A young woman from California has filed a Mirena IUD lawsuit against Bayer, alleging that their intrauterine device is flawed and caused her serious complications.

The Mirena IUD is a type of birth control implant that is designed to be inserted into the uterus where it can theoretically remain in place for up to five years, preventing pregnancy by a combination of methods. However, Mirena lawsuits like this one allege that the Bayer IUD can cause serious side effects like uterine perforation and IUD migration, where the device punches through the walls of the uterus and moves around inside of the body.

Plaintiff Marla O. filed a Mirena lawsuit against Bayer in October, alleging that the IUD caused her serious pain and suffering. According to the lawsuit, the then 23-year old had the Mirena IUD implanted at her doctor’s office in California. Follow-up appointments allegedly indicated no sign of Mirena complications until the plaintiff went in to have the device removed.

The lawsuit claims it took the physician three separate attempts to remove the IUD. In the course of these attempts, it was revealed that the Mirena IUD had perforated Marla’s uterus and migrated out of its original position.

In IUD migration, the device works its way through the walls of the uterus and moves around within the body, potentially wrecking havoc. In this case, the plaintiff required two surgeries to remove the IUD, which did include some surgical complications.

This plaintiff is not alone in her Mirena lawsuit. Bayer currently faces hundreds of Mirena lawsuits over similar IUD migration allegations. The U.S. legal system has organized these various Mirena lawsuits into a single coordinated legal action called a multidistrict litigation or MDL.

MDLs help streamline the legal system by combining tens, hundreds, or even thousands of similar legal suits into a single coordinated action. Unlike a class action lawsuit, individual Mirena lawsuits retain a degree of autonomy, and each case typically has their own lawyer or legal team. Individual cases often result in a higher award for plaintiffs should a settlement be reached.

The various Mirena lawsuits, like this one, typically seek to recoup the cost of medical care, past present and future; compensation for pain and suffering; and legal fees associated with the process of filing the Mirena lawsuit, which is permissible under U.S. law.

Marla’s individual Mirena lawsuit is Case No. 1594, filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California. The Mirena IUD MDL is In Re: Mirena IUD Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2434, in the Southern District of New York.