Is There a Class Action Lawsuit Against Exactech?

Patients who suffered injuries due to defective Exactech knee, ankle, and hip replacement parts may be eligible to file a lawsuit and join newly formed multidistrict litigation (MDL) case against the manufacturer. Since mid-2021, Exactech has recalled thousands of joint replacement inserts that have the potential to degrade early. Patients whose implants failed prematurely have been forced to undergo costly corrective surgery.

If you were harmed by an Exactech joint replacement insert and had to undergo revision surgery, the New York medical device attorneys at Finz & Finz, P.C. could help you seek compensation for your medical expenses and other losses. Read on to learn more about the lawsuits against Exactech and how to demand accountability for the harm you suffered.

Exactech Lawsuits Have Been Centralized in a Multidistrict Litigation Case

Reuters reports that the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) recently combined 75 Exactech joint replacement lawsuits into an MDL. An MDL is formed when multiple cases filed in various federal courts are consolidated and transferred to a single federal court. The purpose of an MDL is to save the parties involved time and money. Consolidating cases also ensures that separate lawsuits reach similar outcomes.

These 75 cases (along with potential future lawsuits) will now be litigated in the Eastern District of New York under Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. Judge Garaufis has served as a judge in the Eastern District of New York since 2000 and was promoted to Senior Judge in 2014.

Exactech previously indicated its support for consolidating the lawsuits, though the company advocated for the cases to be litigated in Florida’s Northern District, where the company is based, and other courts. However, Reuters reports that about one-third of all Exactech joint replacement lawsuits have been filed in New York’s Eastern District, and the defective Optetrak knee-replacement device was engineered at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Brooklyn. Therefore, the Eastern District of New York was a natural venue for the Exactech MDL.

According to the JPML’s decision, there are numerous benefits to consolidating the cases. Those benefits include condensing and expediting the pretrial process, decreasing the chances of repetitive discovery (the process in which attorneys turn over evidence they plan to use at trial), and ensuring that certain legal challenges and issues are ruled on consistently.

According to the decision, the JPML can consider future lawsuits involving defective Exactech joint replacement devices for inclusion in the MDL. If you suffered injuries due to Exactech’s recalled knee, ankle, or hip implants in New York, you should reach out to a product liability attorney immediately to find out if you qualify for a lawsuit.

Why Are Lawsuits Being Filed Against Exactech?

Exactech polyethylene inserts are designed to replace arthritic or injured joints. However, since 2004, Exactech has improperly stored knee, ankle, and hip replacement inserts. The inserts were exposed to oxygen in storage due to defective vacuum packaging, leading many of these inserts to rapidly deteriorate and fail after being implanted in patients.

Deteriorating inserts can lead to injuries and complications such as:

• Bone loss
• Instability
• An inability to put weight on the affected leg
• Pain while walking
• Swelling around the affected area
• Grinding sounds caused by the degrading insert

Exactech first issued a safety advisory regarding the polyethylene liner contained in its Connexion GXL hip replacement devices in the summer of 2021. The company stated that the liner might degrade at higher rates in some patients under certain conditions. On August 31, 2021, Exactech initiated a recall for numerous knee and ankle implants because of issues involving the polyethylene inserts used to manufacture its implants. In August 2022, the company issued an expanded recall of their Connexion GXL hip liners and additional polyethylene liners. Like the recalled knee and ankle replacement implants, the company found that GXL inserts manufactured since 2004 were improperly stored and, as a result, prone to degrade prematurely.

Individuals who received Exactech knee, ankle, or hip implants that later failed, leading to revision surgery, are now filing lawsuits against the manufacturer. The lawsuits allege that Exactech failed to produce implants that were safe for patients to use.

Do I Qualify for an Exactech Lawsuit?

If you experienced complications after receiving a knee, ankle, or hip implant that Exactech has recalled, you might be eligible to seek compensation through a lawsuit. Exactech has recalled the following knee and ankle replacement devices:

Exactech Total Knee Replacement Systems

• OPTETRAK® All-polyethylene PS Tibial Components
• OPTETRAK® All-polyethylene CR Tibial Components
• OPTETRAK® B-Series Ps Tibial Insert
• OPTETRAK® CC Tibial Inserts
• OPTETRAK® CR Tibial Inserts
• OPTETRAK® CR Slope Tibial Inserts
• OPTETRAK® PS Tibial Inserts
• OPTETRAK® HI-FLEX® PS Tibial Inserts
• OPTETRAK “MOMB” Non-Mod Molded Insert
• OPTETRAK® RBK PS Tibial Components
• OPTETRAK Logic® CR Tibial Inserts
• OPTETRAK Logic® CR Slope Tibial Inserts
• OPTETRAK Logic® CRC Tibial Inserts
• OPTETRAK Logic® PS Tibial Inserts
• OPTETRAK Logic® PSC Tibial Inserts
• OPTETRAK Logic® CC Tibial Inserts
• CUSTOM OPTETRAK® Angled PS Insert
• CUSTOM OPTETRAK® CC Tibial Inserts
• TRULIANT® PS Tibial Inserts
• TRULIANT® PSC Tibial Inserts
• TRULIANT® CR Tibial Insert
• TRULIANT® CRC Tibial Inserts
• TRULIANT® CR Slope Tibial Inserts

Exactech Partial Knee Replacement Systems

• OPTETRAK® Unicondylar Tibial Components

Exactech Total Ankle Replacement Systems

• VANTAGE® Fixed-Bearing Liner Component

Connexion GXL hip liners

Exactech has also recalled Connexion GXL hip liners from the following product families:

• Acumatch GXL
• MCS GXL
• Novation GXL
• Exactech All Polyethylene Cemented Cup
• Acumatch Conventional UHMWPE
• MCS Conventional UHMWPE
• Novation Conventional UHMWPE

You can check to see if your knee, ankle, or hip insert is affected by a recall. If your Exactech implant was recalled, and you have reason to believe that the device is deteriorating prematurely, you should seek medical attention right away. Your doctor should be able to assess the implant and determine if you’ll need revision surgery.

Contact a New York Exactech Lawsuit Attorney

You could be entitled to file a lawsuit against Exactech if you received a recalled Exactech joint replacement device that later failed, resulting in corrective surgery. Like all medical product manufacturers, Exactech is obligated to design, manufacture, and sell products that are safe for patients. The company failed to fulfill that obligation.

Get in touch with a New York medical devices lawyer at Finz & Finz, P.C. today. We can evaluate your situation and advise you on whether you have a case. Contact us online or call us for a free, no-risk consultation at 855-TOP-FIRM.