Hormonal Contraceptive Lawsuits on the Rise

By Staff Writer

Since January 2012, when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandated that employer health plans cover the cost of women’s birth control and sterilizations, hormonal contraceptives have become a hot topic.

There have been many companies in Supreme Court battles over the mandate, including Hobby Lobby – a major craft store chain that won its case in June 2014. In addition, many women have spoken out about their right to receive free contraceptives. But the thing you often don’t hear about is the growing number of lawsuits against hormonal contraceptives themselves.

Two of the hormonal contraceptives at the top of the “hot water” list are the popular birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin, both put out by Bayer. The Daily Caller reports:

As of April 2015, 190 deaths had been linked to these birth control pills owned by Bayer. The company has spent $1.8 billion to settle lawsuits, and in the biggest suit to date, representing 12,000 complaints, the company agreed to set aside an additional $57 million in settlement money.

Serious health issues resulting in these lawsuits include: pulmonary embolisms, blood clots, and gallbladder issues.

There have also been thousands of lawsuits against the Ortho Evra Patch and Nuva Ring, and serious investigations are currently in the works for a permanent, non-surgical birth control called Essure.

One of the main arguments against these lawsuits is that so many women use these products every day without issue. However, the opposing argument can be made that even one death resulting from any contraceptive is too many.

If you’ve experienced serious health issues due to a hormonal contraceptive, let one of our Tennessee product liability attorneys help you. You can read more about product liability and other related topics on our site.

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