A thirty year old woman decided to sue the manufacturers of NuvaRing, a vaginal contraceptive implant, after suffering a severe stroke while using the device. Though she had no family or personal history of blood clotting, she was diagnosed with a stroke and multiple blood clots in her shoulders and heart after one full year of NuvaRing use. Neither the neurologist or cardiologist found anything structurally wrong with her physiology, and blood thinners were recommended after she lost the use of her left side, arm, hand, and leg. When every form of follow-up treatment was deemed inconclusive, her doctors suggested that the NuvaRing may have caused the blood clotting. Since the stroke, the woman has been able to regain the ability to slowly walk with difficulty, and has had to undergo physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Her doctors hoped that she would be able to regain some memory and verbal skills, though the chances of her regaining physical control were deemed improbable. The lawsuit required an expert in pharmaceutical branding to comment on the product and how regulatory warnings could have been changed by the manufacturer.
