Robins Begins Ad Series on Dalkon Claims

An American company, acting under court supervision, begins a 91-nation advertising campaign today to alert 4.5 million women that they have only four more months to file claims for health problems caused by the Dalkon Shield.

A. H. Robins Co. of Richmond, Va., and an international public relations firm will mount the advertising campaign to inform women that they must give notice of their claim by April 30 or be forever barred from suing.

The campaign is aimed at an estimated 2.8 million women in the United States and 1.7 million women overseas who received the Dalkon Shield intrauterine contraceptive device between 1971 and 1974, when the Food and Drug Administration asked Robins to halt sales because of health risks.

The campaign is being monitored by federal bankruptcy Judge Robert R. Merhige, who approved the advertising plan as part of Robins’ petition seeking to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Robins sought the protection of the bankruptcy court last year after being deluged with some 13,000 lawsuits over the Dalkon Shield.

The lawsuits contend that poor design of the shield allowed bacteria to enter the uterus, causing ailments including pelvic disease, blood poisoning and infection, sterility, spontaneous abortions and even death.

The company and its insurer already have paid some $520 million to settle about 9,450 of the cases.

Robins asked the court, however, to set a deadline for new claims against it involving any of the 2.8 million Dalkon Shields distributed in the United States or the 1.7 million distributed overseas. Merhige has ruled that any of those women seeking damages must give notice by April 30.

The claim can be as simple as mailing a postcard to the clerk of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond with name and address and a statment that a claim is being filed, Robins said. The procedure does not require a lawyer. Claimants will receive further instructions and a questionnaire to be completed and returned by June 30.

The mailing address for claims is Dalkon Shield, P. O. Box 444, Richmond, Va. 23203.