Paragard IUD Lawsuits

Multiple lawyers are now investigating the design, marketing, and promotion of the flawed devices leading many to take legal action against the company. The most common complaint that has triggered Paragard lawsuits is breakage of the device during removal, resulting in fragments remaining inside the uterus. This often necessitates surgery to remove the pieces.

The plastic on the Paragard IUD is intended to be flexible, so the top arms of the “T” should fold down to facilitate intact removal. Sometimes, one or both arms of the T break off, leaving one or more fragments inside the uterus.

If not removed, IUD fragments can cause serious complications that could be life-threatening. Removal is not always simple, and some women have been forced to undergo complete hysterectomies, resulting in permanent infertility and severe emotional distress.

Paragard was manufactured by Teva Pharmaceuticals until CooperSurgical purchased the brand. The issues were already known prior to this sale, but CooperSurgical continued manufacturing the same product.

Breakage during removal is not the only complication women have experienced. Some have reported complications during insertion and throughout the duration of their use of Paragard. These complications along with breakage during removal have resulted in serious injury and illness, including the following:

• The necessity of invasive procedures to remove the IUD
  • Hysterectomy – removal of the uterus
  • Laparotomy – an invasive surgery similar to a caesarian section
  • Laparoscopy – similar to laparotomy but with a smaller incision to find missing fragments
  • Hysteroscopy – a less invasive procedure that requires general anesthesia
• Pelvic Infections
• Inflammation
• IUD embedding in the uterus or other organs
• IUD migration to other organs
• Permanent loss of fertility
• Pain
• Perforation of the uterus or other organs
• Sepsis

Manufacturers owe a duty of care to create safe products. Negligence occurs when manufacturers breach that duty. Teva Pharmaceuticals and CooperSurgical breached their duty of care when they continued to offer dangerous products to the public after safety issues were reported. They have not modified the product, and they are refusing to take responsibility for the injuries their products have caused thousands of unsuspecting women.

The lawsuits against Teva Pharmaceuticals and CooperSurgical allege that they have breached their duty of care on the following grounds:

1. Defective design – Teva Pharmaceuticals and CooperSurgical have manufactured a poorly designed product that is prone to breakage.
2. Manufacturing defects – Rather than fault the design, some lawsuits allege the manufacturers allow defective products to reach the public, which would indicate quality control deficiencies.
3. Failure to warn – The defendants have failed to advise physicians and the public about the potential for breakage and how to mitigate these risks.

Teva Pharmaceuticals and CooperSurgical are facing a growing number of lawsuits as a result of their faulty products, which have seriously injured women who trusted Paragard as a safe and effective method of birth control.

In addition, the FDA has received over 41,000 reports of complications arising from Paragard, including 17,208 complaints of injuries that were severe or resulted in death. This is clear and convincing evidence that Teva Pharmaceuticals and CooperSurgical have knowingly and negligently manufactured dangerous products.