There is a legal battle underway over the ParaGard IUD, and Cooper Surgical and Teva Pharmaceuticals are at the center of the lawsuit. Although this lawsuit is not a class action, it does involve individual injury claims. The lawsuits have been consolidated by a judge into a multidistrict litigation, which streamlines the lawsuit process and ensures that each plaintiff gets the best representation possible. The lawyers are pursuing cases where the device broke or lodged, causing multiple injuries.
Class action lawsuits
Class action lawsuits against ParaGard IUS are in the early stages of development. The first cases are expected to go to trial in 2023. Currently, there are two classes of claims. The first focuses on the IUD’s adverse effects, namely migration and perforation. The second focuses on the device’s effects on women’s reproductive health.
The Paragard MDL has a large volume of cases. As of September, there are over 1,200 active cases. The number of new cases added to the MDL has steadily increased over the last 18 months. In the last month, an average of 86 new cases have been added to the MDL. The most recent monthly status conference was held June 21. However, the status conference did not produce any significant results. Plaintiffs have 120 days to file their fact sheets.
In the meantime, the lawsuits against ParaGard are still in the early stages. The Discovery Conference is scheduled for May 13, 2022. The Paragard MDL has about 1,018 cases. The case will be heard by a judge who will oversee the consolidated group discovery process. The focus of the discovery process will be whether the Paragard IUD is defective and what the defendants knew about it.
Litigation against Teva Pharmaceuticals
The paragard IUD is one of the most popular birth control devices on the market. The manufacturer claims that the device is safe and effective, but many consumers have experienced complications after using the device. This lawsuit against Teva Pharmaceuticals claims that the company knew about the risks of its product but failed to warn consumers of them. Although the lawsuit has been filed individually, it is now part of a multidistrict litigation that represents women nationwide.
The lawsuit alleges that the manufacturer, Teva, knew or should have known about the risks associated with the Paragard IUD long before it was sold. As a result, the company failed to warn consumers about the high risk of breakage and increased risk of injury. The company has not recalled the device, but thousands of women have filed complaints with the Food and Drug Administration.
The first lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California on May 11, 2020. It alleges negligence, strict liability design defect, and failure to warn. The plaintiff claims that she was implanted with the IUD for about two years before the problem was noticed. She then underwent surgery after breaking pieces of the device embedded into her uterus.
Litigation against Cooper Surgical
Paragard IUD lawsuits generally consist of pleadings and a discovery process in which evidence is presented to support plaintiffs’ claims. After that, the cases go to a pretrial conference where a settlement is sought and if the parties cannot reach an agreement, then a trial is scheduled. The Paragard IUD lawsuit against Cooper Surgical and Teva Pharmaceutical alleges that the device caused injuries due to breakage during removal.
The Paragard IUD is a copper wire-wrapped plastic device that doctors insert into a woman’s uterus to prevent pregnancy. It is intended for continuous use and can prevent pregnancy for up to ten years. It is easy to insert and remove, which means it is pain-free for the woman. However, the copper wrapping causes inflammation in the uterus and creates an unfavorable environment for the sperm and egg.
The Paragard IUD is made from copper, making it unique and dangerous. It is the only copper IUD currently on the market in the U.S. Cooper Surgical purchased the brand from Teva Pharmaceuticals and continued manufacturing the device. This is an example of an unregulated product that has caused complications in thousands of women.
Legal status of ParaGard IUD lawsuits
A number of lawsuits have surfaced against the makers of the ParaGard IUD, an intrauterine device that allows women to use birth control for up to ten years. The device is removable and approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Numerous companies have manufactured the device.
The Paragard IUD releases tiny amounts of copper into the uterus over a long period of time, preventing the sperm from inseminating the egg. It may have side effects, causing alterations in the uterine wall and reducing the chances of implantation. It is also known to cause pelvic inflammatory diseases. Infections caused by Paragard IUDs are common within 20 days of insertion and can cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy, chronic pain, or even death.
A global settlement for the Paragard IUD lawsuits is expected to be reached at some point in the future. The lawsuits are grouped under the Paragard MDL, a multidistrict litigation. The Paragard MDL was formed in 2022 and included about 1,314 plaintiffs as of mid-August 2022. The process is moving slowly. The judge in the MDL has ordered the plaintiffs to submit discovery documents. This is an important step in moving the case forward. However, the judge has not yet set a date for bellwether trials.