January 3, 2025 – 20 New Cases Added to MDL
As of January 2025, the Paragard multidistrict litigation (MDL) continues to progress, with 20 new cases added in December. This brings the total number of pending cases to 2,882, indicating that the litigation has reached a mature stage with fewer new claims being filed.
December 10, 2024 – Discovery Dispute Over Contention Interrogatories
A discovery dispute arose as defendants requested more time to respond to contention interrogatories, proposing a delay until the pretrial conference. Plaintiffs opposed the request, emphasizing the need for timely responses to advance case preparation.
The MDL judge granted the defendants an extension but did not allow a delay until the pretrial conference. Instead, the court paused the defendants’ obligation to respond and will reassess the issue at the next discovery conference.
November 25, 2024 – New Paragard Lawsuit Filed by California Woman
A new lawsuit has been filed in the Paragard MDL by a California woman who claims her Paragard IUD broke during its removal in February and May 2023. She alleges that the device’s defective design led to breakage beyond the strings, requiring multiple attempts to remove it and causing severe physical and emotional harm. The complaint asserts that Teva failed to provide adequate warnings about the risk of breakage and did not offer proper guidance on removal techniques, leading to prolonged pain, mental anguish, and damage to her reproductive health.
October 24, 2024 – Production of Long Overdue Records
The court has imposed a firm deadline of December 11, 2024, for defendants to complete the production of custodial files as previously ordered on October 7, 2024. The judge has mandated rolling production, allowing plaintiffs to begin reviewing documents as they become available. While the court has stated it will not extend this deadline, both parties have been encouraged to discuss ways to expedite specific parts of the production if possible, provided they clarify their respective needs and any objections.