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Kline et. al. v. Zimmer et. al.

Case Fact Sheet

$9.20M Verdict in First Hip Implant Case Against Zimmer, Inc.

Case Summary

On July 24, 2015, A Los Angeles jury awarded $9.20 million to Gary Kline, a 59-year-old California man who was injured by a defective metal-on-metal hip implant manufactured by Zimmer, Inc. Zimmer altered the Durom Cup’s plasma coating before introducing it to the American Market, and chose not to test the altered coating to determine its effectiveness. As a result, Zimmer’s Durom Cup forced Gary to undergo two grueling hip replacement surgeries in just 15 months and has left him living with chronic pain.

Verdict

July 24, 2015
$9,153,000 total award:
$153,000 medical bills
$2.4M past non-economic damages
$6.6M future non-economic damages
Liability: Zimmer 100%

Significance

First verdict against Zimmer, Inc. in a metal-on-metal hip implant case
Plaintiffs had no templates to work from; had to create their own

Case Information

Cause No. BC44 484 Gary Kline, et al v. Zimmer, Inc., et al
Trial length: 3 weeks Deliberation Length: 3.5 hours

Jurisdiction

Los Angeles County, Superior Court, California
Hon. Amy D. Hogue, presiding

Plaintiffs Experts (live testimony)

Roy Bloebaum Ph.D., Coatings Expert
George Samaras, Ph.D., D.Sc., PE, CPE, CQE, FDA Expert
Dr. Ryan Nunley, Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. William Long, Orthopedic Surgeon

Defense Experts (live testimony)

Kevin Ong, Ph.D., P.E., Biomedical Engineer, Coatings Expert
Dr. James W. Pritchett, Orthopedic Surgeon
Hollace Rhodes, FDA Reviewer

Plaintiffs’ Counsel

Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel – Los Angeles, Dallas
David Bricker (lead trial counsel), Gibbs Henderson, Erin Wood

Defense Counsel

Norton Rose Fulbright, Los Angeles
Jan Dodd
Shook, Hardy & Bacon, Kansas City
David Brooks
Faegre Baker Daniels, Indianapolis
Stacy Prall

Disclaimer – Results obtained depend on the facts of each case. Award amounts are not actual cash amounts received by plaintiffs. Deductions are made for offsets, liens, attorney fees and expenses.

To learn more about our national plaintiffs’ attorneys or the law firm’s resources or to have a Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel attorney review your potential case, call 800.226.9880 or email us.

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