With the recent DePuy recall, the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary has been making fervent efforts at fooling patients into accepting poor compensatory damages for access to their medical records and for the return of their defective implants after surgical removal. Patients should be aware of the dangers of signing any agreements with the company before consulting with a lawyer about their legal options.
 
DePuy has already contacted patients supposedly offering reimbursements for losses suffered due to the defective replacement devices. Using vague terms, the company claims that it will give reparations for “certain out-of-pocket medical expenses” in exchange for “simply” signing medical releases allowing DePuy authorized access to private records with the promise of returning the recalled implant. The harsh truth is that DePuy will only reimburse patients for “limited and reasonable” costs. These costs, of course, are determined by the company itself and will more than likely be equivalent to an unfair sum.
 
Patients that may be affected by the DePuy hip implant recall should seek the consultation of an experienced lawyer handling hip recall cases before signing any agreements presented directly by a representative of DePuy Orthopaedics or by a physician. DePuy has encouraged the ethically questionable practice of having doctors give their patients paperwork on behalf of the company. This practice is currently being challenged.
 
Patients may have already acquired additional expenses for necessary medical tests due to defective hip replacement implants, suffered from pain and reduced mobility, or needed corrective surgery to replace the original implant. They may also have obtained other damages such as loss of income, or have become at risk for these types of damages due to the hip implant recall. Patients should know the risks of signing any agreement associated with the DePuy hip recall. DePuy is a company that is highly motivated in avoiding hip replacement lawsuits by taking away a patient’s legal right to fair and reasonable compensatory damages. Patients involved with the hip replacement recall are encouraged to consult a hip replacement lawyer to educate themselves about protecting their legal rights and determining the amount of compensation they may be entitled to. Information regarding ongoing litigation may be found on the DePuy hip recall website.