Hip implant damages cases imminent

The first compensation cases linked to the fitting of thousands of flawed hip implants could be heard by the end of the year.

Solicitor Peter McDonnell, who is representing more than 200 of the 3,282 Irish people affected by the worldwide scandal, said he expects to file a case against DePuy, a subsidiary of US multinational Johnson and Johnson, by August.

Mr McDonnell said the case is based on the claim DePuy continued to sell the hips in Europe, Australia and India for a full year after the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) banned the artificial joints from use in the US.