The contraceptive NuvaRing, made by Merck & Co., had some unexpected and potentially deadly side effects.  Allegedly, the device caused fatal blood clots – clots which induced heart attacks in some women. More than 1700 lawsuits were filed in Missouri and New Jersey; rather than continue in court, Merck has agreed to pay more than $100 million – roughly $58,000 per case.

While $100 million is nothing to sniff at, Merck got away relatively cheaply by comparison. Bayer, the company behind Yaz and Yasmin, has paid out more than $1.6 billion in the last year to women who claimed that their contraceptives caused the same side effects as the NuvaRing.

But many of these suits are less about the side effects than they are about the lack of warnings. One Nebraska family in particular claimed that Merck misled NuvaRing users, and that the lack of warning ultimately led to the death of the mother.

When you look at it from that perspective, maybe $100 million isn’t as much money as it seems.