Table of Contents
If you have received a Depo-Provera injection, you should pay attention to the Depo-Provera lawsuits and their updates.
In recent years, the Depo-Provera injections have been linked to serious health issues. Many women are now asking, “Is there a lawsuit against Depo Provera?” and “How to know I’m eligible to file a Depo birth control lawsuit?”
This blog will help you go through everything you need to know about the Depo-Provera lawsuit, from the risks involved to how you can seek justice if you’ve been impacted.
What is Depo-Provera?
Depo-Provera is used as a birth control injection that contains medroxyprogesterone acetate, a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone. It works by preventing ovulation by blocking eggs released during ovulation, thickening cervical mucus, and thinning the uterus lining. It is typically administered once every three months.
Depo-Provera is a birth control shot that is 96% effective, meaning about 4 out of every 100 women using it may still get pregnant each year. It was approved by the FDA in 1992 for contraception. Between 2006 and 2010, Depo-Provera was one of the most popular birth control methods, used by 23% of women.
What are the Side Effects of Depo-Provera?
Depo-Provera has been linked with minor to severe side effects. Some common Depo-Provera side effects include irregular bleeding, weight gain, and mood changes.
Depo-Provera has been associated with some serious side effects, including blood clots, allergies, vision problems, and depression.
Some of the long-term side effects of Depo-Provera, including
- Loss of bone density
- Delayed fertility
- Meningioma (Brain Tumor)
While many women use Depo-Provera without issues, reports of severe side effects have raised concerns. If you experience any serious symptoms while using Depo-Provera, it’s crucial to consult with your doctor immediately.
The Link between Depo-Provera and Brain Tumors
Multiple studies have indicated the connection between long-term use of Depo-Provera and the increased risk of developing meningioma.
A 2024 French study published in the British Medical Journal looked at the link between certain hormones, including Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate), and the risk of developing brain tumors called meningiomas. Researchers studied 18,061 women who had surgery for meningiomas and compared them to over 90,000 women without the condition.
They found out that women who used the Depo-Provera for a long time had a higher chance of developing these brain tumors. Specifically, women who had used Depo-Provera showed a 5.55 times higher risk of meningiomas compared to those who didn’t use it. Other hormones, like medrogestone and promegestone, were also linked to a higher risk of these tumors when used for a long period.
What is Meningioma?
Meningioma is a type of brain tumor that grows in the layers of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. These tumors are usually slow-growing and are often non-cancerous, but they can still cause problems if they press on the brain or spinal cord.
Symptoms depend on where the tumor is and how big it gets, but common ones include headaches, vision problems, hearing loss, memory issues, or seizures.
Why are People Filing Depo-Provera Lawsuits?
The main concern leading to lawsuits is the alleged link between Depo-Provera and serious health risks, particularly brain tumors. Depo-Provera brain tumor lawsuits claim that the manufacturer, Pfizer, failed to adequately warn about these risks.
Many women who used Depo-Provera are now coming forward with claims related to serious health issues.
Depo-Provera Lawsuit 2025 Updates
On January 17, 2025, Patricia Bonilla, a California woman, filed a Depo-Provera class action lawsuit over concerns that the birth control shot increases the risk of developing brain tumors. Bonilla received at least 20 Depo-Provera injections between 2012 and November 2023. Although she hasn’t been diagnosed with a tumor, she fears developing one in the future.
Her Depo-Provera lawsuit seeks to create a nationwide class action for medical monitoring, covering women from 15 states and Washington, D.C. Bonilla emphasizes that these tests, which include costly MRI and CT scans, are not part of routine medical care and could lead to thousands of dollars in medical bills.
In addition to the class action, numerous individual lawsuits have been filed by women who have developed brain tumors after using Depo-Provera.
To manage all the Depo-Provera cases, a federal court created a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) in February 2025. This means all lawsuits are now handled together in one court – the Northern District of Florida. The judge in charge is Judge M. Casey Rodgers, who has experience in handling big medical cases. He has already started preparing for bellwether trials, which will help decide how the rest of the cases may go.
On May 12, 2025, Judge Rodgers issued a court order confirming the full list of accepted tumor types that qualify for the Depo-Provera meningioma lawsuits. In a separate order dated May 6, 2025, the court outlined the specific documents that plaintiffs must submit to support their claims.
Deborah Waldoch filed a lawsuit on October 16, 2025, in the Northern District of Florida, claiming Depo-Provera caused her brain tumors and that drug makers hid the risks. Her case is part of 1,222 lawsuits in a larger MDL overseen by Judge M. Casey Rodgers. A case management meeting is set for October 24, 2025, at 60 Centre Street, Room 218, New York City, to coordinate cases from Florida, Delaware, and New York.
