A Federal jury recently awarded $225,000 to a Florida man who received a defective prosthetic knee device. Joel Tuitt suffered from degenerative arthritis in his left knee, the results of a slip-and-fall accident in 1996. To help prevent further injury, doctors decided in February 1999 to install a Duracon unicompartmental knee tibial component, made by Howmedica Osteonics Corporation. Unknowing to Tuitt's physician, the device's shelf life had expired.

The plaintiff's knee problems continued after the operation until August 2000 when he received a letter from Howmedica informing him that the device had been installed after the expiration date. Tuitt was forced to undergo two arthroscopic surgeries to repair damage caused by several plastic components that had broken apart from the device. The Miami jury found Howmedica liable for all damages.