The Defect and Recall
The DePuy ASR was a metal-on-metal hip implant — both the ball and socket were metal. In use, the metal surfaces could grind and release cobalt and chromium debris into the surrounding tissue and bloodstream, causing pain, inflammation, tissue and bone damage (metallosis) and early device failure. DePuy, a Johnson & Johnson unit, recalled the ASR in 2010 after data showed high failure rates, having sold an estimated 93,000 units worldwide, and advised recipients to be monitored even without symptoms.
Metal-on-metal designs, once marketed as durable, became a cautionary tale in orthopedics.
The Settlement
In November 2013, Johnson & Johnson agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement to resolve claims from patients who had already undergone revision surgery to replace a failed ASR implant — addressing at least 12,000 lawsuits. The deal applied to revisions before a set cutoff (initially January 31, 2015). J&J later agreed to pay hundreds of millions more to cover additional cases, and separately paid $120 million to resolve state claims about ASR marketing.
As with Stryker, the revision-surgery cutoff defined who the main settlement covered.
What Patients Should Know
Recipients of a recalled ASR hip should have cobalt and chromium levels and the implant monitored by their surgeon. For a claim, revision-surgery records and metal-ion testing are the key evidence. The main settlement windows have passed, so anyone with a later revision should consult qualified counsel about remaining options.
Before You Act
Thinking About Filing a Claim?
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DePuy ASR Hip Lawsuit: The $2.5 Billion Settlement: Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions about this case and your legal options.
How much was the DePuy ASR settlement?
$2.5 billion, agreed by Johnson & Johnson in 2013, for patients who had revision surgery to replace a failed ASR hip before a set cutoff, resolving at least 12,000 lawsuits, with hundreds of millions more added later.
What was wrong with the DePuy ASR hip?
It was a metal-on-metal implant whose surfaces could shed cobalt and chromium debris, causing pain, tissue and bone damage and early failure. DePuy recalled it in 2010.
What should ASR recipients do?
Be monitored by a surgeon for metal levels and tissue damage even without symptoms, and keep revision and metal-testing records if a claim is pursued.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Case status, eligibility criteria, and any amounts described are as reported at the date shown and may change. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction about your own situation.