Submitted by Hillary on Fri, 11/12/2010 - 10:34
My husband had a DePuy hip prostheses used in his hip replacement and is now suffering some pain in the joint. We recently got a letter from our doctor asking if we would consent to her releasing some of my husbands medical information to Johnson & Johnson to help with there "ongoing study" of the problems related to this model of hip prosthesis. Two questions, should we allow the doctor to release the info? Also, does it make more sense to hire a Massachusetts attorney to handle this case if we sue or should I call one of the firms that I've seen advertising on television regarding this matter?
Depuy hip replacement
Last question first: If it were me, I would talk to several medical malpractice attorneys with experience with this type of case, including the ones who advertise. However, you need to talk to the attorney who will actually handle the case, from start to finish. This can be an issue if you contact a large firm or some form of referral service that farms the case out to other attorneys. Ultimately, your husband will have to decide which attorney "feels right" to him. I could be wrong, but I believe your husband and his case will be more of a priority to an attorney or law partnership that does not have hundreds of similarly situated clients. On the other hand, the advertising attorneys will argue that they have more experience with this specific hip replacement product and will, therefore, do a better job on the case.
Regarding your second question, hire your attorney first. Let your attorney review the request and make a determination about releasing any information. Again, if it were me and I were planning on suing, I would not release the information yet. Good luck.