NuvaRing Lawsuits Allege Harm from Birth Control

Pittsburgh, PANuvaRing lawsuits allege that the NuvaRing birth control caused serious injury to women. Among the allegations are that women suffered NuvaRing side effects such as blood clots and strokes as a result of using the contraceptive.

According to the lawsuits, NuvaRing is linked to an increased risk of blood clots and stroke. One lawsuit was reportedly filed by Aimee L. Flynn, who alleges she suffered a stroke in February 2010 as a result of using NuvaRing. Flynn claims she used it for two years before she suffered the stroke.

Flynn's lawsuit is not the first to be filed against Merck, maker of NuvaRing. In 2010, a lawsuit was filed by the estate of a woman who reportedly died after developing a blood clot. The victim, Ann Tompkins, died in February 2009, approximately five months after she started using NuvaRing. The lawsuit claims that the blood clot was caused by NuvaRing and accuses Merck & Co., Organon BioSciences NV and Akzo Nobel NV, all involved in manufacturing and/or selling NuvaRing.

According to CBS News (7/12/10), Tompkins was a mother of two when she died at age 43. An autopsy confirmed that a blood clot in her lung caused the death. The lawsuit alleges the makers of NuvaRing marketed the drug without adequate warnings about the risks.

In a separate lawsuit, Dawn Kregel alleges she suffered from deep vein thrombosis after using NuvaRing for only a month in 2010. According to The Southeast Texas Record (1/16/12), Kregel filed a $10 million lawsuit, alleging she was not adequately warned about the risks associated with NuvaRing and that, if she had known of the risks, she would have used different birth control.

NuvaRing is a hormonal contraceptive contained inside a ring that is inserted in the vagina. The ring is left in place for three out of four weeks. Some hormonal contraceptives have been linked to an increased risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.

Lawsuits filed against NuvaRing makers allege women who used the contraceptive were not adequately warned about the risks. According to some reports, a judge involved in federally filed NuvaRing lawsuits has ordered all parties involved in the lawsuits to prepare for settlement talks and submit a dispute resolution plan.