Weitz & Luxenberg’s Ellen Relkin Appointed Chairperson and Liaison in Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Implant Litigation
New York, NY, February 21, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Mass tort and personal injury litigation firm Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C. today announced that attorney Ellen Relkin has been appointed by the Honorable Brian R. Martinotti of the New Jersey Superior Court as Chair of the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee of the New Jersey consolidated Multi-County Litigation in the In Re: Stryker Rejuvenate & ABG II Hip Implant Litigation.
Relkin was also appointed as Liaison Counsel, charged with coordinating with the New Jersey Superior Court and any other courts, federal or state, who may handle parallel litigations, as well as coordinating with both plaintiffs’ and defense counsel.
The Stryker Rejuvenate Litigation, a multidistrict litigation comprised of lawsuits filed by injured hip implant patients nationwide, was granted Multi-County Litigation status in January and assigned to New Jersey Superior Court, Bergen County, one of the three New Jersey Multi-County venues. Since Stryker is a New Jersey resident defendant, plaintiffs from around the country are able to pursue claims in state court New Jersey. This suit is the only centralized jurisdiction in the country for Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II cases. More than fifty cases are currently pending before Judge Martinotti in Bergen County and based on representations in court today, several hundred cases are expected to be filed shortly.
The plaintiffs to the suit allege that the two recalled Stryker hip stems at issue, containing a titanium coating, when connected to the cobalt chrome neck and taper of the device, cause a corrosive metallic process resulting in the shedding of cobalt, chromium and other toxic metal ions at high levels which can injure tissues, muscle, nerve and bones around the device, and fail years earlier than expected, necessitating risky revision surgery.
Relkin filed the petition to obtain multi-county consolidation before the Administrative Office of the Courts in September, 2012.
Relkin, a lawyer in Weitz & Luxenberg’s medical devices unit, is also co-lead of the In Re DePuy ASR MDL Litigation and serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the In re: Biomet M2a Magnum Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation (MDL 239). Weitz & Luxenberg’s leadership in metal-on-metal hip litigations extends to attorney Peter Samberg’s appointment to the In Re DepuyOrthopaedics, Inc., Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability MDL Litigation based in Dallas.
Under increasing scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Stryker recalled in July all Rejuvenate implants. They had previously issued an official urgent safety notice in April as evidence of problems with their hip stem components surfaced.
About Weitz & Luxenberg
Founded in 1986 by attorneys Perry Weitz and Arthur Luxenberg, Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C., today ranks among the nation’s leading law firms. Weitz & Luxenberg’s numerous litigation areas include: mesothelioma, defective medicine and devices, environmental pollutants, accidents, personal injury, and medical malpractice. Victims of accidents are invited to rely on Weitz & Luxenberg’s more than 25 years of handling such cases – begin by contacting the firm’s Client Relations department at 1-800-476-6070 or at clientrelations@weitzlux.com and ask for a free legal consultation. More information: www.weitzlux.com
Relkin was also appointed as Liaison Counsel, charged with coordinating with the New Jersey Superior Court and any other courts, federal or state, who may handle parallel litigations, as well as coordinating with both plaintiffs’ and defense counsel.
The Stryker Rejuvenate Litigation, a multidistrict litigation comprised of lawsuits filed by injured hip implant patients nationwide, was granted Multi-County Litigation status in January and assigned to New Jersey Superior Court, Bergen County, one of the three New Jersey Multi-County venues. Since Stryker is a New Jersey resident defendant, plaintiffs from around the country are able to pursue claims in state court New Jersey. This suit is the only centralized jurisdiction in the country for Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II cases. More than fifty cases are currently pending before Judge Martinotti in Bergen County and based on representations in court today, several hundred cases are expected to be filed shortly.
The plaintiffs to the suit allege that the two recalled Stryker hip stems at issue, containing a titanium coating, when connected to the cobalt chrome neck and taper of the device, cause a corrosive metallic process resulting in the shedding of cobalt, chromium and other toxic metal ions at high levels which can injure tissues, muscle, nerve and bones around the device, and fail years earlier than expected, necessitating risky revision surgery.
Relkin filed the petition to obtain multi-county consolidation before the Administrative Office of the Courts in September, 2012.
Relkin, a lawyer in Weitz & Luxenberg’s medical devices unit, is also co-lead of the In Re DePuy ASR MDL Litigation and serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the In re: Biomet M2a Magnum Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation (MDL 239). Weitz & Luxenberg’s leadership in metal-on-metal hip litigations extends to attorney Peter Samberg’s appointment to the In Re DepuyOrthopaedics, Inc., Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability MDL Litigation based in Dallas.
Under increasing scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Stryker recalled in July all Rejuvenate implants. They had previously issued an official urgent safety notice in April as evidence of problems with their hip stem components surfaced.
About Weitz & Luxenberg
Founded in 1986 by attorneys Perry Weitz and Arthur Luxenberg, Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C., today ranks among the nation’s leading law firms. Weitz & Luxenberg’s numerous litigation areas include: mesothelioma, defective medicine and devices, environmental pollutants, accidents, personal injury, and medical malpractice. Victims of accidents are invited to rely on Weitz & Luxenberg’s more than 25 years of handling such cases – begin by contacting the firm’s Client Relations department at 1-800-476-6070 or at clientrelations@weitzlux.com and ask for a free legal consultation. More information: www.weitzlux.com
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Weitz & Luxenberg
Dave Kufeld
1-800-476-6070
www.weitzlux.com
Dave Kufeld
1-800-476-6070
www.weitzlux.com
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