Personal Injury Lawsuits Against Bayer’s Mirena IUD Contraception Device Move to Litigation
Two large lawsuits involving the Mirena IUD contraception device, produced by pharmaceutical giant Bayer, are moving forward in federal court.
The Mirena IUD is a small plastic device inserted into the uterus, and slowly releases hormones to prevent pregnancy. When a woman wants to try to become pregnant, or use another form of birth control, the device should be removable by simply pulling on two strings. While the device is still touted as safe for thousands of women by Bayer’s company spokespeople, many women have had serious complications arise from using the device, including kidney stones, ovarian and uteran cysts, infection leading to sepsis, and even organ perforation.
One of the personal injury lawsuits was filed by Galina, who requested her last name not be used. She currently has two children, but said that she and her husband originally planned for five. Now, however, because of complications from using the Mirena IUD, she is afraid her body will not handle another pregnancy.
Galina had the device inserted after she gave birth to her second child, but just after she stopped nursing, she was in constant pain, and had two periods a month, which was not what doctors told her would happen. Her physicians initially thought she might have cancer, but when they X-rayed her abdomen, they found that the Mirena IUD had perforated her uterus and was loose in her abdominal area. She had to undergo surgery to remove the device.
Another complaint, from Melissa Vinson and her husband Robert, alleges a similar complication. After she had the Mirena IUD implanted, Vinson began suffering serious pain and recurrent kidney stones. An examination a year after the Mirena device was inserted showed that the strings were still in their proper place, suggesting the device was where it should be. However, a CT scan showed that the Mirena IUD had perforated her uterus and migrated out of place. It had become embedded in the myometrium, and could not be removed without multiple invasive surgeries.
The FDA issued a strong warning against using the Mirena IUDs in 2009, but the device has been on the market since 2000. Thousands of women suffer terrible side effects from using the Mirena IUD for contraception. Their complaints have been coordinated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Northern Ohio.
Vinson’s complaint has also been filed in the US District Court of South Carolina.
The Strom Law Firm Defends Consumers Against Dangerous Devices Like the Mirena IUD
Since the Mirena IUD was originally approved for use, numerous exceptions to its use have been discovered. Bayer claimed the Mirena IUD should be used in women who have at least one child and only one sexual partner, but reportedly, some doctors in the Boston area say that the device is only safe for women who have never had children. The Mirena device is also not recommended for use in women with uncontrolled pelvic inflammation, breast, cervical, or uterine cancers (past or present), liver disease, or a weak immune system.
If you or a loved one have used the Mirena IUD for contraception and have experienced pain, infection, bleeding, ovarian cysts, intrauterine pregnancy, kidney stones, pelvic inflammatory disease, or organ perforation due to the device, you are not alone. The Strom Law Firm offers free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your Mirena personal injury case. Contact us today for a free consultation. 803.252.4800.
