Defective Hip Lawsuit Funding Firm, Fair Rate Funding, Reports $502 million Verdict in Pinnacle Hip Implant Trial (press release)
Fair Rate Funding, a lawsuit funding firm specializing in the lawsuit cash advance funding of defective hip implants has learned that a Dallas jury awarded a $497.5 million to five plaintiffs severely injured by Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implants.  The lawsuit was broken down as $142 million compensatory and $360 million punitive damages against Johnson & Johnson (J&J).  The case was tried in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
The trial consolidated five separate plaintiffs asserting that the DePuy hip implants were defective in that they caused metallosis, a condition in which small metal particles enter into the patient’s blood causing severe injuries.
The five cases that were decided: Aoki v. DePuy Orthopedics, et al., No. 3:13-cv-01071-K; Christopher v. DePuy Orthopedics, et al., No. 3:14-cv-01994-K; Greer v. DePuy Orthopedics, et al., No. 3:12-cv-01672-K; Klusmann v. DePuy Orthopedics, et al., No. 3:11-cv-02800-K; and Peterson v. DePuy Orthopedics, et al., No. 3:11-cv-01941-K.
At trial, Plaintiffs’ attorneys produced evidence which suggested that doctors lied in the clinical testing of the implant products and forged other documents designed to misstate the results certain patients experienced when using the product.
“We are pleased with this victory for victims of these dangerous devices,” said Paul Coppola, President of Fair Rate Funding, a lawsuit funding firm which has been helping hip implant defect plaintiffs for years.  “The testimony gives the public the opportunity to hear how major medical products can be approved for use based upon false data and testing.  If true, it shows how J&J prioritizes profit over people.  We hope this outcome will help bring the remainder of the hip implant lawsuits to settlement quickly.”
Since learning of the problems caused by defective hip implants, Fair Rate Funding has worked with thousands of plaintiffs in an effort to secure defective hip lawsuit funding.  These funds are used to help clients pay for ordinary expenses or whatever financial matters arise.  There are absolutely no restrictions on the use of the money and no upfront costs to apply.
By offering cash now to help pay for any type of expense such as car loans, rent and mortgage payments, utility payments, personal loans, and daily living expenses, Fair Rate Funding eases some of the financial stress these plaintiffs endure.  There are no restrictions on the use of the funds.
Fair Rate Funding specializes in advancing cash now for plaintiffs who are involved in personal injury lawsuits including defective hips. Sometimes referred to as settlement loans or lawsuit loans, settlement funding is NOT a loan transaction but a purchase of a portion of a future recovery.  If the lawsuit is unsuccessful for any reason and no money is recovered, the lawsuit funding is not repaid.
Fair Rate Funding works diligently to afford lawsuit funding to its applicants and has representatives standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer questions regarding the lawsuit funding process.
Fair Rate Funding lawsuit settlement funding programs are not a lawsuit loan or lawsuit loans although they are often referred to as such.  A pre-settlement lawsuit cash advance is not a settlement loan or settlement loans because the advance is only repaid if the case is successful.  Your attorney will repay your case funding or lawsuit advance ONLY if your case is won or settled.
Fair Rate Funding prides itself on providing the quickest approvals – as soon as 24 hours on most cases, the lowest monthly usage rates – as low as 2.5% per month, and the most attentive customer service in the lawsuit funding industry.
Fair Rate Funding also offers free case evaluations.  If you are, at any time, not interested in pursuing lawsuit funding, there are no costs to you and absolutely no obligations.
For more information about lawsuit funding and other services from Fair Rate Funding, simply call a representative at 888-964-2224, operators are standing by.
SOURCE Fair Rate Funding
 

OK TO PLACE ACETABULAR CUP OUTSIDE “SAFE ZONE?” (Orthopedics This Week)
In a retrospective study, Cleveland Clinic researchers set out to test the association between cup positioning and patient-reported functional and general health outcomes, as well as dislocation rate. Going in, the team hypothesized that cup positioning with reference to the native acetabular rim, rather than the reported safe zone, would affect dislocation risk and patient-reported outcomes. All participants received CT imaging when undergoing primary, unilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA) at a single academic center by six surgeons from March 2011-January 2015.
Carlos A. Higuera Rueda, M.D. is an orthopedic surgeon with Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, who co-authored the study. Asked how certain cup positioning might affect patient-reported functional and general health outcomes, he toldOTW, The positioning of the components, both acetabular and femoral, would dictate the hip range of motion free of impingement and potentially dictate the mechanics that rule the muscle function around the hip girdle. When the range of motion and the mechanics of the hip are affected, the gait and activities of daily living will be affected. The spine and other joint like the knee and ankle will be affected as well.”
