Paragard IUD Lawsuit in Illinois (Device Breakage Claims)

What Illinois residents should know

Illinois residents with Paragard claims are generally not limited to Illinois state court. Most federal cases are transferred into the multidistrict litigation, MDL-2974, before Judge Leigh Martin May in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, which held about 4,071 pending cases as of June 1, 2026.

Illinois law still matters: the state's filing deadline, discovery rule, damages rules, and procedural law can shape an individual claim even when the case is litigated in the MDL.

What Illinois residents should know about the Paragard lawsuits

Cases filed by Illinois residents in federal court are transferred into MDL-2974 before Judge Leigh Martin May in the Northern District of Georgia, where about 4,071 cases were pending as of June 1, 2026. The first bellwether trial ended in a defense verdict for Teva in February 2026, and additional bellwether trials are scheduled in 2026; no global settlement exists.

Illinois’s personal injury deadline is 2 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). Because a broken Paragard is often discovered only when the device fractures during removal, accrual and discovery-rule questions can be important. Illinois courts apply a discovery rule in many injury cases, so the clock may run from when the injury and its likely cause were or should have been discovered. Product liability actions are also subject to statutory repose periods (735 ILCS 5/13-213). A lawyer can confirm how the deadline applies to a specific Illinois claim.

Sources: U.S. District Court, N.D. Ga. — MDL-2974 (Paragard) case page; Law.com (Daily Report) — first Paragard bellwether defense verdict (Feb. 2026); JPML — pending MDL dockets.

Possible eligibility factors

• A Paragard copper IUD used by Illinois residents that broke or fractured during removal.
• Records identifying the device as Paragard and an operative note describing the breakage.
• Documentation of retained fragments, migration, or surgery to remove them.
• Filing within the deadline that applies to the claim under Illinois law.

How Illinois claims proceed

Most Illinois Paragard cases are filed in or transferred to MDL-2974 in the Northern District of Georgia for coordinated proceedings. The first bellwether trial ended in a defense verdict for Teva in February 2026, and additional bellwether trials are scheduled in 2026; no global settlement exists. Illinois's personal injury limitations period is 2 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202), but accrual and discovery-rule questions can be fact-specific when breakage is discovered at the time of removal.

What records support Paragard claims in Illinois?

• Medical records related to diagnosis, treatment, and symptoms.
• Records showing use of, prescription for, or exposure to the product or substance involved.
• Pharmacy, clinic, employment, military, agricultural, or exposure records where relevant.
• Photos, receipts, dental invoices, pathology reports, or specialist records if applicable.

What exposure and legal context matter in Illinois?

Illinois residents may have had a Paragard copper IUD that broke during removal, leaving fragments that required imaging or additional procedures to remove.

Where are Illinois Paragard cases handled?

Living in Illinois does not necessarily mean the case will be filed only in Illinois. Claims may be evaluated by national firms, filed in federal court, coordinated through MDL proceedings, or handled through another legal process.

Federal courts in Illinois

• Northern District of Illinois
• Central District of Illinois
• Southern District of Illinois

What is the filing deadline for Paragard lawsuits in Illinois?

For a Illinois resident researching Paragard claims, the starting point is usually Illinois's general personal injury period: 2 years under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. That is only a starting point, not a final legal deadline for every person.

The real filing deadline can depend on diagnosis date, when the injury and possible cause were discovered, exposure location, wrongful-death issues, prior claim paperwork, and whether the case is filed directly, transferred to an MDL, or handled through another process.

Discovery-rule note: Illinois courts apply a discovery rule in many injury cases, so the clock may run from when the injury and its likely cause were or should have been discovered.

How long do Illinois residents have to file?

Illinois's personal injury statute of limitations applicable to product liability claims is 2 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). Accrual timing, tolling, and repose periods can still change the real deadline in an individual case.

• Filing period: 2 years — 735 ILCS 5/13-202.
• Discovery rule: Illinois courts apply a discovery rule in many injury cases, so the clock may run from when the injury and its likely cause were or should have been discovered.
• Statute of repose: Product liability actions are also subject to statutory repose periods (735 ILCS 5/13-213).

Because the controlling deadline depends on diagnosis date, discovery facts, exposure history, wrongful-death rules, and how the claim is filed, only a licensed attorney can confirm the deadline that applies to a specific situation. This page is general legal information, not legal advice.

What should Illinois residents ask a lawyer?

• Are you currently reviewing Paragard IUD claims?
• What records do you need to evaluate my claim?
• How do Illinois filing deadlines affect my situation?
• Would my claim be handled locally, nationally, or through an MDL?
• Do you work directly on this case or refer it to another firm?
• Are there upfront costs?