JUNE 17--As she was attempting to put on a Victoria's Secret thong, a Los Angeles woman claims that a decorative metallic piece flew off the garment and struck her in the eye, causing injuries and a new product liability lawsuit against the underwear giant.

Macrida Patterson, 52, alleges that she was hurt last May by a defective 'low-rise v-string' from the Victoria's Secret 'Sexy Little Thing' line, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court. A copy of her June 9 complaint, which does not specify monetary damages, can be found here.

Patterson's lawyer, Jason Buccat, told TSG that a 'design problem' caused the decorative piece to come loose and strike Patterson in the eye, causing damage to her cornea. He added that the eye injury, which caused Patterson to miss a few days of work, will be 'affecting her the rest of her life.' Patterson is a traffic officer with L.A.'s Department of Transportation.

Prior to the lawsuit's filing, Victoria's Secret officials asked to examine the garment and the decorative piece, but that request was rejected by Patterson's counsel. For those unfamiliar with 'v-strings,' the undergarment is the Victoria's Secret variant on the 'g-string,' which has long been favored in the battle against visible panty lines. (4 pages)