Birth Control Lawsuit: The Depo-Provera Settlement and the Paragard IUD Case
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When people search “birth control lawsuit” in 2026, the news is almost always about the Depo-Provera shot. More than 6,000 federal lawsuits allege it causes meningioma, a brain tumor. Pfizer agreed in June 2026 to settle most of them, and payments are expected to start in early 2027. The second big case is about the Paragard copper IUD breaking during removal. It has no settlement, and its next federal trial is set for April 12, 2027. Neither case is a class action, and there is no public claim form.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuits Allege
Depo-Provera (injection). The plaintiffs allege that long-term use of injectable Depo-Provera, or its generic versions (medroxyprogesterone acetate), can cause one or more meningiomas. These are tumors of the membranes around the brain. The lawsuits also allege that Pfizer failed to warn about the risk and failed to promote a lower-dose alternative, Depo-SubQ Provera 104. Pfizer maintains the drug is safe and effective. The FDA has since approved a label change that warns users of an increased risk of meningioma. The FDA had rejected Pfizer’s request for that change in 2024.
Paragard (copper IUD). The lawsuits allege that the device tends to break when it is removed. They say this has led to surgeries to retrieve broken pieces, infertility and pain. The claims are failure to warn and design defect. Teva sold Paragard to CooperSurgical in 2017, and both companies are defendants. Teva’s defenses include federal preemption, the learned-intermediary doctrine and lack of causation.
Case Details
Depo-Provera: In re: Depo-Provera (Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3140, No. 3:25-md-3140, is in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida (Pensacola) before Judge M. Casey Rodgers. It was centralized on February 7, 2025. Related state cases are coordinated alongside it. At the July 27, 2026 conference, counsel reported 129 in New York, 410 in Delaware and 118 in California, plus 72 Minnesota cases with 6,899 plaintiffs. The court’s MDL 3140 page posts every order.
Paragard: In re: Paragard IUD Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2974, No. 1:20-md-02974, is in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia before Judge Leigh Martin May (court page).
Status: One Private Settlement, One Case Still Headed to Trial
Paragard: no settlement. The first bellwether trial ended on February 3, 2026 with a defense verdict for Teva. In July 2026 the court scheduled the second bellwether trial to begin on April 12, 2027.
Pfizer is also the defendant in other, unrelated litigation; see our Pfizer lawsuit overview.
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There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
Latest From the Court Docket
Recent entries in the federal cases behind this page, taken from the court's own docket. We check it at least once a day; this list is as of Oct 11, 2026.
Sep 25, 2026
Order
IN RE: Paragard IUD Products Liability Litigation, No. 1:20-md-02974 (N.D. Ga.), ECF No. 1271
Sep 24, 2026
ORDER - The CMCs scheduled for October , , and November , , are CANCELED
IN RE: DEPO-PROVERA (DEPOT MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE) PRODUCTS LIABILITY …, No. 3:25-md-03140 (N.D. Fla.), ECF No. 770
Sep 23, 2026
REPLY to Response to Motion re Second MOTION to Dismiss Cases Barred
IN RE: Paragard IUD Products Liability Litigation, No. 1:20-md-02974 (N.D. Ga.), ECF No. 1270
Sep 22, 2026
Amended Complaint (2 filings)
IN RE: Paragard IUD Products Liability Litigation, No. 1:20-md-02974 (N.D. Ga.)
Sep 18, 2026
Minute Entry for proceedings held before JUDGE M CASEY RODGERS: General Causation/Daubert
IN RE: DEPO-PROVERA (DEPOT MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE) PRODUCTS LIABILITY …, No. 3:25-md-03140 (N.D. Fla.), ECF No. 765
Both dockets with recent entries
IN RE: DEPO-PROVERA (DEPOT MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE) PRODUCTS LIABILITY …
No. 3:25-md-03140 · N.D. Fla. · latest entry Oct 2, 2026
Docket on CourtListenerIN RE: Paragard IUD Products Liability Litigation
No. 1:20-md-02974 · N.D. Ga. · latest entry Sep 25, 2026
Docket on CourtListener
A docket entry is a step in the case, not a decision on who wins. Sources: the courts' PACER feeds and CourtListener (Free Law Project). Not legal advice.
Who Is Affected
Depo-Provera: people who received the injectable contraceptive, brand or generic, and were later diagnosed with a meningioma. The settlement is offered to plaintiffs with cases in the MDL and the New York proceeding. BrownGreer decides eligibility using information collected from individuals and their lawyers. The eligibility terms themselves are confidential. The court counted 6,289 MDL actions at its July 27, 2026 conference. Our Depo-Provera calculator explains what drives the value of a claim.
Paragard: people whose copper IUD broke during removal. See the Paragard calculator.
Other devices: separate pages cover Mirena, Nexplanon and Essure.
Is There Money, and How Much?
