California Complaint Added to Zimmer NexGen MDL

On June 8, 2012, California resident Sandra Hurtado filed a Zimmer knee lawsuit in CA federal court. Her case, which alleges complications resulting from Zimmer knee surgery and the NexGen implant, is slated for transfer to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, where related lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict legislation known as the Zimmer NexGen Knee Implant Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2272).

MDL short form complaint streamlines Zimmer knee lawsuit claims

Like other Zimmer knee lawsuit plaintiffs who qualify for the MDL, Hurtado was able to file the short form complaint. This streamlined form provides a succinct list of plaintiff allegations that allow new cases to simply choose applicable categories and the Zimmer knee device responsible for their injuries. There are five different implants included in the MDL:

• Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex
• Zimmer NexGen GSF CR-Flex
• Zimmer NexGen GSF LPS-Flex
• Zimmer NexGen LPS-Flex
• Zimmer NexGen MIS Tibia

Plaintiff alleges early Zimmer knee complications

In her Zimmer knee lawsuit, Hurtado reports that she received the NexGen GSF LPS-Flex on June 17, 2008. Her short form complaint is, not surprisingly, short on details, but the plaintiff alleges that her implant began to loosen and fail soon after implantation. In 2011, just three years after her initial procedure, she was forced to undergo a second Zimmer knee implant surgery, this time for device revision.

Zimmer knee revision surgery required for early failure

Traditional knee implants last on average at least 15 years, and sometimes more. Zimmer NexGen recipients, however, often claim early complications resulting from Zimmer knee devices. In fact, a 2009 study of Mayo Clinic patients revealed an early failure rate of almost 4%. For these patients, knee problems manifest as severe pain, bone damage, infection, and reduced mobility. As does Hurtado, many plaintiffs also report that they require revision surgery to repair their injuries.

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