Studies in JAMA Neurology and The BMJ show that long-term Depo-Provera use may raise the risk of meningioma, with up to a 5.6-fold increase. Deadlines include: submitting a joint agenda by October 20, 2025, finishing expert depositions by January 10, 2026, and submitting challenges to expert testimony by February 10, 2026.
December 2025 Update
As of December 2025, a total of 1,470 Depo-Provera cases are currently pending in the multidistrict litigation.
Depo-Provera lawsuits move forward in federal court; the judge in charge has scheduled monthly status conferences throughout 2026 to keep the large litigation organized.
On November 21, 2025, Judge Rodgers issued a schedule for monthly case management meetings in 2026. These meetings will take place on every month in 2026.
Early in the MDL, the judge also ordered both sides to prepare five pilot (bellwether) trials. These early trials help show how juries may react to the evidence and can influence potential settlement talks later.
Before those trials can happen, plaintiffs must first prove general causation. Any challenges to the plaintiffs’ expert witnesses on this issue must be filed by March 22, 2026.
If the plaintiffs clear this scientific hurdle, the pilot trials will move forward. Although these trials will not decide the remaining cases, their results could help guide a Depo-Provera settlement, reducing the need for hundreds of individual trials across the U.S.
Depo Provera Lawsuit 2024 Updates
December 2024
A motion to consolidate these Depo-Provera shot lawsuits into a single MDL (multidistrict litigation) was filed in November, suggesting the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California as the central location. Another motion filed on December 10 supported centralization but recommended the Central District of California instead.
The JPML has asked for any opposition to the MDL to be submitted by December 23, 2024, with plaintiffs allowed to respond by December 30, 2024. Oral arguments will take place on January 30, 2025, at the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami, Florida.
Pfizer and plaintiffs agree that lawsuits over Depo-Provera should be consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) for efficiency, but they disagree on the location. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) will decide on the MDL’s location.
At least 22 lawsuits have been filed across eight federal courts, with six cases in the Northern District of California. Plaintiffs proposed this district for centralizing the cases, citing its convenience and the potential for many more similar lawsuits.
Pfizer, while supporting the creation of an MDL, suggests the Southern District of New York as the venue, given its headquarters there and the expected complexity of the litigation. The company maintains the safety of Depo-Provera and plans a vigorous defense.
November 2024
On November 26, a group of nearly 12 plaintiffs filed a motion with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML). They want the lawsuits consolidated in the Northern District of California. The motion highlights that at least 22 lawsuits, filed in eight federal courts, involve similar claims. Six of these cases are already in the Northern District of California.
The plaintiffs argue that combining the cases into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) will save time and resources by avoiding duplicate investigations and conflicting court rulings. Most women who filed lawsuits had brain surgeries and now suffer from long-term issues like seizures, vision loss, and other neurological problems.
If the JPML approves the MDL, all current and future lawsuits about Depo-Provera will be managed by one judge for pretrial matters, including discovery and test trials.
How to Know if You Qualify for a Depo-Provera Lawsuit?
To file a lawsuit, you must provide proof of two things:
Received a specific type of Depo-Provera injection, including:
- Depo-Provera
- Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection (DPCI)
- Depo-Provera IM
- Depo Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA)
- Depo-SubQ Provera 104
- Greenstone or Prasco brands of MPA
Diagnosed with a qualifying brain tumor, including:
- Meningioma
- Cranial/intracranial meningioma
- Skull base, convexity, parasagittal, sphenoid wing meningiomas, and more
- Arachnoid tumor
- Several subtypes, like secretory, fibrous, and angiomatous meningiomas
If you received Depo-Provera injections for a prolonged period and were diagnosed with er Depo-Provera side effects, you may qualify for a lawsuit. Collect your medical records, prescription history, and any documentation regarding your symptoms. Seek legal advice to file a valid Depo-Provera lawsuit.
If you decide to pursue a lawsuit, you may be entitled to various forms of Depo-Provera lawsuit settlements, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Plaintiffs receive Depo Provera lawsuit settlements based on the severity of their injuries, with higher payouts expected for those suffering from serious conditions like meningiomas.
To wrap up,
Being informed about the lawsuit against Depo Shot is important if you have been affected. Staying updated on new developments in Depo-Provera lawsuits is crucial, as many lawyers are currently investigating these cases. If you’re using Depo-Provera for birth control, it may be worth considering other contraceptive options.
