Lawsuits Filed by Women Hurt by Paragard Copper IUDs That Broke While Being Removed
The FDA has warned that the copper IUD Paragard is prone to break when it is being removed from a woman’s body. When this occurs, women implanted with the copper IUD may experience severe pain, infections, organ perforation, infertility, or other side effects.
Several recent lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers of Paragard by women whose IUD broke while they were being removed, causing serious and potentially deadly side effects. These lawsuits have alleged that the copper IUD is defectively designed and that women who received the device were never warned about the risk of serious and potentially deadly side effects they could face from this birth control device.
Paragard is an intrauterine device, or IUD, that is implanted in a woman’s body and left in place for up to 10 years in order to prevent pregnancy. Rather than using hormones, like birth control pills or other IUDs, Paragard works to prevent pregnancy through copper wires that are coiled around the T-shaped plastic frame of the device. Because these copper wires are toxic to sperm and eggs, Paragard is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy for women who use the device.
After a woman has been using Paragard for 10 years, or when she decides she wishes to become pregnant, the copper IUD can be removed with a visit to the office of a doctor or medical practitioner. Using forceps, Paragard is removed by pulling on a thin monofilament string that is attached to the device; the T-shaped arms of the IUD are designed to fold upwards while the device is being removed, allowing it to slide gently from the body.
Paragard Linked to Serious, Potentially Deadly Side Effects
However, in many cases, the T-shaped arms of the Paragard device do not fold correctly while the IUD is being removed. In situations where this occurs, the arms of the IUD may break off, becoming lodged inside the body. In some cases, these arms can migrate to other parts of the body or become lodged inside a woman’s organs or body tissue, leading to severe and potentially deadly side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration says that it has received more than 40,000 reports of complications involving the Paragard copper IUD. More than 15,000 of these cases involved serious side effects from the device, including at least 15 reports of deaths involving Paragard.
In some cases, women may be forced to undergo a hysteroscopy or other surgeries in order to remove the pieces of the copper IUD from the body. In addition to the high cost of these surgeries, being forced to undergo this additional medical procedure can put women at risk of additional side effects.
In severe cases, the broken pieces of the copper IUD can cause organ damage or perforate the body’s internal organs. When organ perforation occurs inside the uterus, it can cause damage that can lead to infertility. Some women may be forced to undergo a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) because of the damage caused by broken pieces from the Paragard device. In other cases, women may be forced to undergo surgery or other medical procedures in order to repair the damage caused by the copper IUD.
Paragard Users with Complications May Qualify for a Lawsuit
Dozens of lawsuits have been filed across the U.S. by women whose Paragard IUD broke while they were being removed, causing organ damage, tissue damage, or other side effects. According to these lawsuits, the manufacturers of Paragard failed to warn doctors or patients about the risks that the device could break while it was being removed and the increased risk of side effects that women could face as a result of design defects with the copper IUD.
If you or a loved one used the Paragard copper IUD for birth control and have experienced pain, discomfort, or other serious side effects caused by complications during the removal of your device, you may be able to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for your injuries and the medical costs you incurred. The first step in taking legal action is to speak with an experienced birth control lawyer to find out whether you qualify to file a case.
For more information about filing a Paragard lawsuit and to find out whether you qualify to take legal action, contact the lawyers at Hissey, Mulderig & Friend by calling toll-free at 1-866-806-8117. You can also reach us by filling out the free case evaluation form located on the right side of this page.
After we receive your information, a member of our staff will contact you to answer any questions you have and to schedule your consultation with one of the lawyers at our firm.