Day Seventeen of the Kransky trial against Johnson & Johnson and DePuy over their defective hip implant, the ASR, began with Defendants bringing to the stand expert Cyrus Rangan, M.D..
Dr. Rangan is a pediatrician, medical toxicologist, and director of the Bureau of Toxicology and Environmental Assessment in Los Angeles. Mr. Calfo conducted the direct examination. Dr. Rangan testified that Plaintiff’s expert Dr. Harrison was incorrect in his assessment of what levels of cobalt/chromium would be considered toxic.
Mr. Kelly for Plaintiff conducted the cross-examination of Dr. Rangan. Dr. Rangan admitted that he had learned through an email provided by defense counsel that Dr. Harrison and Dr. Durrani had actually been working on developing guidelines to assist patients who would call the Poison Control Center with questions about their cobalt and chromium levels.
Next, Mr. Calfo for the defense called to the stand Dr. Dennis Paustenbach Dr. Paustenbach is a toxicologist who was brought in to testify regarding chromium and cobalt. Dr. Paustenbach testified that he absolutely believed Mr. Kransky was not poisoned by the ASR.
Mr. Panish for the Plaintiff then questioned Dr. Paustenbach on his history as an expert for large corporate defendants. Dr. Paustenbach is considered the “go-to guy for industry defendants” and has been paid up to $5 million dollars, possibly more, for the 18 months he’s spent working with DePuy. Dr. Paustenbach has also “saved” hundreds of millions of dollars in clean-up costs for chromium pollution in New Jersey.
Next Defendants played the excerpts of the video deposition of Dr. Thomas Vail, a surgeon who designed the ASR. Dr. Vail was part of the surgeon design team of the ASR resurfacing and the ASR XL. Dr. Vail received royalties from the sale of the ASR and he routinely implanted the devices in his own patients.
Defendants ended by playing the videotaped deposition of Pam Plouhar. Ms. Plouhar is worldwide vice president for clinical research and was vice president for worldwide clinical affairs at DePuy Orthopaedics.