew they would . . all politics. . in fact the lawyers who were supposed to be representing the 8000 plus victims actually did things in the courtroom to make sure the cases would be tossed out on appeal on technicalities and procedural issues. The lawyers are worse than Depuy and J&J.
None of the articles on the settlement mention that among those cases not settled are people, like myself, who had revision surgery more than 10 years after the original surgery was done, and these are still being litigated. I had metallosis, pain, tissue damage, etc., so surgery was necessary. I had the revisions eleven years after my initial replacements. According to my attorney, J&J set an arbitrary 10-year cutoff because this is the minimum expected lifespan for any hip replacement system so they didn’t feel compelled to settle cases after that. What will happen with cases like mine is unknown, but I think the reporting on this should be clearer about the cases not yet settled and why.
I had three replacements of my hips . i cannot stand , walk with walker. have my grand children help me put on my Socks ,and shoes. cant remember things , have to walk in a pool of water to help the pain, cant lift my right leg . j and j wont help us can we all get together some how to start fighting been bad for 6 years. my credit is bad had to sell my home to pay bills can someone help ………
I am down with fight with j&j they don’t care about us. I had my second hip replaced January 2011 still have pain
My husband has the J &J hip in both hips. The left one went bad after 7 years. Epic Metallosis and tumors around hip joint. After revision it got infected. Two years later infected again. Total of 10 surgeries on one hip. Lost two years of his life. Walks with a limp and has pain. Can’t golf anymore. Only 63. I hope the big shots of J&J can’t sleep at night thinking how they have ruined some many lives. Settle these lawsuits and make it right for those suffering!
FYI…THIS SETTLEMENT IS ONLY FOR METAL ON METAL PLAINTIFFS. The Steering Committee notified my attorneys that Non Metal on Metal Plaintiffs are excluded! So if you have a Metal on Poly or Metal on Ceramic you have waited 9 long years for NOTHING!!!
I got my Pinnacle Hip in 2005. Since then I have had 7 dislocations, 2 revisions, and recently found out my cobalt level is in the high range. Shortly after getting that news my attorneys informed me that the Steering Committee said Non Metal on Metal Plaintiffs were excluded and we need to return to our state courts! REALLY??
How can our Government allow this?? There are over 10,000 of us in this Bellwether!! They recall vehicles if defects are determined….why didn’t they do that for ALL Pinnacle Plaintiffs?
That is why the ASR Plaintiffs got a much better settlement…their device was recalled!
Thanks FDA, J&J, and Court System…..NOT!!!!!
Well said!
It’s a joke and an insult to this settlement . After considering the settlement , the lawyers got more than the plaintiff . A total of 10,000 was only supposedly given to my husband. He had to stop working and loss almost half a million in wages within the years he stopped working , not even counting the punitive and pain and suffering he had.
Had two hip surgery still in pain and walking with cane and walker. My lawyer to me the same thing asked for a breakdown still waiting.
Reading these comments and the articles is sad and frustrating but really helpful. It’s terrible all the pain and suffering people are going through because of these metal-on-metal hips, made worse by JnJ and the painfully slow legal process. Does anyone have any updates on what’s happening with the lawsuits? Seems the last comment was in early 2021. Any new info or links would be helpful. Thanks.