For some people, it is no longer a surprise that DePuy is now facing serious charges for its defective metal hip replacements. The consequences of the company’s negligence are overwhelming. Recipients of the hip implants reported severe pain, decreased mobility and exhaustion. Top it off with the financial add-ons required by the revision surgeries and blood work, and the victims go ballistic. How could a million dollar company waste its once spotless reputation by allowing flaws in the production of their metal replacements?Obviously, the expected measures that victims will make is to formally file a lawsuit for the violation of their rights as patients. Both the US and the UK are considering the filing of a class-action lawsuit against DePuy to claim damages for pain and expenses. Apart from class action, some Americans are also looking at multi-district litigation, or MDL, as another option. Class action lawsuits and multi-district litigation are two legal terms that have very distinct characteristics in varied aspects.
There exists a convenient and efficient legal proceeding, hence some people opt for a class action lawsuit. This can be applicable when suing DePuy for its product defects, because the large number of complainants can constitute one major lawsuit. In short, individual cases are collectively combined, and then brought to court. However, a more specific process can take place with multidistrict litigation. Instead of merging different kinds of complaints into one lawsuit, cases with similar claims are examined closely and carefully. Complicated product liability suits such as that faced by DePuy can be resolved with MDL. This can be beneficial for some, because it actually hastens the settlements at a shorter time frame.
Thousands have fallen prey to DePuy simply because of their low quality. If you are a recipient of their metal replacements, and if you feel that something is wrong, you may contact a DePuy hip recall lawyer to guide you with the best legal options that are tailored to your specific case.