Faulty hip implants lead to groundbreaking lawsuit

Faulty hip implants lead to groundbreaking lawsuit

Anyone who receives a hip replacement hopes it will mean decades of pain-free movement.

But for dozens of Kiwis given a faulty hip implant made by medical device maker Depuy, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, they instead got years of pain.

Patients suffered hip loosening, dislocation and some had metal parts of the implant break off inside them, damaging surrounding tissue.

Story met Sanda Lawton, who was one of 400 Kiwis who received a metal-on-metal hip replacement called the ASR between 2000 and 2011.

But within months, Ms Lawton's optimism had turned to despair. She was limping, and couldn't walk without a stick.

Now in a groundbreaking lawsuit against Depuy, many are seeking compensation for the life they say was taken from them.

Watch the video for the full Story report.