Two More Exactech Optetrak Knee Implant Lawsuits Set for Trial

Two More Exactech Optetrak Knee Implant Lawsuits Set for Trial

Introduction

The U.S. District Judge overseeing all Exactech Optetrak knee lawsuits has announced start dates for the third and fourth bellwether cases.

These early test trials aim to gauge jury responses to evidence and testimony that will be central to over 1,200 product liability claims concerning defective packaging, which heightened the risk of early failure.

The lawsuits allege that Exactech used “out-of-specification” vacuum-sealed bags for a plastic tibial insert component in their Optetrak knee implants and other systems before 2022. These bags allowed oxygen to reach the implants after they were placed in the body, leading to component degradation, premature failure, and often necessitating additional surgeries to remove and replace the faulty components within a few years.

Affected implant recipients began filing lawsuits following an Exactech recall announced in February 2022. The recall impacted over 140,000 Optetrak, Optetrak Logic, and Truliant knee replacement systems implanted since 2004, as well as 15,000 components used in Exactech Vantage ankle replacements. Similar issues had previously led to the recall of Exactech Novation and Acumatch hip implants in June 2021. The Exactech hip recall was further expanded in August 2022 after identifying another 40,000 joint replacements at risk of premature failure.

Due to the large number of lawsuits over defective Exactech implants, the litigation has been consolidated for pretrial proceedings before a U.S. District Judge in the Eastern District of New York. A small group of representative claims has been selected for early bellwether trials.

Four Exactech Optetrak knee lawsuits were chosen for the initial trials since these components account for the majority of the litigation. The first two bellwether trials are set for June and August 2025, involving plaintiffs from New York who encountered issues with an Optetrak Logic knee implant.

On May 22, the Judge announced that the third and fourth bellwether trials would commence in October 2025 and January 2026. The October 2025 trial involves a plaintiff from New Jersey who received an Optetrak Logic implant during right total knee replacement surgery in October 2009 but was later diagnosed with aseptic loosening and osteolysis, leading to revision surgery in September 2017. The fourth trial in January 2026 will involve a plaintiff from Texas who received an Optetrak Logic implant in August 2016 and had it removed in August 2022 due to accelerated wear of the tibial insert.

These four claims will serve as early bellwether trials in the federal court system. However, the first Exactech knee lawsuit to go before a jury will occur at the state court level in Florida, with a case set to begin in October 2024.

Although the outcomes of these early trials will not be binding on other lawsuits, they will be closely monitored. The results may significantly influence any settlements Exactech offers to avoid hundreds of individual trials in the future. The bellwether trials will provide insight into how juries might respond to the allegations and evidence, potentially shaping the course of the litigation and any settlement negotiations.

The Exactech litigation highlights the significant impact of defective medical devices on patients' lives and the legal processes involved in addressing widespread product failures. These trials will be crucial in determining the manufacturer’s liability and the extent of compensation due to affected individuals.