NuvaRing Lawsuits

NuvaRing is a birth control product that contains two hormones. It has been in production since the late 2000s and prevents conception. This is accomplished by continuously releasing several hormones (including estrogen).

What Are Some of the Health Risks of NuvaRings?

Like any other kind of contraception, the NuvaRing is connected with various contraceptive injuries, side effects, and health hazards. These are some examples:

• Infection of the upper urinary tract
• Vaginitis, sinusitis, and headaches
• Hormone treatment-related reactions
• Significant blood clots

What Are NuvaRing Lawsuits?

This last factor, significant blood clots, is very concerning. Since its introduction to the market, NuvaRing has been the subject of approximately 2,000 lawsuits, the majority of which involve diseases involving serious blood clots. Many plaintiffs claimed that using NuvaRing products caused significant blood clots, which in turn caused numerous health problems.

The blood clotting problem, in particular, may be related to certain heart diseases. NuvaRing use has been linked to stroke and heart attack. As a result, multiple claims, including a wrongful death action, were brought beginning in 2008.

Some users may be eligible for a settlement, which began in February 2014. Some settlement cases result in significant monetary rewards to the victim.

Megan Henry, a world-class athlete, began taking NuvaRing birth control ten days before she found herself gasping for air on the side of a mountain in 2012. She had no idea that NuvaRing had caused her to develop serious blood clots at the time.

She later joined others in suing Merck & Co., the manufacturer of the NuvaRing, claiming the device caused life-threatening injuries.

Henry, a United States Army’s elite Soldier-Athlete Program member, was preparing for the 2014 Winter Olympics in the skeleton – a bare-bones sled that rips down slopes at 80 mph – when she had a sudden shortness of breath.

“It was like an elephant was always sitting on my chest,” she told CNN.

It did not get any better. Six doctors told her it was asthma, stress, or the effects of breathing in the thin mountain air. A pulmonologist finally ordered a CAT scan. It revealed several pulmonary embolisms, or blood clots, in her lungs.

The hopeful Olympian was rushed to the hospital and placed on a breathing machine. Her athletic career was gone, and she would have died if she had not been in the top physical condition expected of a world-class athlete.

Henry will be at a heightened risk of repeated pulmonary embolisms for the rest of her life due to her injuries. She will never be able to use hormonal medications again, including birth control. If pregnant, she must take anticoagulant medication to avoid blood clots.

Since at least 2005, hundreds of other women have had similar experiences to Henry’s in 2012. According to studies, the progestin in NuvaRing can increase the risk of a blood clot termed venous thromboembolism (VTE) by up to 6.5 times.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a type of VTE that happens when a blood clot forms in the body’s major veins. A pulmonary embolism (PE) occurs when a DVT breaks free and travels to the lungs, stopping blood flow. This can be deadly.

Merck & Co. Inc. added a warning concerning an increased risk of blood clots to the contraceptive’s label in October 2013. Hundreds of lawsuits had been filed against Merck subsidiary Organon BioSciences.

Suits Allege Blood Clots, Heart Attacks, Strokes, and Deaths

As NuvaRing users reported VTEs, questions arose regarding whether the contraceptive’s producers should have warned women about the risk.

Following a surge in deaths and significant injuries caused by VTEs, heart attacks, and strokes, women and their surviving family members began suing the makers. Their experiences were frequently similar: they were healthy women who used NuvaRing and suffered serious medical issues or died.

Janis Mitchell-McGuire, for example, began taking contraception in 2004. Six months later, at 28, she had a PE, was hospitalized twice, and was prescribed anticoagulant drugs to prevent additional clotting. In 2008, she filed a lawsuit against Merck.

In 2009, LaMonica Green was 17 years old and began using NuvaRing. Within a few weeks, she had a PE and died. Her mother sued for wrongful death.

Dana Jenn, a long-distance runner with no history of blood clots, collapsed on a treadmill after training in 2005 after experiencing severe shortness of breath. The 40-year-old would die of a PE hours later. Dana’s daughter, Sarah Jenn, filed a lawsuit in 2007.

In total, almost 2,100 cases were filed in state and federal courts by women or their families. They claimed that the company did not appropriately analyze etonogestrel, the progestin hormone contained in NuvaRing. They further claimed that the firm based its safety information only on oral contraceptive studies.

Before Approving NuvaRing, the FDA Raised Safety Concerns; before its approval in 2001, the US Food and Drug Administration raised concerns about the safety of the NuvaRing. According to one assessment, the increased risk of VTE is the “most contentious safety issue.” The risk was compared to oral contraceptives that used hormones similar to NuvaRing.

“There remains a considerable concern in the literature about an elevated risk of VTE events with desogestrel-containing oral contraceptives,” noted Dr. Daniel Davis, the FDA’s medical officer who authored the study in 2001. “Once this product has been approved, the label should clearly indicate the safety concern concerning an elevated risk of VTE.”

When the FDA approved NuvaRing later that year, it felt that the warning was unnecessary. Until October 2013, the NuvaRing label did not warn about VTE and cardiovascular risks.

Several earlier studies found that NuvaRing users had an increased risk of potentially fatal blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes compared to alternative combination hormone contraceptives (CHCs) such as birth control tablets and patches.

Merck Accepts a $100 Million Settlement for Claims

Merck & Co. agreed to resolve all lawsuits against the firm for $100 million in February 2014. In June 2014, the settlement was finalized. Approximately 3,800 persons were eligible for a portion of the settlement, including those who filed cases and those who did not.

To be eligible for the settlement, claimants had to have claimed an injury caused by NuvaRing before February 7, 2014. Eligible plaintiffs were then required to submit a notice of intent to opt-in form and a full claim package by the Missouri court’s deadlines.

The enrollment date has been extended until July 21, 2014. Documentation of injuries, a patient’s NuvaRing prescription records, authorization to release medical records, and other information were all required in the claim package. Contact a lawyer if you have questions about medical records or any other issues related to your particular injury claim.

Do I Need a Lawyer to File a NuvaRing Lawsuit?

If you believe using a NuvaRing has harmed you, you may desire to consult with a class action lawyer in your area. When filing your claim, your lawyer can give you help and advice.

In addition, your lawyer can assist you in determining your entitlement to compensation for injuries and associated costs. Although injury laws vary by state, a knowledgeable attorney can advise you on your legal options. They can also keep you informed of any changes to the law that might affect your legal rights.