NuvaRing Blood-Clotting Lawsuit Help: Resource4thePeople Reports Number of Cases in Consolidated Federal Litigation Increases
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) September 09, 2013 -- http://www.resource4thepeople.com/defectivedrugs/nuvaring.html
Resource4thePeople announced today that there have been several new developments of interest to consumers who are following the progress of lawsuits alleging that women who used the popular contraceptive NuvaRing suffered serious blood-clotting problems.
Federal court officials, in their latest reporting data, say that the number of NuvaRing cases from across the country that have been consolidated before a U.S. District Court judge in Missouri over similar claims of blood-clotting problems has increased to 1,279.*
“These figures were reported as of Aug. 15, 2013 by the U.S. Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation and if the number of inquiries we have received from women who have also been affected by similar allegations is any indication this number will probably continue to climb,” said Resource4thePeople.
“As a result we will continue our offer of free consultations to women who may have been affected by problems that allegedly were caused by their use of the NuvaRing IUD and are seeking information about their legal options to seek compensation for medical costs and other expenses they may have incurred.”
The 1,279 cases being overseen by U.S. District Judge Rodney Sippel in the Eastern District of Missouri involve common allegations that are summed up on the court’s multidistrict litigation web site and include the following language:
“NuvaRing is a prescription contraceptive device used by women throughout the United States. The individual plaintiffs in this matter claim that use of NuvaRing caused them injuries. They have filed suit in several state and federal courts alleging that the manufacturer of NuvaRing failed to adequately warn of the risks associated with the use of the product, and/or that the NuvaRing product is otherwise defective and unreasonably dangerous.”**
The first bellwether trial from this pool of federal lawsuits involving claims that the NuvaRing puts women at higher risk of suffering blood clots than other contraceptives is scheduled to begin in October.
Judge Sippel recently made an important ruling in the litigation, finding that the woman seeking damages in the bellwether trial will be able to seek punitive damages under the provisions of Missouri law, according to a July 12, 2013 opinion in the court file. The defendants had sought to have the case tried under more restrictive New Jersey law.
As this litigation progresses, other NuvaRing lawsuits continue to be filed, including one by lawyers for a California woman who, according to the complaint*** she filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, attributes a serious blood-clotting problem to her use of the NuvaRing contraceptive.
"This lawsuit is among hundreds of others in which women claim that the manufacturers of the NuvaRing vaginal ring contraceptive has caused them to suffer life-threatening blood-clotting problems," said Resource4thePeople.
The California woman's lawsuit also alleges that the manufacturers of the contraceptive were aware that the NuvaRing put women at greater risk of suffering blood clots but failed to adequately inform consumers and government regulators.
Another such case**** was recently filed by a Louisiana woman who claims she suffered a pulmonary embolism as a result of her use of the NuvaRing IUD. The case was filed in U.S. District Court New Jersey and names Organon, USA, Inc. and Merck & Co, Inc. as defendants.
In addition to seeking damages for her medical expenses and other costs, the woman is seeking other damages against the defendants over allegations that they were aware of dangerous side effects from the use of the NuvaRing IUD but were negligent in failing to warn consumers and health care professionals, according to the court file.
The defendants “falsely marketed NuvaRing as a safe and effective contraceptive without alerting women to the serious risk of developing blood clots, deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism,” according to the woman’s allegations in the court file.
Resource4thePeople said the progress of this litigation does not bar other women from filing their own NuvaRing lawsuits alleging serious, life-threatening blood-clotting problems and consumers will continue to be updated about key developments in the lawsuits.
In addition to the federal consolidated lawsuits, over 200 such state court cases are under the supervision of a judge in New Jersey Superior Court, where another multidistrict litigation***** is underway.
Named as defendants in these litigations are Organon Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Organon International Inc. and Schering-Plough Corp., who, according to the court file, allegedly falsely marketed and sold the NuvaRing as a safe, efficient alternative to birth control pills.
The NuvaRing was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001 after being created by Organon as a flexible IUD, or ring, hence the name. The IUD releases a low dose of etonogestrel and estrogen over three weeks, providing women the flexibility of a monthly contraceptive.
On Oct. 27, 2011 the FDA released the findings of government research that put women who used the NuvaRing or other IUDs with a similar mixture of hormones at a 56 percent higher risk of suffering blood clotting that led to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms than women on birth control pills.******
Resource4thePeople also notes that NuvaRing has now posted a warning about the increased risks of suffering blood clots on the company’s web site under the heading of “IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION."*******
Sources:
*http://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/Pending_MDL-Dockets_By_District-August-15-2013.pdf
**In re: NuvaRing Products Liability Litigation, No. 08-md-1964, JPML, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
***Case # 2:2013cv04195, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
**** Case # 2:13-cv-2933, U.S. District Court for New Jersey
***** In Re NuvaRing Litigation, Docket No. BER-L-3081-09, Bergen County, New Jersey Superior Court
******http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM277384.pdf FDA Oct. 27, 2011
*******http://www.nuvaring.com/Consumer/index.asp
Bill Callahan, iLawSuit, +1 (858) 602-2749, [email protected]
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