Three Steps to Take If You Have Problems With a Hip Replacement

Doctor Holding a Defective Hip ReplacementSomething isn’t right with the hip implant that you got during your hip replacement surgery, but is the problem that the hip replacement is defective, or is it another issue?

You need to find out the answer to this question to protect both your health and your possible legal recovery. Below are three steps that you can take to find out what really happened to you and to protect your future.

Recognize Symptoms of a Defective Hip Replacement

The first step to your eventual recovery is to recognize that there is a problem. You may be suffering from a defective hip replacement if you experience:

  • Pain
  • Swelling
  • Noises, like pops or squeaks, when you move
  • A feeling that the hip replacement has moved or is displaced
  • Numbness
  • Trouble walking
  • Circulatory changes
  • Neurological changes

These symptoms could indicate that your hip replacement has failed prematurely or that you are suffering from metal poisoning. If you have any of these symptoms or if your hip fails suddenly and without warning, then it is time to take the next step.

Talk to a Doctor About Your Defective Hip Replacement

The second step to your eventual recovery is to get medical attention. Your doctor can diagnose your hip issue and recommend medical treatments. Typically, your doctor will perform a physical exam and order diagnostic scans such as x-rays, CT-scans, or MRIs. Blood tests may also be ordered if metal poisoning is suspected.

If the problem is a defective hip replacement, then your doctor may recommend surgery. In some cases, your doctor may be able to fix the defective hip replacement, and in other cases your doctor may need to take out the defective hip replacement and put in a new hip replacement.

Surgery always comes with pain and risks such as infections and blood clots. Additionally, a second hip reconstruction surgery is often more difficult to recover from than the first, and you may experience lasting problems that impact your quality of life.

Consult a Lawyer About Your Defective Hip Replacement

The third step to your eventual recovery is to talk to a mass torts lawyer. You may be able to recover financial damages in court for the injuries that you suffered.

Make Your Case Against the Right Defendant

Hip replacements that fail because the product itself is defective, and not because the surgeon implanting the artificial hip was negligent, are not medical malpractice cases. Instead, they are product liability cases against the hip manufacturer.

Over the years, many different hip replacement manufacturers have been sued for the injuries caused by their defective hip replacements. Manufacturers such as Stryker, DePuy, Zimmer, and Wright have been sued for the negligent design, negligent manufacturing, or the failure to warn the public of known risks.

Your Financial Recovery

There is power in numbers. You are not the only one who has been hurt by the pharmaceutical company that made or marketed your hip replacement. Other people have also suffered similar injuries, and together you can join in a mass tort case to protect all of your rights. You can share in the costs of discovery and expedite your claim.

However, while you share a common cause of injuries, each of you has suffered unique injuries due to the pharmaceutical company’s negligence. Your mass tort lawyer works for you and will fight for your fair recovery of damages based on your individual injuries. These damages could include compensation for all of your past, current, and future healthcare costs, lost income, out of pocket costs, physical pain, and emotional suffering.

Our dedicated mass tort lawyers are committed to helping people hurt in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island make fair recoveries from the pharmaceutical companies that are responsible for their injuries. We will thoroughly investigate your potential hip replacement lawsuit, provide you with all of your legal options, and fight hard to get you the compensation that you deserve.

For a free and honest initial consultation, please contact Keefe Disability Law today through this website or phone.

Are You Looking for a Mass Tort Attorney in Boston, MA?

If you have been injured by a defective medical device you need to speak with an experienced mass torts lawyer as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Natick Office directly at 888.904.6847 to schedule your free consultation.

 

John L. Keefe
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Founding Attorney, Massachusetts Social Security Disability Lawyer