ASR Hip Implant Settlement Update (May 15th, 2014): It appears that over 7,200 ASR patients have enrolled in the U.S. ASR Hip Implant Settlement Program. Since there were about 8,000 lawsuits involving revisions this means that over 90% have opted in to the settlement.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement DePuy had a right to walk away from the settlement if fewer than 94% opted in to the settlement. It appears to me that a sufficient number of people have opted into the settlement that DePuy cannot or will not walk away from the deal. The official ASR Settlement Website www.usasrhipsettlement.com states that payments would likely begin shortly after June 1, 2014 if the walk away right is not exercised by DePuy or cannot be exercised because more than 94% of eligible ASR patients have opted into the settlement.
Brown Greer, the settlement administrator, has the responsibility to review each claim before paying and it is possible that it could take longer than early June to review over 7,200 claims so I don’t think people can count on being paid in June but it is possible according to the website.
While no amount of money is fair for what DePuy did to hip implant patients it is about time people received some compensation after all of these years. I represent a number of people who had revisions after August 2013 or who could not have a revision but needed one and I do expect that there will be a second wave settlement for those people.
Joseph H. Saunders
Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer
800-748-7115
www.Saunderslawyers.com