If you received a full or partial knee, ankle or hip replacement using Exactech parts, you may be able to file a lawsuit if it led to further injury. Our product liability lawyers stop at nothing to hold the liable party accountable when a negligent joint replacement manufacturer causes you harm. Call us now or contact us online.
Medical devices like knee, ankle and hip replacements are supposed to increase comfort and mobility for Chicago, IL residents. However, all too often, a mistake is made somewhere between manufacture and surgery that either does not help the patient or causes further harm. In 2018, The Food and Drug Administration and various manufacturers recalled 441.3 million medical devices. Exactech itself has stated that they sold 493,218 ankle and knee insert units and 40,102 hip liners world-wide that may have been affected.
In most lawsuits filed because of an injury you and your defective products lawyer are required to prove negligence on the part of the
liable party. However, product liability claims operate under the principle of strict liability. Under strict liability any entity involved with a defective medical device anywhere from design to when it was inserted must reimburse you for your injuries regardless of their actions. However, you should not expect that Exactech is going to willingly compensate you for the harm their defective products have caused. For full
compensation you need an attorney to stand up for you who knows the law, knows how knows how to determine the value of your claim and will fight until there is nothing left to fight. Reach out to our dedicated Chicago Exactech recall lawsuit lawyers now. We do not take any attorneys’ fees until you receive the financial recovery you are owed.
Click on the links below for more information on the three Exactech joint replacement recalls and lawsuits:
Use Exactech’s Recall Serial Number Checker to see if your knee, ankle or hip replacement has been recalled. See the website page about Exactech’s recall information here.
In spite of the fact that Exactech has stated that they will pay for another joint replacement and surgery for patients who were implanted with knee, ankle or hip replacements, this does nothing to compensate you for the damages you have suffered as a result of the defective insert or liner. While money will not make your pain and other intangible losses go away forever, a complete financial recovery can help restore you. Hire us to fight for you. Reach out to an Exactech recall lawsuit lawyer as soon as you can.
Exactech Pte Ltd, a corporation that provides healthcare providers with implants and joint replacement technologies,
announced a worldwide recall in February 2022 for some of their products, as their shelf-life was found to be shorter
than advertised. Many of these products have been on the US market for 28 years.
The recalled product, Exactech Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) knee inserts, were said to have an
eight-year shelf life. However, reports from customers who have received knee replacements using Exactech’s polyethylene
knee inserts found the product to be flawed and susceptible to rapid degeneration, leading to increased chances of
further injury to your joints and other medical complications.
A key aspect of determining a knee replacement’s lifespan is evaluating how the polyethylene insert will hold up over time. Typically, inserts are designed to be resistant to oxidation before being inserted into your knee, which is a prominent cause of premature failure. Exactech’s error was not including a layer of Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) in the packaging, even though their designs implied it would be there. The absence of that layer increases the chances that oxygen can leek into the insert and cause degeneration. The knee replacement failing earlier than expected can cause further injuries to the patient.
Exactech’s polyethylene ankle replacement inserts were recalled because of the same lack of a second barrier, leading to oxidation and premature failure. After several surgeons and patients reported the early wearing down the Food and Drug Administration to institute a Class 2 Device Recall. If your ankle replacement wears down prematurely, it can not only lead to further surgeries or an entirely new ankle replacement, but immense pain, not to mention the emotional and economic damages you incur.
There are four parts of a hip replacement:
A pair of academic studies released in 2020, one called Early Polyethylene Failure in a Modern Total Hip Prosthesis: A Note of
Caution and another titled Early failure of a modern moderately cross-linked polyethylene acetabular liner, both noted that the acetabular liner in Exactech’s hip replacements were lasting several years fewer than expected.
The recall was issued because Exactech’s Connexion GXL acetabular liners carried the the risk of edge-loading, which is when the contact point between the acetabular and femoral components are not aligned, leading to them wearing down. As opposed to Exactech’s polyethylene ankle and knee liners, these hip liners are also prone to oxidation after the surgery is completed. Before you are inserted with the replacement, the same lack of a second barrier layer as the ankle and knee inserts make the liners more prone to oxidization. After surgery, they can become oxidized in the presence of certain risk factors:
The recall applies to the Exactech products listed below:
Just having an Exactech hip replacement does not mean that they need to award you damages. In order to be eligible for additional compensation, the implant must have been manufactured no earlier than 2004 and no later than 2021, and you must have incurred further damages. Our product liability lawyers have the grit, knowledge and experience to stand in your corner and not give up until you are fully compensated. Discover if you are able to file an Exactech recall lawsuit with a complimentary case evaluation with one of our lawyers now.
To file a suit for a recalled ankle, knee or hip replacement, the product must have resulted in financial and emotional harm. After consulting the doctor who performed the surgery, consult next with our Chicago, IL attorney without delay if you have experienced any of the following symptoms.
Visit your doctor as soon as possible if you have an Exactech joint replacement. They will determine the scope of your symptoms, identify any damage and determine what medical care you need to correct the problems caused by the recalled Exactech inserts.
If your doctor confirms that you have suffered harm from your Exactech polyethylene insert or liner, call our personal injury lawyers immediately.
You should immediately call your doctor to set up an appointment. The doctor will go over any symptoms you are having, and take x-rays to verify the condition of the ankle, knee or hip replacement. If your liner or insert has not yet resulted in any damages, your doctor will know how to best move forward.
Once you have had your joint replacement analyzed consult with an attorney as soon as possible. Contact your healthcare
providers to get copies of your medical records and collect your pay stubs and W2s if you could not work for a period because of your injuries.
Exactech has hired an outside firm, Broadspire, to handle claim reimbursement for the defective joint replacements. However, it is important to keep in mind that they are working for Exactech, and that means you will likely need fierce legal representation to get the financial recovery that compensates you for all of your damages. The defective medical device lawyers of McCready Law know how to get you what you are owed. Make sure to get a free consultation with a lawyer before contacting Broadspire to make sure you know how much compensation you should receive.
Exactech and Broadspire are only offering to pay for a refund, which is not nearly enough to truly compensating you for the the consequences of Exactech’s negligence. Additional compensation you can seek in Chicago, IL includes:
Exactech’s willingness to pay for out-of-pocket expenses is not a true recognition of the damage their faulty polyethylene inserts and liners have caused. But the good thing is they do not get to decide what the extent of your damages are. Your damages are determined by how their negligence has impacted you. Our attorneys will ensure that they repay you for everything that they are legally obligated to.
It is critical to choose the right law firm in Chicago, IL for your Exactech recall lawsuit. Why put your Exactech joint replacement lawsuit in our lawyers’ trustworthy hands? Our firm has over than three decades of experience defending the rights of the injured and protecting consumers from the harms of poorly designed, manufactured or packaged products. We will not stop fighting until you recover a complete financial recovery for all of your damages.
Our product liability lawyers never stop fighting until our clients are paid in full. We stay up-to-date on the Consumer Product Safety Commission and are always honing our trial skills. As effective litigators with unrivaled negotiation skills, we are often able to settle claims for our clients out of court. But when the insurance company or defective product manufacturer refuses to take responsibility and treat its victims fairly, we take your fight all the way to trial, exercising our unrivaled abilities as trial lawyers.
