Here are some excerpts from an Aetna Annual Report from the 1980s which discusses some of Aetna's involvement in the Dalkon Shield litigation:
"During 1985, the Aetna Casualty and Surety Company or related Aetna companies ('Aetna Casualty') were named as codefendants with A.H. Robins Company ('Robins'), now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, in over 100 product liability suits involving the 'Dalkon Shield' intrauterine contraceptive device. These suits allege that Aetna Casualty acted with Robins (the manufacturer of the Dalkon Shield) to prevent disclosure of alleged dangers of the Dalkon Shield...
In November of 1985, all Dalkon Shield-related cases (including those naming Aetna Casualty) were ordered stayed and transferred to the bankruptcy court in Richmond, Virginia...
On April 10, 1986, a class action was filed against Aetna Casualty on behalf of all women who were, or may become, injured by the Dalkon Shield. The allegations of this class suit are similar to the suits filed by individual women during 1985 - i.e. that Aetna Casualty acted with Robins to prevent disclosure of alleged dangers of the Dalkon Shield. The suit, which is pending in the bankruptcy court, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, and was conditionally certified by the court as a class action on December 29, 1986.
Aetna Casualty provided products liability insurance coverage to Robins for the Dalkon Shield and has established reserves for that coverage. If liability were found against Aetna Casualty in any of the above suits, damages would be in addition to amounts payable under this insurance coverage."
