Key Points

• Women who used the Depo-Provera birth control shot do not need complete medical or pharmacy records before contacting an attorney about a Depo-Provera meningioma lawsuit. 

• Federal and state laws give patients the right to request copies of their own medical and pharmacy records, even from providers they have not seen in years. 

• When original records cannot be located, alternative forms of proof — including insurance claim histories, employer health plan records, and sworn declarations — may be used to document Depo-Provera use. 

• An experienced birth control attorney can handle the records recovery process on behalf of their clients, so women do not need to gather documentation on their own before starting a claim. 

One of the most common reasons women hesitate to come forward in the Depo-Provera meningioma litigation is the belief that they cannot file a lawsuit without a complete paper trail. Many women received Depo-Provera injections years or even decades ago, often at clinics that have since closed, from doctors who have since retired, or through pharmacies that no longer exist. Others simply never kept copies of the records. 

The good news is that incomplete documentation does not disqualify a woman from filing a Depo-Provera lawsuit. There are well-established procedures for recovering older records, and where original records cannot be located, alternative forms of proof may be used to document Depo-Provera use. 

If you or a loved one used Depo-Provera and were diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor, the lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend can help you recover the documentation needed to support your claim. Find out whether you qualify or start your claim today by calling our office toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or by filling out the free Depo-Provera claims submission form located at the top of this page. 

Step 1: Request Records From Your Current and Former Doctors

The first step is to request medical records directly from each provider who administered Depo-Provera injections to you. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), patients have a federal right to access their own medical records, and providers must respond to a written request within 30 days in most cases. 

Even if you have not seen a particular provider in many years, the records may still exist. Most states require physicians to retain adult medical records for a period of seven to ten years after the last patient visit, and many providers keep records far longer. 

Step 2: Contact Pharmacies, Including Closed Locations

The next step is to request a prescription history from each pharmacy that filled or administered your Depo-Provera prescriptions. Under federal law, pharmacies are required to retain prescription records for a minimum number of years, and many large pharmacy chains maintain digital archives that go back much further. 

If a pharmacy has closed or been acquired, the records often still exist. Acquired pharmacy chains typically transfer prescription histories to the acquiring company, and state boards of pharmacy can sometimes assist in locating where the records of a closed pharmacy were transferred. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy maintains a directory of state pharmacy boards that can help patients locate transferred records. 

Step 3: Request Records From Clinics, Health Centers, and Family Planning Providers

Many women received Depo-Provera through community health centers, family planning clinics, college health services, or military treatment facilities rather than from a private physician. These institutions are subject to the same federal record retention requirements as private providers and can be contacted directly for record requests. 

For clinics that have closed, records are often transferred to a successor organization, the local or state health department, or in some cases to the state archives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments can often help identify what happened to the records of a closed public health facility. 

Step 4: Pull Your Insurance Claim History

If your Depo-Provera injections were billed to a health insurance plan, the insurance carrier likely has a record of the visit, the procedure code, and the medication administered. This applies to private insurance, employer-sponsored plans, Medicaid, and TRICARE. 

Patients may request a complete claim history from their insurance carrier directly. Procedure codes and National Drug Codes (NDC) listed on past claims can be cross-referenced against the FDA’s Drug Approval Database to confirm that the medication administered was Depo-Provera or an authorized generic version of medroxyprogesterone acetate. 

Step 5: Request Records From Past Employers and Health Plan Administrators

If you obtained Depo-Provera through an employer-sponsored health plan, the plan administrator may have a record of pharmacy benefit claims even after you left the employer. This is particularly useful for women who used the Depo shot during a specific period of employment. Health plan claim records can sometimes go back many years and may be requested directly from the plan administrator or the pharmacy benefit manager. 

Step 6: Document Treatment Through Your Meningioma Diagnosis Records

The medical records related to your meningioma diagnosis — including MRI or CT imaging, neurology consultations, surgical notes, and pathology reports — frequently include a patient history section that references prior contraceptive use. These records can serve as contemporaneous documentation that you reported Depo-Provera use to your treating providers before your diagnosis, which strengthens the connection between the birth control shot and the meningioma. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, meningioma diagnosis typically involves neurological examination, MRI or CT imaging, and in some cases biopsy or surgical resection. Each step in this process generates records that may be useful in supporting a Depo-Provera claim. 

Step 7: Use Sworn Declarations and Contemporaneous Evidence Where Records Cannot Be Recovered

When original records simply cannot be located, sworn declarations and contemporaneous evidence may be used to document Depo-Provera use. This may include: 

• A sworn statement from the patient describing the timeline, frequency, and location of injections to the best of her recollection. 

• Sworn statements from family members, partners, or friends who can corroborate the patient’s use of the Depo shot during a particular period. 

• Personal records such as calendar entries, dated photographs, journal entries, or text messages that reference Depo-Provera appointments. 

• Tax records, address histories, or employment records that establish where the patient was living and receiving care during the relevant period. 

Sworn statements are not a substitute for medical records when records exist, but they are a recognized form of evidence in product liability litigation when original documentation cannot be recovered through reasonable efforts. 

How Hissey Mulderig & Friend Handles the Records Recovery Process 

The lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend handle each of the steps above on behalf of their clients. Our law firm has represented hundreds of women across the United States lawsuits involving defective birth control products, including the Ortho Evra patch, Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills, Paragard copper IUDs, the Mirena IUD, and other contraceptives.

Once a woman contacts the firm and confirms she meets the eligibility criteria for a Depo-Provera lawsuit, the staff members on our team work to identify her medical providers, send HIPAA-compliant record requests, follow up with pharmacies and insurance carriers, and assemble the documentation needed to support her claim. Our law firm employs a team of female staff members who are available to talk with you about your birth control claim in privacy.

Women are not expected to complete this process on their own before reaching out. In fact, contacting an attorney earlier in the process is often the best way to preserve evidence, because record retention periods continue to run, and providers, pharmacies, and insurance carriers can be more difficult to reach with each passing year. 

Contact An Attorney and Start Your Depo-Provera Claim

If you or a loved one used Depo-Provera and were diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation, even if you do not have complete medical or pharmacy records related to your use of the birth control shot. 

The lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend work on a strict contingency basis. This means you will never pay legal fees or other costs associated with filing a lawsuit unless we are able to successfully recover damages in your claim. 

Contact Hissey Mulderig & Friend today to learn more about your legal options and whether you qualify to pursue compensation for your injuries after using Depo-Provera. You can reach us by calling our office toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or by sending us a message using the free claims submission form located at the top of this page.