Paragard IUD Injury Lawsuits

The Paragard IUD has been reported to break apart inside women during removal — causing serious injuries including chronic pain, infection, and infertility. We are holding the manufacturers accountable.

What Is the Paragard IUD Lawsuit?

Paragard is a copper intrauterine device (IUD) manufactured by CooperSurgical and marketed as a long-term, hormone-free contraceptive. Unlike hormonal IUDs, Paragard uses copper to prevent pregnancy and can remain in place for up to 10 years. It has been used by millions of women in the United States since its FDA approval in 1984.

Thousands of women and their physicians have reported that the Paragard IUD fractures during removal — with arms or other pieces breaking off and remaining inside the uterus or migrating to other areas of the body. Lawsuits allege that CooperSurgical and its predecessor Teva Pharmaceuticals knew about the fracture risk and failed to adequately warn patients and healthcare providers. A federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) has been established in the Northern District of Georgia to consolidate these claims.

How the Paragard IUD Fails

The Paragard IUD is made of flexible plastic with copper wire coiled around the stem and two horizontal arms. During removal, a physician grasps the attached string and pulls downward, which should cause the arms to fold upward and allow the device to slide out. In many reported cases, however, the arms snap off during this process — leaving fragments inside the uterus or, in more serious cases, allowing pieces to perforate the uterine wall and migrate into the abdominal cavity.

Plaintiffs allege that the device's plastic becomes brittle over time and that the design is inherently prone to fracture under the stress of normal removal. Some women have required surgical intervention — including hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, or in severe cases hysterectomy — to locate and remove the broken fragments.

Injuries Reported by Paragard Users

Device Fracture During Removal

The most commonly reported failure: one or both arms of the IUD snap off during the removal procedure, leaving fragments inside the uterus that must be surgically retrieved.

Uterine Perforation

Broken fragments can perforate the uterine wall and migrate into the pelvic cavity or abdominal organs, requiring emergency surgical intervention to locate and remove.

Chronic Pelvic Pain

Retained fragments and the resulting inflammation can cause persistent pelvic pain that significantly affects daily life and may persist even after surgical removal of the broken pieces.

Infection & Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Retained device fragments create a pathway for bacterial infection, increasing the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can cause fever, pain, and long-term reproductive damage.

Infertility

Uterine scarring, infection, and damage caused by broken IUD fragments can impair fertility. Some women have been unable to conceive following Paragard removal complications.

Need for Surgical Intervention

Many women have required hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, or hysterectomy to remove broken fragments — procedures that carry their own risks and recovery burdens.

Who May Have a Claim?

You may qualify for a claim if you had a Paragard IUD that fractured or broke during removal and suffered injuries as a result — including the need for additional surgery, chronic pain, infection, or infertility. Claims may also be available if your Paragard IUD perforated your uterus or migrated to another part of your body.

Lawsuits have been filed against CooperSurgical, Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. Our attorneys are actively investigating claims and can advise you on your eligibility and the deadlines that apply in your state. Contact us as soon as possible — statutes of limitations vary and can affect your ability to bring a claim.

Free, Confidential Consultation

If your Paragard IUD broke during removal or caused serious injury, you may have a legal claim against the manufacturer. Contact us today for a free, confidential case review. There is no fee unless we recover compensation on your behalf.