N.M. Court Upholds $2 Million Verdict in Zimmer Dual-Modular Hip Implant Case

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A New Mexico appeals court has upheld a $2 million verdict issued in a lawsuit targeting Zimmer’s dual-modular hip implant device, ruling that the evidence supported the trial court’s findings that the device was defective.

In a Dec. 30 opinion, a panel of the New Mexico Court of Appeals found the evidence supported the lower court’s determination that Zimmer’s M/L Taper Hip Prosthesis with Kinectiv Technology (MLTK) and a cobalt-chromium head, as configured in the plaintiff, presented an unreasonable risk of metallosis.

Michael Brian McDonald was implanted with the MLTK and a cobalt-chromium head in June 2010. …