Federal Judge Selects Alabama Lawyer to Plaintiffs Steering Committee in Stryker Hip Litigation

Federal Judge Donovan W. Frank, who is presiding over the Stryker hip implant cases centralized from around the country to Minnesota has made his leadership selections.  Chris Hellums, of Pittman Dutton & Hellums in Birmingham, Alabama has been selected to serve on the Plaintiffs Steering Committee.

The Stryker implant MDL was established in June of 2013 and the number of cases continues to climb rapidly, with many believing that the number could reach or exceed 20,000.

Pittman Dutton & Hellums has been active in representation of individuals harmed by recalled orthopedic devices, representing clients nationwide.  These devices include products manufactured by Stryker, Depuy, Wright, Zimmer, Biomet and Smith & Nephew.

The Stryker hip implants, like other recalled hip products, have the potential to "fret" or corrode at the neck juncture.  Unlike the Depuy ASR implants, which seemed to fail at the junction between the ball and the cup, the failure of the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II implants occurs in the neck, requiring removal of the stem from the femur in what has been described by one surgeon as "removing rebar from concrete."

When the implant frets, metal debris and tiny particles of cobalt and chromium gets into the surrounding issue and the bloodstream, often resulting in necrosis and pseudotumors in the hip cavity. Once this occurs, it will progressively get worse until the implant is removed.

If you have one of these implants, it is imperative that you consult a physician and insure that you have regular blood test for cobalt and chromium.

You should also consult an attorney before you sign any documents allowing Broadspire, a company hired by Stryker, to obtain confidential medical records to help Stryker build their case against you and speak with your physician.