Essure Lawsuit: Bayer's $1.6 Billion Device Settlement

What the Device Was

Essure was a permanent birth-control device: small metal coils implanted in the fallopian tubes to cause scarring that blocks them. Marketed as a non-surgical sterilization option, it was implanted in hundreds of thousands of women. Lawsuits alleged the coils could migrate, perforate the fallopian tubes or uterus, break apart, cause chronic pain and heavy bleeding, trigger autoimmune reactions and, in some cases, fail to prevent pregnancy.

For some women, removing the device required surgery, including hysterectomy — a severe outcome for a product marketed as a simple procedure.

The $1.6 Billion Settlement

Facing tens of thousands of claims, Bayer agreed in 2020 to a settlement of about $1.6 billion resolving roughly 90% of the US Essure cases — nearly 39,000 women. The settlement did not include an admission of wrongdoing, and participating plaintiffs had to drop their claims. Bayer had already stopped selling Essure in 2018 amid declining sales and added FDA restrictions.

A settlement of this scale reflects both the number of women affected and the severity of the alleged injuries.

What Affected Women Should Know

The main settlement resolved the bulk of the claims, so this is largely not an open sign-up class action. Anyone who had Essure and experienced complications should keep their implant and removal records and consult qualified counsel about whether any avenue remains for their specific situation. Medical follow-up is the priority.