Johnson & Johnson is willing to pay $400 million-plus in hip-device cases

Company seeks end to Pinnacle hip suits before January trial

Johnson & Johnson is willing to pay more than $400 million to settle some of the thousands of consumers’ allegations that the company sold defective artificial hips and hid the health risks of the devices, people familiar with the negotiations said.

The world’s largest health-care products maker has settled, or is in the process of settling, about 3,300 of 10,000 lawsuits targeting its Pinnacle line of hip-replacement devices, a judge said in a Dec. 9 court filing.

J&J officials have agreed to pay an average of about $125,000 per case to resolve about a third of the suits pending against the company