“It was surprising to learn that there is no relationship between positioning the acetabular component on what historically has been defined as a ‘safe zone’ (using the anterior pelvic plane) to prevent instability and have better patient-reported outcomes. Alternatively, we found that the superior and anterior rim of the acetabulum can be used to define version and inclination of the acetabular component in relation to the native acetabulum (and indirectly to the pelvis) and this position correlated better with patient-reported outcomes. This may be explained by the relationship between pelvic tilt, spine anatomy with the hip and other variables that at least in this study are merely assumptions. Future studies should be done to define such relationships with the proposed definition of acetabular component placement.”

Study Compares Carbon Footprint of Single-Use and Reusable Surgical Instruments (Orthopedic Design and Technology)
A lifecycle study performed by Solvay Specialty Polymers and Medacta found that the carbon footprint of single-use instrumentation fabricated from high-performance polymers is neutral when compared to the average CO2 equivalent annual emission of a hospital using conventional metal re-usable instrumentation. (Credit: Solvay Specialty Polymers)
Solvay Specialty Polymers, a supplier of high-performance thermoplastics, reported the results of a major study challenging perceptions that single-use medical instruments have a negative environmental impact vs. reusable instruments. Conducted in conjunction with Medacta International, a manufacturer of orthopedic implants, neurosurgical systems and instrumentation, and Swiss Climate, an independent sustainability consultant, the report signals a significant cradle-to-grave lifecycle analysis to measure the environmental impact of high-performance polymers in healthcare applications.   “As industry-leading innovators and collaborators, both Solvay and Medacta have been at the forefront of the trend toward single-use medical instrumentation. Despite the tremendous promise of the single-use concept for reducing the frequency of hospital acquired infections, concerns over increased waste have led to the perception that single-use instrumentation is less environmentally friendly than traditional systems,” said Bianca Shemper, sustainability manager for Solvay Specialty Polymers. “With Medacta’s help, we methodically explored those concerns to determine whether the alleged environmental impact of a single-use instrument kit outweighed its clear potential benefits. Partnerships like this emphasize Solvay’s commitment to taking a leadership role in sustainable chemistry and environmental responsibility to help our customers foster environmentally friendly yet highly competitive new solutions.”   Applying the ISO 14044 standard for lifecycle analysis, the group focused its study on the cumulative environmental impact of a surgical instrument kit for knee replacement manufactured by Medacta. The kit is available with either all-metal reusable instruments (GMK) or with single-use instruments (GMK Efficiency) injection molded from several high-performance medical grade polymers from Solvay. The analysis encompassed the complete cradle-to-grave lifecycle of both kit options, including their raw materials, production, use and disposal, as well as post-use management, reuse and recovery.   Overall, the lifecycle analysis of Medacta’s surgery kit demonstrated that the carbon footprint of GMK Efficiency single-use instrumentation is neutral when compared to the average CO2 equivalent annual emission of a hospital using conventional metal re-usable instrumentation. These findings counter existing industry perceptions about the negative environmental impact of single-use instrumentation, and reinforce the viability of metal-to-plastic conversion for these applications. Further, the findings allowed Medacta to apply Swiss Climate’s respected CO2 Neutral stamp to its GMK Efficiency single-use surgical instrument kit for knee replacement.   Additional input from Swiss Climate found that GMK Efficiency single-use instrumentation eliminates the need for repeated washing and sterilization, which can save up to 115 gallons (435 liters) of water for each surgical knee procedure.   “Medacta has always been committed to providing solutions that are optimally safe and effective, delivering economic sustainability with highly innovative products, while respecting the environment,” said Francesco Siccardi, executive vice president of Medacta International. “Medacta’s latest innovation, GMK Efficiency single use instruments, is the ultimate evidence of this constant commitment.”   “Despite the debate over environmental impact, demand for single-use instruments is growing quickly due, in part, to their potential for reducing hospital acquired infections,” said Dane Waund, global healthcare market manager for Solvay Specialty Polymers. “To help customers more familiar with metal fabrication consider making this important transition, Solvay is committed to partnering with industry leaders like Medacta to evaluate the potential environmental impact of alternative solutions, and to usher in a new generation of safer and more innovative medical instrumentation.”