Signs of Failed Hip and Knee Replacement: Know Your Legal Options
Undergoing a hip or knee replacement surgery is supposed to put a stop to physical issues that make day-to-day life feel sometimes impossible to enjoy to the fullest. Unfortunately for many Oklahoma City, OK, patients, a surgical replacement can fail, leading to continued pain, wasted money, and the need for further surgical intervention.
In this short blog, we will detail some signs of failed hip and knee replacements to watch out for. We will also delineate your legal options if you find yourself in this unfortunate situation, which may include filing a medical malpractice lawsuit or a product liability claim.
Signs of Recurrent Hip Dislocation
A hip dislocation can be the result of physical trauma. However, if you are experiencing certain symptoms, your hip joint dislocation may be the result of a failed surgery. This can be the case if you are experiencing an inability to walk or the one of your legs being significantly shorter than the other. Further signs to look for include severe pain in your hip or groin as well as a general weakness in the leg that received the hip replacement.
Symptoms of a Knee Joint Failure
Typically, a knee joint is expected to need replacement within two decades of its placement. While this is totally normal, experiencing certain issues soon after your surgery can indicate a failed knee joint replacement.
If you are suffering from an unstable knee joint, you may be experiencing hip dislocation, a clicking sound emanating from the joint, hip dislocation, swelling around the knee, or a feeling that the joint is fluctuating.
Infection Can Also Be a Sign of Failed Surgery
Some people do not associate infection symptoms with their hip or knee joint replacement. It is important that you know infections after surgeries do occur, and that these infections can be incredibly dangerous.
You may be suffering from a severe infection caused by your surgery if you are experiencing any of the following: fever, muscle aches, nausea, or severe fatigue.
We Can Sue Your Surgeon
If your surgeon provided an inadequate procedure that did not meet the standard of care that a reasonable surgeon would uphold, we can file a medical malpractice lawsuit to seek compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more.
There are various ways a surgeon’s failure may have led to your pain. These include surgical mistakes, failing to diagnose a relevant condition, and poor follow-up care. Our Oklahoma City law firm works with expert medical witnesses who review all medical records to identify crucial errors.
We Can Also Sue The Joint Manufacturer
If your failed replacement is the result of a defective replacement joint, then the responsible party in your lawsuit would be the manufacturer, not the surgeon. We can sue a product manufacturer for any negligence they committed in the design or manufacture of their medical product.
To use an example from an extremely prominent company, in 2019 Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay approximately $1 billion to plaintiffs who had suffered from defective metal-on-metal hip implants that had to be removed.
Request Your Free Consultation
Our law firm offers free consultations and handles cases on a contingency basis, meaning you won’t pay unless we win. Oklahoma City clients come to us to handle these lawsuits because we have a long track record of success, having won multi-million dollar medical malpractice and product liability cases. Reach out to request the help you deserve.
