How Do I File a Depo-Provera Claim?

How Do I File a Depo-Provera Claim?

More than 10 million women have used Depo-Provera. Some of them developed brain tumors later—and now they’re asking if that shot was worth the risk.

If you were diagnosed with a brain tumor after receiving multiple Depo-Provera injections, you might be eligible to file a claim. The process is technical, but it starts with documenting your medical history and connecting with a Depo-provera lawsuit lawyer who’s handled this type of case before.

At LitigationConnect, our network of lawyers focuses on exactly these kinds of claims. Call (833) 552-7274 or contact us online and get connected with a vetted attorney who knows how to move your case forward.

Know What Depo-Provera Is (and Why People Are Filing Lawsuits)

Depo-Provera is a prescription birth control shot. One injection, every three months, and you're covered. The active ingredient—medroxyprogesterone acetate—is a synthetic hormone that stops ovulation, thins the uterine lining, and thickens cervical mucus to block sperm. It’s been FDA-approved since 1992.

The Risk That’s Triggering Lawsuits

Patients have developed meningiomas—tumors that grow in the membranes around the brain and spinal cord—after using Depo-Provera long-term. These tumors aren’t always cancerous, but they don’t need to be. Depending on their size and location, they can press on the brain, impair vision, cause seizures, and even lead to permanent neurological damage.

Symptoms reported by former Depo-Provera users include:

• Persistent headaches
• Blurred or double vision
• Hearing loss or ringing in the ears
• Cognitive dysfunction or memory loss
• Loss of smell
• Seizures

These aren’t your average side effects. And that’s why people are filing suit.

International Warnings That Raised Eyebrows

• In 2019, French regulators flagged a correlation between long-term use of medroxyprogesterone and the development of meningiomas.
• The European Medicines Agency backed them up, requiring stronger label warnings and recommending limits on long-term use.

The U.S. label remained mostly untouched. That decision—whether made by Pfizer or overlooked by the FDA—is now under the microscope.

The Pattern That Strengthens These Claims

There’s a common sequence in most Depo-Provera claims:

1. Repeated injections over two or more years.
2. Gradual onset of neurological symptoms.
3. Diagnosis of one or more meningiomas via CT or MRI.
4. Surgery, treatment, or long-term management of side effects.

Figure Out If You Have a Case

Before anyone files paperwork or hires a lawyer, they need to stop and ask a simple question: Do I even qualify for this lawsuit? This isn’t the kind of claim you can make based on vague symptoms or a hunch. Courts want evidence. Attorneys want criteria. And if your situation doesn’t check the right boxes, the case stalls before it starts.

Minimum Threshold: You Took the Drug — More Than Once

If you received only one injection of Depo-Provera, most attorneys won’t touch the case. Why? Because most of the medical research and legal arguments focus on prolonged exposure. The risk of meningioma appears to grow with cumulative dosage. Plaintiffs who got the shot regularly for a year or more—meaning at least four consecutive doses—present stronger timelines and causation arguments.

There’s no federal law that defines the cutoff, but mass tort attorneys tend to use two or more injections as the baseline. Anything less, and the burden of proving the drug’s influence gets heavier and harder to carry.

Diagnosis Matters — Not Just Symptoms

Symptoms alone won’t get you in the door. You need a medical diagnosis of meningioma. That means:

• Imaging (usually MRI or CT scans) confirmed the tumor.
• A licensed physician made the diagnosis and documented it in your records.

And if doctors removed the tumor or performed a biopsy, you’ll need pathology reports to support your claim. The more documentation, the better. Lawyers can work with timing and medical opinion—but they can’t argue around missing proof.

The Timing Has to Make Sense

The law wants a logical link between Depo-Provera use and your diagnosis. If you took the drug in 1999 and didn’t develop symptoms until 2023, expect scrutiny. That doesn’t automatically kill your case, but the defense will argue that too much time passed to blame the injection.

Attorneys usually look for diagnoses that occurred during use or within a few years after stopping. This makes causation easier to argue, especially when backed by studies showing tumors forming within this timeframe.

You Haven’t Settled or Signed a Waiver

Some people forget they signed away their rights. If you participated in a previous class action, mass tort, or private settlement with Pfizer involving Depo-Provera, check your paperwork. Many agreements include release clauses that bar you from suing later—even if new symptoms show up. If you’re not sure, your lawyer will dig through it and tell you straight.

Other Conditions Might Complicate Things

If your medical records show conditions or medications known to independently cause meningiomas, you’ll face an uphill fight. That doesn’t disqualify you outright, but your attorney will want to review everything before committing.

Here’s what you need to have lined up before filing becomes a real possibility:

• Two or more documented Depo-Provera injections.
• A confirmed diagnosis of meningioma from imaging or pathology.
• A plausible timeline linking drug exposure to tumor development.
• No previous settlement or legal waiver involving this drug.
• Clean or explainable medical history that doesn’t confuse causation.

If you’ve checked every box, you’re not just a former patient—you’re a potential plaintiff.

Collect the Paper Trail (Your Evidence Matters)

Once you know you meet the basic requirements, don’t wait. Start gathering the evidence. This step isn’t glamorous. It involves paperwork, phone calls, and some digging. But skipping it—or doing it half-right—gives the drugmaker’s legal team all the room they need to dismiss your claim.

