Claiming she had suffered from a serious medical condition and injury, a woman from Arkansas filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of Mirena intrauterine device. According to her, the device migrated outside of her uterus, causing injury and illness.
Susan Harp, 29, filed the Mirena IUD lawsuit in Arkansas eastern District Court on January 04, 2013. She accused Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Mirena IUD, of failure to adequately inform consumers and doctors regarding the risks of using the hormonal intrauterine device. The company failed to clearly indicate that the device may migrate outside the uterus, thereby, perforating organs and failing to stop gestation, she claimed.
The hormonal intrauterine device is a T-shaped contraceptive device that is placed in the uterus through the vagina. Lodged inside the uterus, it releases a constant amount of levonorgestrel to prevent pregnancy for up to five years. Moreover, according to the manufacturer, this device is easily reversible, making it a better alternative to oral contraceptives.
Based on Harp’s complaint, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals should have known that the hormonal intrauterine device is hazardous and risky. Moreover, she stated in her complaint that the company failed to inform the public that the device may do more harm than good. According to her, the company continued carelessly advertising the device as harmless and effective regardless of its potential dangerous side effects.
Harp had started using the hormonal intrauterine device in January 2006. She stated that the device had been properly inserted and there had been no complications during surgery. However, after four years, she began experiencing abdominal pains and nausea. Thus, a CT scan had been performed on her to diagnose the problem. The CT scan showed that the Mirena IUD had migrated from her uterus into an area within her pelvis. As a result, she underwent laparoscopy to extract the device. As she was recovering from the surgery, she developed a urinary tract infection called acute pyelonephritis, which may lead to failure of the kidney and death.
Over the years, several lawsuits have been filed against Bayer for negligently marketing Mirena IUD without properly specifying the risks, severely injuring many women. According to personal injury law firm websites such as the Rottenstein Law Group’s rotlaw.com, the manufacturer of the hormonal intrauterine device is currently facing a growing number of litigation.