The case follows an effort by Kiwi claimants to join a British case, believing New Zealand's ACC "no fault" scheme meant it would not be possible to make a case here.
But the Kiwi side of the British case didn't progress and fresh advice suggested the case could be pursued in New Zealand.
Lawyer James Elliott, who suffered complications from his own implant, said some patients suffered life-changing damage as a result
"It has ruined people's lives. People have been unable to work. There are people who have suffered and continue to suffer enormously because of it."
While DePuy, a global subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, met the costs of revision surgery and some expenses, there have been no compensation payments in New Zealand.
The statement from the claimant group, represented by David Goddard, QC, said: "In litigation overseas DePuy has argued that New Zealanders cannot sue it because the ACC regime prevents victims suing for compensation.
"However, DePuy's actions in designing and manufacturing the ASR implants took place outside New Zealand, and DePuy has not contributed to the ACC scheme by paying levies or taxes in New Zealand. This case will test whether the ACC bar applies where harm is caused to a New Zealander by the conduct of a foreign company outside New Zealand."
Lawyers acting for the group at law firm Meredith Connell were seeking others with faulty hip replacements to join the legal action.
In 2011, an Australian Senate committee inquiry into the hips stated: "The committee was shocked by the intolerable, and unacceptable, experiences of patients who received the DePuy hip and hip resurfacing system. These very personal experiences serve to underline the need for improved pre-market clinical testing and post-market surveillance systems for medical devices, as well as improved timeliness and decisiveness when acting upon the information that is available."
The Herald is seeking comment from Johnson and Johnson.
