Birth Control Lawsuit Claims Mirena IUD Causes Organ Damage

A California woman has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the Mirena IUD, alleging that the birth control device caused her to develop life-threatening complications.

The Mirena IUD is a small “Y” shaped device made out of flexible plastic. Ovulation-blocking hormones are embedded in the device, designed to slowly leach into the body over the course of years. It is inserted into the uterus by a physician. Once in place, the device is designed to remain for up to five years, where it blocks pregnancy by releasing hormones that discourage ovulation. However, lawsuits like the one filed by Kathryn Stark allege that the device is designed defectively, and may cause serious complications.

Many of the Mirena lawsuits allege the device can perforate the uterus and migrate within the abdominal cavity. Stripped of the medical jargon, this means that the device pokes through the wall of the uterus and moves around within the abdominal cavity. This can potentially cause a host of problems, including causing damage to the reproductive system that could lead to permanent sterility, promoting high-risk pregnancies, and causing painful damage to other organs of the abdomen and pelvis.

Per Stark’s Mirena lawsuit, her physician implanted the device in February 2010. In April 2013, her physicians discovered the device had perforated her uterus and hooked itself into her abdominal tissues. One month later, Stark underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove the device.

Stark’s lawsuit joins hundreds of others against Bayer, the manufacturer of the Mirena IUD. The litigation against Bayer has been consolidated into multidistrict litigation. The Mirena MDL is similar to a Mirena class action lawsuit in that it involves a group of people who allege they have all suffered similar harm at the hands of the same defendant. The main difference is that in a Mirena class action lawsuit all of the plaintiffs file a lawsuit together initially, while the Mirena MDL contains multiple individual lawsuits later consolidated into a coordinated legal action. As a result, class action lawsuits are typically run by a single legal team while plaintiffs in MDL cases typically have their own legal representation.

Stark’s Mirena IUD lawsuit is Kathryn J. Stark v. Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Civil Action No. 7:14-cv-01244-CS, filed within the MDL In Re: Mirena IUD Product Liability Litigation, MDL No 2434, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

If you or a loved one suffered from Mirena IUD complications, you may be eligible for compensation. See if you qualify now by receiving a free, confidential case evaluation at the Birth Control Lawsuits: Mirena IUD Injury Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation.