Biomet $21 Million Hip Implant Verdict Upheld on Appeal

Biomet Inc. and related companies failed to topple a $21 million verdict on behalf of a woman who alleged permanent harm from a M2a-Magnum metal-on-metal hip prosthesis.

Mary Bayes presented enough evidence to support the jury’s liability finding, and her $20 million award—though large—isn’t excessive given that she has undergone seven revision surgeries, has regained only very limited mobility, and is at risk to dislocate her hip again, the Eighth Circuit said Wednesday.

Bayes had both hips replaced with Biomet’s M2a-Magnum implants in 2008. She and her husband Philip Bayes sued Biomet after the left one failed. Mary argued that ...