DePuy, J&J Win Decisive Jury Verdict in Hip Implant Suit

Skadden prevailed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on behalf of DePuy Orthopaedics and its parent company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in a two-week jury trial involving claims brought by plaintiffs Michael King and his wife regarding an allegedly defective metal-on-metal hip implant. The plaintiffs alleged Mr. King’s hip device released metal ions into his body, forcing him to retire as a pilot and undergo surgery to replace the hip implant. The court dismissed J&J on Skadden’s Rule 50 motion, and the jury deliberated less than two hours before returning a unanimous verdict for DePuy. This was the first defense verdict in any metal-on-metal hip implant trial since 2014.