David Selby Appointed to Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in Nationwide Hip Implant Litigation

David Selby, of Bailey Glasser’s Birmingham, Alabama, office, has been appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in a large multi-district litigation (MDL) case allegedly defects in Smith & Nephew hip implants.

As part of the steering committee, Selby will work on research, briefing, discovery, expert retention and consultation, and trial preparation, representing plaintiffs from across the country.

Lawsuits filed against Smith & Nephew have been consolidated into the MDL pending in the United States District Court of Maryland before Judge Catherine C. Blake. The cases allege that the metal-on-metal design of the company’s R3 and BHR line of hip implants lead to tiny particles of cobalt and chromium metal alloys being shed into patients’ hip joints and bodies, potentially leading to bone and tissue necrosis, toxic damage and the formation of pseudotumors.

It is alleged that this design has led to a high percentage of failures of the hip implants — with failure rates as high as 25 percent for women with BHR hip implants. Patients have had to undergo revision surgery to remove the implants, and many require medical monitoring and blood testing, along with physical therapy and nursing home care after the surgery.

It is further alleged that Smith & Nephew failed to study real-world outcomes of its hip implants after it received F.D.A. approval for its hip replacement system, and failed to adequately inform doctors and patients of reports of complications.