Dozens of women have filed a joint lawsuit against Bayer Healthcare, alleging that they have suffered serious side effects of Essure and were not adequately warned.

The Essure mass tort lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis by women all across the country, from Connecticut to California and everywhere in between, and of a variety of ages.

According to the Essure lawsuit, these women have each been implanted with Essure birth control, only to later suffer from serious side effects of Essure. The claims were filed jointly because the side effects of Essure that they have allegedly experienced are similar.

Plaintiff Jacqueline S. was implanted with the Essure device in January 2013. However, she says, in the months and years following her implantation with the birth control product, she began experiencing a number of side effects of Essure. Among these include irregular and painful menstruation, skin irritation, rash, weight gain, and joint pain.

The Essure lawsuit notes that Jacqueline wasn’t aware that these complications were linked with the Essure device until 2016, when she became aware of the connection via news reports. Upon discovering this connection, Jacqueline decided to pursue a lawsuit, in which nearly 80 other women have joined her.

Many of the plaintiffs involved in this lawsuit experienced similar side effects of Essure, including menstrual pain, abdominal pain, back pain, heavy bleeding, as well as depression and fatigue symptoms. Some plaintiffs also experienced nausea, vomiting, migraines, difficulty breathing, numbness, and pain during intercourse.

This Essure lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, failure to warn, manufacturing defect, common law fraud, breach of express and implied warranties, and punitive damages.

This is not the only such action that has been filed over side effects of Essure. Indeed, a growing number of women are coming forward with allegations of serious Essure complications, claiming that Bayer either knew or should have known, but failed to warn, of these risks.

Background of Essure

The popular Essure birth control device was designed as an alternative for women who wanted permanent birth control option, but did not want to undergo surgical tubal ligation. Essure was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 2002, but has already grown quite popular. So far, around 750,000 women have been implanted with the Essure device.

The Essure system is made up of two metal coils lined with a thin fabric. In an outpatient procedure, the metal coils are placed in a woman’s fallopian tubes. After the initial procedure, it takes a few months for the coils to become effective. Time is required for the coils to expand and for the surrounding tissue to grow in around them, completely blocking the fallopian tubes and preventing pregnancy.

Side Effects of Essure

Thousands of women have reported serious side effects of Essure since the device’s approval. The FDA reports having received over 5,000 such reports. Bayer is accused of receiving even more reports, then failing to forward those reports to the FDA.

Major side effects of Essure include implant failure, device migration, organ perforation, device fracture, and ectopic pregnancy, any of which can be quite serious and have dangerous and lasting effects. Some patients who suffer from these kinds of complications require removal surgery, but removal surgery can carry its own risks.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Side Effects of Essure

If you or someone you love has suffered from side effects of Essure, you may be able to file an Essure lawsuit against Bayer. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by side effects of Essure, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Essure Lawsuit is Case No. 4:17-cv-01973, in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis in the State of Missouri.