On Friday, November 2, Stryker Incorporation announced a confidential, private settlement before the multidistrict litigation (MDL) Judge Indira Talwani in Boston for cases linked to both recalled and unrecalled components of Stryker LFIT Cobalt Chromium V40 Femoral Heads used in hip correction surgeries.
The settlement plan was announced for cases filed in the MDL 2768 in Massachusetts, the consolidated cases in the MCL 624 in New Jersey and/or other jurisdictions for already pending cases. The recalled and unrecalled cobalt chromium V40 heads and the compatible stem system configurations including Accolade TMZF, Accolade 2, Citation, Meridian and Rejuvenate are eligible for the settlement. An order was issued by the Honorable Judge Rachelle Harz of the New Jersey Superior Court implementing procedures to support the settlement. The individual settlement amounts would be based on the level of harm and the components removed. This settlement is not intended to resolve all the filed claims but is an essential move towards resolving claims in the hip implant litigation. The first cases selected for initial bellwether trials are part of the settlement program and the discovery process is on hold through the summer of 2019. The lawsuits filed raise complaints of device dislocation, inflammation, loss of mobility, bone fractures around the components, local tissue reaction, and need for revision surgery.
Federally filed Stryker hip lawsuits associated with LFIT 40 Femoral Heads were consolidated into MDL No. 2768 ( In Re: Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head Products Liability Litigation) in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts on April 5, 2017.
