South Carolina Mirena IUD Lawsuit Filed in Columbia Court
A recent personal injury lawsuit against the Mirena IUD claims that not only did the IUD travel around in her body, the device’s failure caused her to become pregnant.
Bianca, who requested to only be referred to by her first name, alleges that the device could not be removed because doctors could not find it due to device failure. After she had two children, Bianca decided like many women that she did not want any more, and had a Mirena IUD implanted to prevent pregnancy. However, after she began vomiting, she went to urgent care and had a urine test and was scheduled for a CAT scan. She filled out paperwork claiming that she was not pregnant so that she could proceed with the CAT scan, but her urine sample showed that she was, in fact, pregnant again.
Bianca had a history of high-risk pregnancies, and the news was difficult and shocking. Since she was two months pregnant, she went to the ER to have the Mirena IUD removed to prevent damage to her fetus. However, three different doctors scanned her body and could not find the device.
“They couldn’t even find the Mirena IUD on the ultrasound,” Bianca explains. “I was worried in case it could cause any damage to my baby, but one specialist figured out it must have come out when I had my period. My body expelled it because it didn’t like having a foreign object.
“Of course the Mirena could have been placed incorrectly by the doctor at Planned Parenthood but I don’t think that is the case. It does leave me with questions: How long was I pregnant before it came out? How can an IUD disappear?
“My ob-gyn says everything looks fine so that is all I can go by, but it doesn’t stop me worrying, because I read about so many Mirena side effects. I don’t have to worry about infertility of course, but what about infection and perforations? I am currently six months pregnant. I was depressed for at least two months but now I am getting used to the idea that I am going to have another child. One thing I know for sure: I will not get another Mirena to prevent pregnancy.”
As of November this year, the FDA reports 70,072 reports of Mirena IUD failures, including 6,000 that involve organ perforation when the device migrates.
West Virginia Couple Files a Mirena IUD Personal Injury Case
In Wyoming County in West Virginia, a couple has also filed a lawsuit alleging that the Mirena IUD caused serious personal injury.
Tiffany and Robert Steele filed their suit on December 6th against Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The couple alleges defective manufacturing, defective design, failure to warn, negligence, strict liability, breach of implied warranty, breach of express warranty, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation and fraud by concealment.
According to court documents, Tiffany Steele had the Mirena IUD implanted on January 31st, 2012. On April 16th, the device was discovered to have migrated to her abdominal cavity and she had to have the Mirena IUD surgically removed.
The couple seeks undisclosed damages from Bayer.
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 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.
