Knee Replacement Lawsuit 2026: Where Exactech, DePuy Attune and Zimmer Stand
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The knee replacement lawsuit in the news is the Exactech litigation: recalled knee implants, a federal MDL with 1,838 pending cases as of October 1, 2026, and a company that went through Chapter 11 and moved injury claims into a trust. There is no knee replacement class action, no public settlement, no claim form and no open deadline. DePuy Attune and Zimmer NexGen claims are separate, and neither has a public settlement for patients.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Knee Implant Lawsuits Allege
Exactech. Exactech recalled its Connexion GXL hip liners in 2021 and later expanded the recall to all hip liners, knee and ankle implants. The recalls were triggered by packaging bags that lacked an oxygen barrier layer, so the polyethylene could oxidize before surgery. Patients allege the knee components wore out early and forced revision surgery. In 2023 the FDA advised healthcare professionals not to use the implants.
Separately, the federal government alleged that Exactech knew as early as 2008 that its finned tibial tray failed prematurely and kept selling it through 2018, and knew as early as 2019 that the polyethylene in certain Logic and Truliant knee systems failed prematurely but sold them between 2019 and 2022.
DePuy Attune. Individual suits allege the Attune knee's tibial baseplate loosened at higher rates and that DePuy replaced the plate design in 2017 without recalling earlier devices.
Zimmer NexGen. Plaintiffs’ counsel reported a final confidential settlement for nearly 300 lawsuits.
Case Details
Exactech, federal MDL: In re: Exactech Polyethylene Orthopedic Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3044, No. 1:22-md-3044 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, before Senior Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. The JPML created it on October 7, 2022. Per the JPML report as of October 1, 2026, 1,838 actions are pending (1,847 historically).
Exactech, bankruptcy: Exactech, Inc. filed Chapter 11 on October 29, 2024 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, No. 24-12441, before Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein. The filing followed the company's failure to settle claims from about 2,600 patients out of court.
Zimmer NexGen: In re: Zimmer NexGen Knee Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2272, Northern District of Illinois, Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, consolidated in 2011.
Status: MDL and Bankruptcy Trust, No Public Settlement
DePuy Attune: no Attune MDL appears in the JPML's pending list as of October 1, 2026. Attune claims proceed as individual lawsuits. No public settlement exists.
Zimmer NexGen: MDL 2272 does not appear in the October 1, 2026 pending list. Plaintiffs’ counsel reported a final confidential settlement covering nearly 300 lawsuits. Nothing is open to new claimants.
For hip implants, see our hip replacement lawsuit overview.
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There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
Who Is Affected
Exactech: patients who received a recalled Exactech knee, hip or ankle implant, especially those who needed revision surgery. A knee lawsuit here is an individual product-liability claim, not a class membership. You are not included automatically, and there is no knee class action to sign up for.
Check your implant first. Your surgeon's operative report or implant card names the manufacturer and model. Without that, nobody can tell you which case applies.
Because the bankruptcy claims register was finalized on October 5, 2026, the window for new bankruptcy claims appears to have closed. Whether a new claim can still be brought is a question for a lawyer who has read the plan and the trust procedures. Our Exactech recall lawsuit page covers the recall in more detail.
Is There a Knee Replacement Settlement?
The one Exactech payment we found announced for a settlement went to the government: on September 16, 2025 Exactech agreed to pay $8 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations over defective knee implants billed to Medicare, Medicaid and the VA. The Delaware bankruptcy court approved it. Patients receive nothing from that settlement.
What injured Exactech patients recover depends on what the personal-injury trust collects, including from the lawsuit against TPG. No court has set a per-person amount. For a rough sense of how injury claims are valued, see our knee injury settlement calculator; it is not a prediction for this case.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 627,540 product liability personal injury casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025:
- 21.1% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 51.6% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 21.1% and 72.6%.
- 0.9% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 2,164 reached a trial (0%), after a median of 27.9 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 33.6 months.
- Only 147 of them (0%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $3,875,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal product liability personal injury cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Exactech Knee Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
2021 — The Recalls Begin
Exactech recalls Connexion GXL hip liners, then expands the recall to all hip liners, knee and ankle implants over packaging that lacked an oxygen barrier.
- 2
October 7, 2022 — MDL 3044 Is Created
The JPML centralizes federal Exactech cases in the Eastern District of New York before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis.
- 3
October 29, 2024 — Chapter 11
Exactech files for bankruptcy in Delaware, No. 24-12441, after failing to settle claims from about 2,600 patients.
- 4
September 16, 2025 — $8 Million to the Government
Exactech settles False Claims Act allegations over defective knee implants. The money goes to federal and state programs, not to patients.
- 5
October 31, 2025 — Plan Takes Effect
The bankruptcy plan becomes effective, and injury claims move to a personal-injury trust.
- 6
October 2026 — Claims Register Final, MDL Still Pending
On October 5, 2026 the bankruptcy court finalizes the claims register. As of October 1, 2026, 1,838 cases remain pending in MDL 3044. No settlement for patients exists.
Three Things to Watch For
A recall that affects many patients, plus a bankruptcy most people don't follow, creates openings for imposters:
“Join the knee replacement class action” forms
No knee replacement class action exists for Exactech, Attune or NexGen. A form promising to “register” you is a lead-generation page, and it may sell your medical details.
“Exactech trust payment” calls asking for a fee
No per-person trust payment has been announced. A legitimate trust or claims agent never asks you to pay a processing fee or give bank details over the phone to release money.
“Late claim” offers after the deadline
On October 5, 2026 the court sustained objections to late-filed claims. Anyone selling a guaranteed way to get a late Exactech bankruptcy claim paid is overpromising. Check the docket or ask an independent lawyer.
Knee Replacement Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a class action lawsuit knee replacement patients can join?
No. The Exactech cases are individual product-liability suits gathered in MDL 3044, not a class action. DePuy Attune claims are individual suits too. Nothing is open for sign-up.
Which knee implants are involved?
Mainly recalled Exactech knee implants, including certain Logic and Truliant systems named in the government settlement. DePuy Attune and Zimmer NexGen knees were the subject of separate, older suits.
Is there a knee replacement settlement with a claim form?
No. As of October 2026 there is no public settlement, fund, claim form or deadline for patients. Exactech's $8 million deal resolved government claims only.
What happened to the Exactech lawsuits in bankruptcy?
Exactech filed Chapter 11 on October 29, 2024, No. 24-12441 in Delaware. Its plan took effect October 31, 2025 and moved injury claims to a personal-injury trust. The trustee is now suing former owner TPG.
How many Exactech cases are pending?
Per the JPML report as of October 1, 2026, 1,838 actions are pending in MDL 3044 before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis in the Eastern District of New York.
Is there a DePuy Attune knee lawsuit settlement?
No public one. No Attune MDL appears on the JPML's pending list as of October 1, 2026, and claims proceed one by one. Lawsuits allege higher failure rates of the tibial baseplate.
What about the Zimmer NexGen knee lawsuits?
They were consolidated in 2011 as MDL 2272 in the Northern District of Illinois and plaintiffs’ counsel reported a final confidential settlement covering nearly 300 lawsuits. It is not open to new claimants.
What should I do if my knee implant failed?
Get your operative report and implant details. Keep any recall letter and records of revision surgery. Because the Exactech claims register was finalized on October 5, 2026, ask a lawyer of your own choosing what options are left before you sign anything.
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.
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