September 29, 2017 (Atlanta, GA) – Following a nearly six-year litigious battle in both Atlanta, Georgia and California state courts, we are pleased to announce a settlement program that will resolve all remaining eligible pending claims against Wright Medical regarding the Wright Conserve Defective Hip Device.
While there are some limitations, the settlement represents another victory for over 600 pending claims. Wright Medical has already agreed to settle more than 1,300 claims of certain Wright Medical metal-on-metal hip implant patient-claimants whose hips were revised at least 150 days and no more than eight years post-implant.
Wright Conserve Hip Litigation Overview
As a brief history, the Wright Conserve Multi-District Litigation (MDL) was created in February 2012, consolidating all federal court cases in the Northern District of Georgia before United States District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr. Additionally, a Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding (JCCP) petition was approved in May 2012 before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jane Johnson, consolidating California state-court cases involving Wright Medical hip replacement and revision matters, including Wright Medical’s Conserve, Lineage, and Dynasty hip implants. The Hon. Judge Ann Jones has since taken over this JCCP. The Hon. Diane M. Welsh (Ret.), led the extended settlement negotiations and has tirelessly worked with the parties to help facilitate the settlement.
A key issue was Wright’s ability to pay settlements. “As part of Plaintiffs’ Leadership Counsel, we retained financial analysts who had been evaluating Wright Medical’s ability to settle these pending cases for years,” said Michael McGlamry, a shareholder of Atlanta-based Pope McGlamry. “During the negotiations with Wright Medical, it was made clear that claims for non-revised Wright metal-on-metal hips should be dismissed by the respective court under a tolling agreement and plaintiffs that have opted out of one of the three settlements should be remanded by the respective court.”
