As we previously reported, the first trial of the approximately 10,000 DePuy ASR hip replacement lawsuits commenced in Los Angeles, California in late January 2013. On March 11, 2013, a California jury awarded the plaintiff $8,338,000 in compensatory damages after concluding that the ASR total hip device was defectively designed.  The award consisted of $338,000 for the plaintiff’s medical expenses and $8 million to cover pain and emotional suffering.

The jury declined to impose punitive damages, concluding that DePuy did not act with fraud or malice.  During the trial, evidence was presented that showed DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, considered redesigning the ASR to reduce its problems, but then abandoned the project because it would have cut into profits.

In a statement, the company described the verdict as “mixed” and said it planned to appeal the damage award. A second ASR lawsuit started Monday, March 11, 2013, in Illinois state court.

If you have had a hip replacement, which used the DePuy ASR or DePuy Pinnacle devices, you can contact Stark & Stark and speak to one of the Mass Tort attorneys, free of charge, who can help assess any claims that you might have against the DePuy manufacturers.