Paragard: no settlement, no fund and no claim form. The only verdict so far went to the defense.
Birth control pills: as of October 2026, we have not found any open settlement or claim form for a birth control pill.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 171,945 health care/pharmaceutical product liability casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2026:
- 33.5% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 18% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 33.5% and 51.6%.
- 8.8% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 2,965 reached a trial (0%), after a median of 32 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 26.9 months.
- Almost none record a money award in this data (18 of 171,945), and the recorded figures are capped, so we do not publish an average.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal health care/pharmaceutical product liability cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Birth Control Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
February 7, 2025 — Depo-Provera MDL Created
The JPML centralizes the meningioma cases as MDL No. 3140 before Judge M. Casey Rodgers in the Northern District of Florida.
- 2
February 3, 2026 — Paragard Defense Verdict
The first Paragard bellwether trial, which began January 20, 2026 in Atlanta, ends with a verdict for Teva.
- 3
June 15, 2026 — Depo-Provera Settlement Announced
Plaintiffs’ leadership announces a settlement of most MDL and New York claims. The December pilot trial is canceled.
- 4
July 21, 2026 — Master Settlement Agreement Signed
The parties sign the confidential agreement and estimate that roughly 80% of MDL plaintiffs will be eligible.
- 5
August–September 2026 — Administrators Appointed
BrownGreer becomes Settlement Administrator on August 5, 2026. Fund, allocation and lien masters follow on September 4, 2026.
- 6
2027 — Payments and the Next Paragard Trial
Depo-Provera payments are expected to begin by the first quarter of 2027. The second Paragard bellwether trial is set for April 12, 2027.
Court Documents
Read the key filings yourself. We host copies of the public court record, free to read and share.
Case: IN RE: DEPO-PROVERA (DEPOT MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE) PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION, No. 3:25-md-03140 (N.D. Fla.)
- ComplaintMar 20, 2025 · ECF No. 189 · 48 pages · PDF, 490 KB
- JPML Transfer OrderFeb 7, 2025 · ECF No. 1 · 5 pages · PDF, 202 KB
A complaint states one side's allegations; only the court's orders decide anything. Copies of federal court records (PACER) via CourtListener, Free Law Project. Not legal advice.
Three Things to Watch For
A big settlement with no public claim form invites imitators:
“Claim your Depo-Provera settlement” forms
There is no public claim form. Eligibility is decided by BrownGreer, using records submitted for people with cases in the litigation. A website that asks for your Social Security number to “reserve your payout” is not part of the court’s program.
“Join the birth control class action” ads
The Depo-Provera MDL is not a class action, and you are not automatically included. An ad promising a share just for signing up is a lead form. Read any retainer before you sign it.
Calls asking for a fee to release your payment
The court ordered BrownGreer to build fraud protections and to work through the parties’ lawyers. Nobody legitimate asks you to pay upfront to receive a settlement payment.
Birth Control Lawsuit — Questions People Ask
Which birth control lawsuit is in the news right now?
Usually Depo-Provera. Pfizer and plaintiffs’ leadership announced a settlement of most meningioma claims on June 15, 2026, and signed the agreement on July 21, 2026. Payments are expected to start by the first quarter of 2027.
Is there a birth control class action lawsuit I can join?
Not for Depo-Provera or Paragard. Both are MDLs, which are groups of individual injury lawsuits, not class actions. So there is no birth control class action claim form to fill out, and no one is included automatically.
Is there a class action lawsuit birth control pill users can join?
As of October 2026, we have not found an open settlement or claim form for a birth control pill. The two large federal cases involve an injection (Depo-Provera) and a copper IUD (Paragard).
How much is the Depo-Provera settlement worth?
It has not been disclosed. The agreement is confidential, and Pfizer says the terms are not material to its liquidity or financial condition. No reliable per-person figure exists.
When will Depo-Provera payments be made?
The parties told the court that registration should be complete in November 2026 and that payments should begin by the first quarter of 2027. That is an estimate given to the court, not a guarantee.
What if I am not eligible for the Depo-Provera settlement?
Those cases continue in court. The court has said it will rule on preemption and general causation for ineligible and opt-out cases, and statute-of-limitations issues are being taken up first.
Has anyone won a lawsuit against birth control maker Teva over Paragard?
Not yet. The first bellwether trial ended on February 3, 2026 with a defense verdict. The second is set for April 12, 2027. There is no settlement.
Are the ACLU birth control cases the same thing?
No. The ACLU’s birth control cases are about access and insurance coverage, for example Zubik v. Burwell on contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act. They do not pay money to individual users.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
Related Consumer Brand Lawsuits
Depo-Provera Lawsuit Calculator
How meningioma claims in MDL 3140 are valued
Paragard IUD Lawsuit Calculator
Broken-IUD claims in MDL 2974 and what drives value
Mirena IUD Lawsuit
The hormonal IUD litigation and where it ended
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