Mirena Class Action Lawsuits Due to the Number of Injuries Caused By the Device

By May of 2013 there had been many Mirena IUD lawsuits filed in both state and federal courts.

The side effects of the IUD, Mirena, and the increased awareness regarding the injuries caused by the device, has caused an increase in the number of lawsuits filed against the manufacturers of the device. Lawsuits allege that the Mirena device caused perforation injuries after it was implanted and that Bayer Mirena was not always straightforward about the risks of these injuries, instead downplaying them.

Bayer had an intensive advertising campaign with respect to the Mirena device, and it was very widely used by women everywhere. But this means that because of the widespread use of the device, and the chances for injury, the number of claims against Bayer are mounting. Dr. Shezad Malik is a Mirena attorney and he says that the side effects incidence with Mirena are 1 in 1000. This is very high. The number of women who were using IUDs in 1995 was around 0.08 percent. By 2010, however, the number had increased to around 5.6 percent. The study was done in 2012 by the Guttmacher Institute.

By May of 2013 there had been many Mirena IUD lawsuits filed in both state and federal courts. All lawsuits filed in the federal court were transferred to US District Court, Southern District of New York where pretrial proceedings will take place. There are also over 100 cases in the New Jersey Superior Courts and the Supreme Court of New Jersey is considering consolidating the cases which would then be heard by one judge in Bergen County Superior Court.

Couple Bayer’s massive Mirena advertising campaign and the number of things that can go wrong with its device and no wonder claims are skyrocketing. Mirena attorney Dr. Shezad Malik says that the estimated incidence of Mirena birth control side effects is 1 in 1000, which is very high. (In 1995, an estimated .08 percent of American women were using IUDs, but by 2010, that number had increased seven times to 5.6 percent, according to an October 18, 2012 study by the Guttmacher Institute, and reported in the National Survey of Family Growth.)

Initially, the request to centralize the cases was denied. The number of cases has been rapidly increasing and the need to consolidate cases has become apparent. The federal court heard arguments on March 21 regarding consolidating some of the Mirena cases.

Mirena Studies

Part of the problem with Mirena devices is that the device can migrate after it is inserted into the uterine wall to other parts of the body. When the device perforates the abdominal cavity and becomes dislodged, women usually have to undergo surgery in order to have the device removed.

There was a recent report in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology that demonstrated that many women who became pregnant while using the device had devices that positioned improperly. The results of the study showed that “more than half of IUDs identified in the first trimester were malpositioned.”

Vaginal Mesh Attorneys

Mirena had been steadily gaining popularity among women so the apparent dangers of the device are alarming. If you have been injured by a Mirena device, or have had another type of vaginal mesh complication, contact the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm for a private and confidential consultation by calling (314) 588-7200.

photo credit: Tavallai