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(USGovernment-News.Com, May 16, 2015 ) Birmingham, AL -- Southern Med Law, a law firm representing victims of medical malpractice and defective medical devices, has filed a Mirena IUD lawsuit on behalf of an Alabama family whose baby died following his premature birth in 2012. The complaint, which is currently pending in Mobile County Circuit Court, alleges that the Mirena IUD failed to prevent pregnancy due to problems locating its strings, which also made the device difficult to remove. The inability to remove the IUD from her uterus allegedly caused the baby’s mother to develop an intra-uterine infection that led to the child’s death following a premature rupture of membranes, chorioamnionitis and preterm delivery before his lungs were fully developed. In addition to Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, the Mirena lawsuit names Bay Area Physician for Women, P.C., and two of the woman’s healthcare providers as defendants. (Case No. 02-CV-2014-902242.00)
The family is being represented by Dr. François Blaudeau, the founder of Southern Med Law. As both an attorney and practicing obstetrician/ gynecologist with a specialization in advanced gynecological surgery, Dr. Blaudeau possesses a unique understanding of the issues at the center of this complaint.
According to the Mirena lawsuit, the baby’s mother received the Mirena IUD for contraception, and some three and a half years later, in January 2012, she began experiencing vaginal bleeding and cramping. On February 19th, she was seen by a physician at Bay Area Physician for Women, where a pregnancy test and ultrasound indicated that she was pregnant. The ultrasound also revealed that the IUD was still present in her uterus, but her healthcare providers were unable to locate its strings to facilitate its removal. The woman was informed that she would have to continue the pregnancy with the Mirena IUD in her uterus.
During her pregnancy, the lawsuit notes that the child’s mother attended all of her medical appointment and underwent a number of ultrasounds, at which time no abnormalities were noted, including no finding of a right-sided diaphragmatic hernia.
According to the filing, the baby’s mother began experiencing pelvic pressure on July 17, 2012, when she was just 29 weeks pregnant. She was again seen at Bay Area Physician for Women, where yet another ultrasound was performed. Reassured that everything was normal, the patient was sent home. However, on July 19, 2012, she experienced a sudden rupture of her membranes. She was ultimately admitted to the University of South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital, where a number of steps were taken to try to delay her delivery due to the fact that the baby’s lungs were underdeveloped. Ultimately, due to signs and symptoms of evolving chorioamnionitis and a non-reassuring fetal heart pattern, the decision was made to induce the delivery with Pitocin. Her son was born on August 4, 2012, and an x-ray revealed that the baby suffered from a right-sided diaphragmatic hernia. An echocardiogram was performed, which indicated the child was also suffering from pulmonary hypertension, degenerated right pulmonary artery, a large patent ductus-arteriosis (PDA), and persistent fetal oxygenation.
After being told that the baby’s condition was not improving, and that nothing more could be done, his parents made the decision to remove the child from life support. According to the lawsuit, the baby died on August 5, 2012, just 36 hours after birth.
Among other things, the complaint alleges that the Mirena IUD was defective in design and unreasonably dangerous when it was initially inserted, due to issues that can cause its strings to curl, retract or break. Should a pregnancy occur, these alleged defects make the Mirena IUD difficult to remove, which the lawsuit claims represents a significant risk to the pregnancy. The complaint further asserts that Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals was aware of these issues, and failed to redesign the IUD so that it could be easily removed when it failed to prevent pregnancy.
If you or a loved one suffered complications allegedly related to a Mirena IUD or medical malpractice, please contact Southern Med Law today to learn more about your legal rights. You can arrange for a free, no obligation legal review by visiting www.southernmedlaw.com, or by calling the office directly at 205-547-5525.
About Southern Med Law
Southern Med Law is a patient and consumer advocacy organization providing legal representation to the victims of negligent personal injuries, medical malpractice, dangerous drugs, faulty medical devices and defective products. Led by Dr. François Blaudeau, an attorney and a practicing obstetrician/ gynecologist, the legal staff at Southern Med Law possesses a deep understanding of the complex medical and legal questions at issue in all manner of product liability and personal injury claims. They’re not afraid to take on the nation’s largest corporations in their pursuit of justice, and are committed to ensuring that all victims have access to the type of aggressive legal advocacy that assures success.
Southern Med Law
The Southern Institute for Medical and Legal Affairs
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