Payout over hip which snapped inside George Watkins, 75, from Hazlemere, High Wycombe (From This Is Local London)

Payout over hip which snapped inside George Watkins, 75, from Hazlemere, High Wycombe

A PENSIONER has won compensation from medical giant Zimmer after a hip replacement broke inside his leg in what is thought to be a UK first.

The broken hip

George Watkins, 75, from Cedar Avenue, Hazlemere was left in ‘excruciating pain’ after the implant snapped on a visit to Brighton in 2007.

He has now won a ‘reasonable’ payout after contacting top solicitors Russell Jones & Walker – but will never enjoy the same mobility same again.

He said: “The money will never replace having a good leg and the mobility I should have.”

The retired sales manager said: “I was shocked and in dreadful pain. It was like having a broken leg.”

“Having all the ligaments and muscles cut again has left me with quite a disability. I can't walk around as much.

“I find it very difficult with the grandchildren. I would expect to be able to play football with them and do all the things you do with your grandchildren.”

The granddad of ten now has problems with stairs and needs help getting out of chairs.

Mr Watkins can also no longer go to the theatre or use buses because the seats are too low or play golf at the Flackwell Heath Golf Club where was a member for 30 years and was president and captain.

He had the new hip fitted in 2002 to replace a 1987 implant.

Yet the Zimmer ZMR implant snapped in half at the femur bone and Mr Watkins had to endure a painful operation at Wycombe Hospital. It was expected to last 10 years.

His solicitor James Bell said: “This was a real David and Goliath case with Mr Watkins taking on and beating a multi-billion dollar global company.”

He said: “This is the first UK compensation claim that I am aware of relating to a Zimmer ZMR hip fatigue fracture.”

He said Mr Watkins only won the case because he insisted he keep the broken prosthesis.

Mr Bell: “Without that piece of evidence I could not have won the case for him. His foresight enabled him to take on a multi-billion dollar multinational company and win.”

Zimmer was unavailable for comment.