The verdict included $1 billion in punitive damages against its DePuy Orthopaedics unit, according to CNN.com. Another $32 million in compensatory damages was to go to the plaintiffs, all of whom suffered after hip replacement surgery that used the DePuy device.
Each had to undergo a second surgery to replace the implant and repair damage to bone and tissue, according to a report by Reuters.
J&J faces more than 8,000 lawsuits for the DePuy product. There have been two earlier trials that looked at the product - one that ruled against the manufacturer, the other that ruled in its favor, according to CNN.com.
The company said it planned to appeal. The company says studies have shown the Pinnacle Ultamet line of devices restores mobility and reduces pain for patients in need of hip replacement.
DePuy Synthes makes surgical joint replacements, power surgical tools, as well as other medical devices used to treat spinal injuries and sports-related injuries. It has offices in Florida, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
This is the second line of J&J hip replacement implants that have triggered lawsuits. The company recalled a different brand, the ASR device, in 2010, and set aside $2.5 billion to compensate patients for damages.
J&J's DePuy faces allegations that the metal-on-metal version of the Pinnacle hip was defectively designed and caused metal debris to leech into patients' bloodstreams. In some cases, the cobalt-and-chromium material caused an infection that forced the patient to have the artificial hips surgically removed.
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