July 27, 2018 — Federal data shows that Bayer paid at least $2.5 millions to thousands of doctors in consulting fees and other services related to the Essure birth control implant.
From August 2013 through December 2017, Bayer paid 11,850 doctors $2.5 million in fees related to Essure, according to CNN.
The second-highest earner in the U.S. was Dr. Cindy Basinski, a doctor in Indiana who was paid $168,068 between August 2013 and the end of 2017.
Christina Potts, a mother with 4 children, saw Dr. Basinski to ask about getting a traditional tubal ligation surgery (having her “tubes tied”). Instead, Potts said Dr. Basinski was “pushy” in recommending Essure, telling her that surgery wasn’t a good choice for a mother.
Soon after Potts was implanted with Essure, she developed complications like headaches, joint pain, abdominal cramps, extreme fatigue, and was so sick that she couldn’t care for her young children.
The symptoms did not end until her hysterectomy to remove Essure.
Over 16,000 women who experienced similar side effects have filed lawsuits against Essure for aggressively marketing it toward women and failing to adequately warn about safety risks. After a 40% drop in sales, Bayer recently decided to stop selling Essure globally.
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
