A California resident has filed a lawsuit against a major medical device manufacturer, alleging severe injuries from defective surgical hardware. Katrina Ward filed the complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, on August 29, 2024, against DePuy Synthes and its affiliated companies.
The case revolves around a back surgery that Ward underwent on April 3, 2023, at UC Davis Medical Center. During this procedure, hardware manufactured by DePuy Synthes was used for spinal fusion at the T12-L1 vertebrae. However, on January 10, 2024, her healthcare providers discovered that the hardware had failed due to "stripped screws," necessitating a revision surgery that extended to the L1-L2 vertebrae. This failure led to significant physical and emotional distress for Ward.
Ward's legal team argues that DePuy Synthes and its affiliates are liable under several legal theories including strict product liability, negligence, and failure to warn. The complaint states: "Plaintiff is informed and believes that the 'failed hardware' had design and/or manufacturing defects... capable of causing serious life-altering injuries." Furthermore, it alleges that the defendants did not provide adequate warnings or instructions about these potential dangers.
The plaintiff seeks various forms of relief from the court. She is asking for general damages exceeding $25,000 for pain and suffering, loss of earnings capacity due to her inability to work post-surgery, and reimbursement for medical expenses incurred as a result of both surgeries. Additionally, she is seeking punitive damages aimed at penalizing DePuy Synthes for their alleged misconduct. The complaint also requests prejudgment interest calculated from when the cause of action arose.
Representing Katrina Ward are attorneys Jeffrey J.A. Hinrichsen from Clayeo C. Arnold Law Corporation and Jonathan A. Saul from Jonathan Saul & Associates. The case has been assigned Case No. 2-402%-01-F1-a4 in front of Judge M.Chapman.