Ontario Court Certifies Class of Canadian DePuy ASR Hip Recipients

TORONTO — An Ontario court has certified Canada’s DePuy (NYSE:JNJ) ASR hip implant cases as a class action, ruling that the plaintiffs successfully demonstrated that the litigation meets the prerequisites for a consolidated action under the 1992 Class Proceedings Act.

Justice Edward Belobaba’s approved three issues for certification in his Aug. 27 opinion — whether the DePuy ASR XL implants are defective, whether the manufacturer breached a duty of care, and whether recipients are entitled to special damages for medical costs. The justice denied plaintiffs' bid for medical monitoring, however.

The certification ruling follows court hearings on June 18 and …