Two Pope McGlamry lawyers have been appointed to lead separate coordinated litigation efforts related to hip implant product liability lawsuits, the firm has announced.

Michael McGlamry and M.J. Blakely have both taken on leading roles in lawsuits involving Stryker hip replacement parts.

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Rachelle Harz of Bergen County has appointed McGlamry to the plaintiffs' executive committee for the multicounty litigation over Stryker products.

"I hope with this appointment, I can help obtain justice for the victims and their families," McGlamry said in an announcement on the firm's website.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani of the District Court of Massachusetts has appointed Blakely to the plaintiffs' executive committee in the multi-district litigation there over Stryker products.

"I'm honored to be chosen by Judge Talwani to help lead this important litigation," Blakely said in the announcement.

The New Jersey and Massachusetts lawsuits allege that a Stryker product called a femoral head, which fits into the hip socket and is attached to the femoral stem, has been plagued with problems related to corrosion. The claims include adverse tissue reactions and spontaneous dissociation, requiring extensive surgery to repair. The firm said plaintiffs have suffered severe pain, inflammation, joint instability, dislocation, broken bones and loss of mobility.

McGlamry is co-lead counsel in multidistrict litigation against another hip replacement manufacturer, Wright Medical Technology. Wright agreed last year to pay $240 million to settle approximately 1,300 claims associated with that implant's failures from coast to coast.

The firm said McGlamry and Blakely's appointments provide a unique opportunity for Pope McGlamry to oversee and manage parallel litigation. "Moreover, as Georgia lawyers, their appointments underscore Georgia as a jurisdiction where large scale coordinated litigation can be competently carried out," the firm said.

Pope McGlamry has offices in Columbus and Atlanta. The firm specializes in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases related to automotive, medical, pharmaceutical and general products liability as well as serious motor vehicle crashes.