Hip Replacement Lawsuit: Where Each Case Stands in October 2026
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There is no single hip replacement lawsuit. There are several federal case groups, one per implant maker, and almost all of them are winding down. The newest change: the Smith & Nephew hip resurfacing MDL was terminated on September 28, 2026. The largest group still open is Exactech, with 1,838 cases pending, and Exactech went through bankruptcy. There is no hip replacement class action, no open hip replacement settlement and no claim form.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Hip Implant Lawsuits Claim
Every hip replacement lawsuit is an individual product-liability case. A patient alleges that a specific implant was defective and caused them harm, usually a revision surgery to remove and replace it.
The claims vary by device. Metal-on-metal hips such as DePuy ASR are alleged to have shed cobalt and chromium into the body. The Stryker LFIT V40 femoral head cases allege corrosion that made the head break off the stem. The Exactech cases allege that polyethylene liners were packaged in a way that let them degrade, so they wore out early. Exactech notified surgeons about its GXL liners in June 2021, according to Drugwatch. The manufacturers deny the claims. None of these cases is a class action. Each patient files a separate case.
Case Details
Federal hip cases are grouped into multidistrict litigation (MDL) dockets. Figures below come from the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation's report dated October 1, 2026:
Exactech, MDL 3044: In re: Exactech Polyethylene Orthopedic Products Liability Litigation, No. 1:22-md-3044, E.D.N.Y., Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. 1,838 cases pending of 1,847 filed.
DePuy ASR, MDL 2197: No. 1:10-md-2197, N.D. Ohio, Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick. 114 pending of 10,455.
Stryker LFIT V40, MDL 2768: No. 1:17-md-2768, D. Mass., Judge Indira Talwani. 47 pending of 1,240.
Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II, MDL 2441: D. Minn., Judge Donovan W. Frank. 6 pending of 3,638.
Zimmer M/L Taper and Versys head, MDL 2859: S.D.N.Y., Judge Jesse M. Furman. 1 pending of 332.
Smith & Nephew BHR, MDL 2775: No. 1:17-md-2775, D. Md., Judge James K. Bredar. Terminated on September 28, 2026.
Status: Mostly Wound Down, No Class Settlement
The newest event is the closing of the Smith & Nephew BHR docket on September 28, 2026. Drugwatch reports that new transfers into it had already been stopped in October 2024. Closing an MDL does not pay anyone.
Exactech is the exception, and bankruptcy shapes it. Exactech filed Chapter 11 in Delaware on October 29, 2024 (No. 24-12441, Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein). A revised plan was approved in September 2025. It created a settlement trust for personal-injury and wrongful-death claims, plus a separate trust funded with $2 million to sue Exactech's private-equity owner, TPG. The judge noted that the plan does not specify how injured patients will be compensated. On February 5, 2026, the litigation trust sued TPG in the Delaware Court of Chancery, according to a plaintiff-firm press release. We have not verified later developments. Our Exactech recall lawsuit page covers it in detail.
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Who These Cases Cover
You are only part of a hip case if you file your own claim. Nobody joins automatically, because these are individual injury cases, not a class. The question that matters is which implant you have. The brand and model are on the implant record from your surgery. Your surgeon's office or the hospital can give you a copy.
Devices in the federal dockets: DePuy ASR, Stryker LFIT V40, Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II, Zimmer M/L Taper with the Versys head, Smith & Nephew BHR, and Exactech polyethylene liners. Drugwatch reports that Zimmer Biomet recalled its CPT Hip System in July 2024 over a higher risk of thigh-bone fractures. That device has no MDL.
Infections after hip surgery are a different case. If your claim involves a surgical warming blanket, see the Bair Hugger lawsuit (MDL 2666, 8,424 cases pending as of October 1, 2026). Deadlines to sue come from state law and depend on when the injury was discovered. No court notice sets a date for you.
What Hip Implant Cases Have Paid
For Exactech, the confirmed plan does not say how much injured patients will get or how payments will be calculated. That depends on what the settlement trust recovers, including from the TPG lawsuit. We have not found any published per-claim figure. Treat any number you are quoted as an estimate.
