NuvaRing Lawsuit Filed for Causing Pulmonary Embolism

By Andrea Gressman

 

A NuvaRing lawsuit has been filed in the Minnesota District Court by a California woman who claims the contraceptive caused her to experience a pulmonary embolism – a dangerous condition caused by a blood clot in the lung. The case joins hundreds of NuvaRing injury lawsuits filed against the product’s manufacturers by women who suffered serious NuvaRing blood clot side effects.

In 2011, the FDA linked the ongoing use of NuvaRing birth control with a 56 percent greater chance of developing blood clots compared to other forms of birth control. In filing the current NuvaRing lawsuit, plaintiff Stacy Dobson claims the pulmonary embolism she suffered in May 2010 was directly caused by NuvaRing, and alleges the manufacturers did nothing to warn her that such high risks as those shown by the FDA were possible if she took NuvaRing. According to Dobson’s NuvaRing injury attorney:

“[The] defendants marketed, promoted and advertised the ring product as presenting less of a risk of thrombotic side effects than other means of contraception because of its relatively low amount of estrogen in an attempt to disguise the fact that it had a high level of a dangerous third-generation progestin, capable of causing thrombotic side effects.”

Dobson’s NuvaRing lawsuit was filed on April 25, 2012, and is an individual product liability lawsuit. However, the main manufacturer of NuvaRing birth control, Merck, has reported that the company faces approximately 950 similar product liability lawsuits as of December 31, 2011. Federal court case filings have been consolidated in the Eastern District Court of Missouri as an MDL, though Dobson's case has not yet been made a part of that group. Analysts expect that the lawsuit will be transferred to the Missouri NuvaRing lawsuit MDL during pre-trial discovery.

NuvaRing Birth Control Lawsuit Background

NuvaRing was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a form of birth control that is inserted into the body once a month. Once placed inside, the ring-shaped birth control product releases a monthly dose of ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel, a kind of progestin. The etonogestrel is relatively unique to NuvaRing products, and is this hormone which has been linked to increased blood clot risks.

Women using NuvaRing can experience not only pulmonary embolism, but also other kinds of circulatory problems. These include the following:

* Deep vein thrombosis
* Strokes
* Heart attacks
* And other medical issues caused by blood clots

The symptoms of a pulmonary embolism vary. However, most women experiencing a pulmonary embolism can expect to feel chest pains, have difficulty breathing, have a rapid heartbeat, and experience abnormally low blood pressure.

Plaintiffs of NuvaRing lawsuits allege the manufacturers of the product failed to inform women that the medication they were considering carried a different level of risk than other birth control products.

If you or someone you know used NuvaRing birth control and suffered side effects related to blood clots, reach out to a NuvaRing injury attorney today. Visit the NuvaRing Birth Control Class Action Lawsuit Investigation to learn your rights as a patient and what you can do to ensure others don't suffer as you did. NuvaRing lawyers are standing by to review your claims of blood clot side effects. These lawyers don't get paid unless you do.

 

Updated August 28th, 2012

All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.

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