Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) subsidiary DePuy saw its 1st day in court in the UK this week as it faces 341 claims that it sold “defective” Pinnacle hip implants that caused metal particles to be released into patients bodies, according to a Bloomberg report.
The metal-on-metal hip case is one of the largest product liability group actions to reach the UK’s courts, according to the plaintiff’s law firm Leigh Day.
A number of other cases against other manufacturers of “metal-on-metal” hip implants have been delayed pending the results of the J&J case, according to the report.
The trial will initially handle whether DePuy is responsible for injuries caused by the Pinnacle implants and if successful, will move on to hearings on the amount to be compensated, Bloomberg reports.
Claimants in the trial claim the Pinnacle hip implants were marketed as having low wear rates, but DePuy said that the devices are backed by a “strong record of clinical data showing reduced pain and restored mobility for patients suffering from chronic hip pain,” according to the report.
Lawyers for the J&J subsidiary say that the claimants’ case is “not clear” and have denied liability for associated injuries, Bloomberg reports.
Last month, a federal judge in Dallas delayed a Pinnacle hip implant bellwether trial, according to a Texas Lawyer report.