Here are questions people frequently ask about Paragard and the associated lawsuits and MDL.
Is Paragard being recalled?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recalled Paragard IUDs or released plans to recall the devices. Despite that, there are multiple concerns for women’s health, serious injuries and numerous deaths associated with broken pieces of the device related to a possible design flaw.
The lack of recall may result in more women experiencing injuries and serious health conditions as a result of using the device.
What is the defect of the Paragard design?
The plaintiffs allege that the Paragard IUD has a serious design flaw. This flaw causes plastic pieces of the Paragard IUD to break off during removal. These sharp plastic pieces can become stuck in the user’s uterus, causing serious or life-threatening injuries.
In some cases, Paragard users required hysterectomies or other surgeries to remove these plastic pieces. In other cases, women suffered heavy bleeding after the IUD was removed. Cases filed within the MDL also allege that the manufacturers of Paragard didn’t disclose the risks associated with this potential design defect to users and their medical providers.
Is there a Paragard IUD class action lawsuit?
There is no Paragard class action lawsuit. However, thousands of individual personal injury lawsuits are collected in a multidistrict litigation (MDL). These lawsuits aim to help affected Paragard users seek justice and compensation for their serious medical issues.
MDLs differ from class action lawsuits. Like class action suits, MDLs “combine” a number of individual cases. However, there are some technical differences. For example, plaintiffs’ cases are tried individually in an MDL, instead of as a group like a class action lawsuit.
The Paragard MDL comprises over 2,800 individual lawsuits. If the court or a jury rules in favor of one of the injured parties, the lawsuit award will go only to that individual.