Lawyers representing patients in a growing number of medical malpractice lawsuits against Columbia, Mo.-based Mizzou BioJoint Center filed a motion Jan. 7 to consolidate the cases, the Columbia Daily Tribune reports.
Six things to know:
1. As of now, 11 cases involving 17 different plaintiffs have been filed against Columbia-based University of Missouri Health Care's Mizzou BioJoint Center.
2. Most of the cases allege that patients underwent multiple unsuccessful BioJoint procedures, some of which led to complications or infections, and that they ultimately needed traditional total knee replacement. With one exception, the cases name the same defendants and make the same claims.
3. Todd Hendrickson, a Hendrickson Law attorney representing the plaintiffs, expects to file three additional, similar cases against Mizzou BioJoint Center.
4. Consolidating them in the case of patient Daniel Draper — who was the first to sue the university, orthopedic surgeon James Stannard, MD, and BioJoint Center director James Cook, PhD — would allow a single judge to hear the pretrial motions and discovery disputes, Mr. Hendrickson told the Daily Tribune.
5. The motion to consolidate is pending approval from Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs. It's unclear when he will reach a decision. A trial date hasn't been set in any of the cases.
6. MU Health Care has said the BioJoint procedure, which treats knee osteoarthritis using bone tissue and cartilage from a deceased donor, has helped patients around the world. The organization also said it has been upfront about associated risks.