Hip Replacement Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
December 2010 — DePuy ASR MDL Created
Federal ASR hip cases are centralized in the Northern District of Ohio as MDL 2197. As of October 1, 2026, 114 of the 10,455 cases are still pending.
- 2
April 2017 — Stryker LFIT V40 and Smith & Nephew BHR
The JPML creates MDL 2768 in Massachusetts and MDL 2775 in Maryland for femoral-head and hip-resurfacing claims.
- 3
October 2022 — Exactech MDL 3044
Cases over Exactech polyethylene hip, knee and ankle components are centralized before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis in Brooklyn.
- 4
October 29, 2024 — Exactech Files Chapter 11
Exactech files for bankruptcy in Delaware (No. 24-12441). Injury claims now run through the bankruptcy process.
- 5
September 2025 — Exactech Plan Approved
The court approves a sale and a revised plan with a settlement trust for injury claims and a $2 million trust to pursue TPG. The plan sets no payment method for patients.
- 6
September 28, 2026 — Smith & Nephew MDL Closed
The JPML lists MDL 2775 as terminated. Exactech (1,838 cases pending) is now the largest hip docket. No public settlement is open.
Three Things to Watch For
Hip implant patients are older, have medical records worth money and are being heavily advertised to. Watch for:
“Hip replacement class action — claim your payment”
There is no hip replacement class action and no claim form. A site that asks for your implant model, Medicare number or surgery records to “register for the settlement” is collecting leads or data. It is not filing anything for you.
“Exactech bankruptcy payment” that needs a fee
No per-claim amount has been set, and nothing we found says patients must pay a fee to receive money. If you get a call or letter like this, check it against the official bankruptcy case, No. 24-12441 in Delaware, before you reply.
“The MDL just closed, sign now or lose everything”
The Smith & Nephew docket closing on September 28, 2026 does not set a deadline for you. Your deadline is your state's statute of limitations. Pressure to sign a retainer the same day is a sales tactic. Read any agreement first.
Hip Replacement Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a hip replacement class action lawsuit?
No. Hip implant claims are filed as individual product-liability cases, and the federal ones are grouped into MDLs by manufacturer. As of October 2026, no hip replacement class action has been certified and no class settlement is open.
Is there a class action lawsuit hip replacement patients can join right now?
There is nothing to join. If you think your implant failed, you would have to file your own claim. That is a decision to make with a lawyer you choose yourself, and it depends on your device and your state's filing deadline.
Is there a hip replacement settlement I can file a claim in?
No. As of October 2026 there is no public hip replacement settlement, claim form or deadline. Earlier settlements, like DePuy ASR and Stryker LFIT V40, were private programs, not open claim forms.
Which hip replacement lawsuit is in the news right now?
The Smith & Nephew BHR MDL (No. 1:17-md-2775) was terminated on September 28, 2026. The other active story is Exactech: 1,838 cases pending in MDL 3044 as of October 1, 2026, and a litigation trust suing TPG in Delaware since February 5, 2026.
I have an Exactech hip. What happens to my claim?
Injury claims against Exactech run through the bankruptcy plan approved in September 2025, which created a settlement trust for them. The plan does not set a payment formula. See our Exactech page for the details.
How do I find out which hip implant I have?
Ask the hospital or your surgeon's office for the implant record or operative report from your surgery. It lists the manufacturer, model and lot number of each part: the stem, the head, the cup and the liner.
Is there a lawsuit over the Zimmer CPT hip?
Drugwatch reports that Zimmer Biomet recalled the CPT Hip System in July 2024 over a higher risk of thigh-bone fractures. As of October 2026 there is no MDL for that device and no settlement. A separate Zimmer MDL (2859) covers the M/L Taper with the Versys head and has 1 pending case.
Does a closed MDL mean my claim is gone?
No. When an MDL closes, the federal court stops coordinating cases together. It does not decide claims that were never filed. Whether you can still sue depends on your state's statute of limitations, which usually runs from when you learned of the injury.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.