JUDGE APPROVES $56 MILLION BIOMET METAL HIP SETTLEMENT (Orthopedics This Week)
A Federal judge approved settlement of Biomet, Inc.’s metal-on-metal hip lawsuits on February 3, 2014. The company now joins Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) DePuy Synthes Companies and Stryker Corporation in announcing some settlements of consolidated lawsuits.
M2a Magnum System
The cases in Biomet’s litigation primarily involved alleged defects in Biomet’s M2a Magnum system of hip implant products. Plaintiffs’ claims focused upon the metal-on-metal design of the system and the alleged propensity of the devices to generate high levels of metal ions, causing metallosis in the surrounding tissue, and/or early failure.
Almost 900 cases had been filed in Indiana federal court against Biomet. According to a Scheduling Order issued on December 10, 2013, U.S. District Judge Robert Miller had directed parties to choose three cases as trial candidates by February 7, 2014.
$56 Million for Patients and Lawyers
Reuters reported that the company will pay at least $56 million in the settlement. That’s far less than the $2.5 billion-plus settlement agreed to by J&J or the limited settlement of four Stryker cases ...