Medical Records: The Backbone of the Case

You need complete medical records, not just test results. Every doctor visit, every complaint of headaches or vision issues, every referral to a neurologist—if it’s related to your brain or hormonal history, it matters. Attorneys use this timeline to establish proximate cause, the legal concept that shows Depo-Provera was a direct contributor to the tumor.

Here’s what you need to request:

• Primary care records going back to your first injection.
• OB-GYN records, especially notes on birth control discussions or Depo-Provera prescriptions.
• Neurologist consults or ER records if you presented with seizures or head pain.
• Hospital discharge summaries if you were admitted for brain-related issues.

Don't rely on summaries or patient portals. Get the full chart from each provider. Lawyers will comb through those records line by line to extract what matters.

Prescription History: Dates, Doses, and Duration

Your pharmacy logs the dates you filled each Depo-Provera prescription. That’s how attorneys confirm dosage intervals and calculate cumulative exposure.

Call every pharmacy you’ve used since your first injection and request:

• A printout of your prescription history, including prescriber names and National Drug Codes (NDCs).
• Any record showing instructions for administration (some injections may have been given in-office).

If you switched providers or moved, don’t guess on dates. Find the actual documentation. The burden of proving exposure is on you.

Diagnostic Imaging: No Tumor, No Case

You already know that a diagnosis is required. But imaging gives the proof that the tumor was there, how large it was, and where it was located. That location can make a difference—tumors in certain regions of the brain can cause more severe impairments, which affects damages.

Get physical or digital copies of:

• MRI and CT scan reports.
• Imaging discs or files if available (some attorneys request raw files for expert review).
• Radiologist notes confirming meningioma characteristics—size, mass effect, or compression on brain structures.

Make sure the report actually names “meningioma.” If the language is vague or tentative (“possible mass,” “suspicious lesion”), your attorney will flag it and push for more clarity.

Surgical and Pathology Reports: Hard Evidence

If a surgeon removed the tumor, their report will describe what they saw, how they removed it, and what complications they found. If a pathologist analyzed it, that’s where you’ll find the definitive tumor type. These are high-value documents in court because they strip away speculation.

Request:

• Operative reports from the neurosurgeon.
• Pathology reports confirming meningioma (WHO grade, cellular features, etc.).
• Post-op evaluations that document cognitive or neurological deficits.

Attorneys use this evidence to show long-term effects and to support higher damages for impairment, lost earnings, and quality of life.

Organize It or Lose It

Throwing everything in a shoebox and hoping your lawyer figures it out isn’t a strategy. Keep a digital folder, label files by date and provider, and back up everything. The faster you deliver this documentation, the faster your attorney can evaluate the case and prep the complaint.

Call a Product Liability Attorney

Once your records are lined up, don’t waste time shopping for a generalist. You’re dealing with a pharmaceutical injury case tied to federal regulations, medical evidence, and corporate defense teams that specialize in dragging things out. You need someone who does this kind of work every day—and doesn’t blink when facing off with a billion-dollar manufacturer.

Product liability cases fall under a specific branch of tort law. In most states, the applicable legal theory is strict liability, meaning you don’t have to prove negligence—just that the product was defective or lacked proper warnings and that it caused your injury. This applies under the Restatement (Second) of Torts § 402A, and in places like California, it’s codified under Cal. Civ. Code § 1714.45. 

What the Right Attorney Brings to the Table

The first thing a qualified lawyer does is run a case review—usually free—where they compare your facts against what’s being accepted in the broader litigation. They’ll evaluate:

• How strong your evidence is
• Whether your diagnosis fits patterns seen in similar cases
• If the statute of limitations has already started ticking—or expired

They don’t just skim your file and give you a yes or no. They break it down based on legal strategy, expert witness requirements, and what kind of damages they could realistically argue for.

A good attorney also helps you avoid getting bounced out of court over technicalities. Filing deadlines, court procedures, and evidence standards vary by jurisdiction. An experienced product liability lawyer knows whether to file in state court, federal court, or join a multidistrict litigation (MDL) if one opens up. They also know how to survive a motion to dismiss, which the defense will file immediately.

Avoid Lawyers Who...

Some firms take anything that breathes and signs a retainer. You don’t want that. Watch out for:

• Firms that don’t ask for your records before taking your case
• Lawyers who guarantee a payout
• Anyone who dodges questions about fees, court timelines, or case strategy

Contingency fee arrangements are standard in this kind of case—usually 33% to 40% of whatever you recover. That’s fine. But if someone wants money up front or refuses to explain their fee structure in writing, move on.

In any case, don’t wait until you’re served with paperwork from the other side. Once you gather your documents and confirm your eligibility, lawyer up. The manufacturer already has a legal team. You should, too.

Call It What It Is—Negligence. Then Call Us.

Drug companies get away with a lot. They bury side effects in fine print, gamble with public health, and act surprised when people get hurt. But you don’t have to play along. If Depo-Provera wrecked your health, there’s a way to make them answer for it.

LitigationConnect connects you with attorneys who know how to hit back—aggressively, intelligently, and without wasting time. No call centers. No BS.

Start your claim today. Call (833) 552-7274 or contact us online.