Filshie Clip Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Women who had Filshie Clips placed during tubal ligation say the clips moved in the body, caused pain and led to surgery. The lawsuits also allege the makers failed to warn about the risk. The cases are individual product-liability suits against CooperSurgical, The Cooper Companies, Utah Medical Products and Femcare. The earliest case, Rebando, was filed in Florida federal court in January 2022. No MDL has been formed. The clips are small implants placed on the fallopian tubes for permanent sterilization. Several suits ended in the makers’ favor, most recently in Florida in March 2026. The claims are allegations and not court findings.

Latest Filshie Clip Lawsuit Updates

August 18, 2026: Dutch Report Flags Filshie Clip Migration Warnings

The Dutch newspaper Trouw reported that Filshie Clips can detach from the fallopian tubes and move in the abdomen. NL Times relayed the investigation on August 18, 2026 [1]. The report says Dutch distributor Entercare’s patient information omitted the migration warning. It is a news investigation and not a court ruling.

March 25, 2026: Florida Judge Enters Judgment for Makers

A Florida federal judge entered judgment on March 25, 2026. It favored the manufacturer, distributor and parent company of the Filshie Clip in a case alleging a defect [2]. Mealey’s reported the judgment.

December 12, 2025: Connecticut Judge Rules for CooperSurgical on Some Claims

A Connecticut state judge ruled for CooperSurgical on some women’s Filshie Clip claims on December 12, 2025. Law360 reported that certain plaintiffs could not advance cases similar to claims they lost elsewhere [3].

September 2, 2025: CooperSurgical Seeks Ruling in Connecticut

CooperSurgical asked a Connecticut state judge on September 2, 2025 to rule in its favor against several groups of women. The women say their Filshie Clips detached and migrated [4]. Law360 reported that the company accused the women of forum shopping after claims failed in other states. That accusation is the company’s position and not a finding.

January 2, 2024: Banet Lawsuit Filed in Connecticut Federal Court

A woman filed Banet v. Cooper Companies, Inc. et al., No. 3:24-cv-00001, in Connecticut federal court on January 2, 2024. She alleges the clips move after implantation and the makers did not warn of the hazard [5]. Law360 reported the filing. It is an individual case, and the claims in it are only allegations made by the plaintiff.

April 12, 2023: Eleven Women Sue in Connecticut State Court

Eleven women filed a 55-count, 279-page suit in Connecticut state court on April 12, 2023. They allege the Filshie Clip frequently moves, embeds elsewhere in the body and causes pain [6]. The women also allege the clip requires corrective surgery. Law360 reported the filing, and these claims are allegations by the plaintiffs.

January 28, 2022: Rebando Lawsuit Filed in Florida

Shelby and Brad Rebando, Cassondra Caputo, Danielle and Brian Hanse, and Nakeia and Curtney Webbe filed Rebando et al. v. CooperSurgical, Inc. et al., No. 6:22-cv-00177, in the Middle District of Florida on January 28, 2022 [7]. Defendants also include Femcare, Utah Medical Products and The Cooper Companies. The plaintiffs allege the clips migrate and the makers failed to warn.

September 5, 1996: FDA Approves the Filshie Clip System

On September 5, 1996, FDA‘s Center for Devices and Radiological Health approved the Filshie Clip System (Mark VI) premarket approval application for Femcare Ltd. The application came from Femcare Ltd. of Nottingham, U.K. Femcare later became a defendant in the filed cases, along with other companies that sell or own the clip.

What Is a Filshie Clip?

The Federal Register notice calls the Filshie Clip System a contraceptive tubal occlusion device. It is indicated for permanent female sterilization by occlusion of the fallopian tubes [8]. NL Times describes the clips as small titanium-and-silicone implants. According to that report, a clamp on each fallopian tube prevents fertilization.

Who May Be Affected?

Women with Filshie Clips on the fallopian tubes after a tubal ligation may be affected. In the filed cases, the procedure sometimes happened years earlier. One plaintiff was implanted in 2011. Later problems that match the filed cases include:

• Pain after the procedure, such as the pelvic or stomach pain described in the complaint.
• A clip later found outside its original position after the tubal ligation procedure.
• Surgery to find and remove a migrated clip, for example one lodged in the omentum.

The Dutch report says pain can develop many years after the procedure. Whether a claim fits depends on your records and dates, so an individual legal review looks at your own facts and medical history.

Reported Injuries or Damages

The complaint alleges severe pelvic pain and stomach pain. It also alleges sexual discomfort, unusually painful menstrual cycles, rashes and ovarian pain. These are allegations and not findings. GPnotebook lists reported complications of Filshie clip application [9]. They include pelvic pain and migration into the bladder, appendix and vagina. The page calls extraperitoneal migration an extremely rare complication. The same page cites a case report and literature review by Gad, Aziz and Siwicki in Pelviperineology (2010). It covers English literature from 1990 to April 2009. The complaint also alleges the premarket application reported a migration incidence of .13%. It alleges the real risk was significantly higher.

Evidence to Preserve

Keep records that show which clip was placed and what happened afterward:

• The sterilization or operative report and any product sticker that shows the clip type.
• Hospital and surgeon names, with the dates of the procedure and any later visits.
• Imaging that locates a clip, along with records of pain or other symptoms.
• Records of any removal surgery and the pathology report from that surgery.
• Receipts or bills, and notes of conversations about the risks of the clip.

Keep paper and digital copies together in one folder. Add new records as they arrive, and write down dates while you remember them.

Filing Deadlines

State law sets the time limits for a Filshie Clip claim. The limits depend on where you live and on when the injury and its diagnosis happened. A clip that moves silently may be found years later, and some states start the clock when the problem is discovered. Missing a deadline can end a claim even with strong facts, so you should talk to a lawyer promptly about your own dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does the Research Say About Filshie Clip Migration?

Research on Filshie Clip migration is limited. The manufacturer’s premarket study followed 5,454 women for up to two years. Fewer than one in 1,000 women had migration, according to the NL Times report on Trouw’s investigation.

What Does the Complaint Say About FDA Approval of the Filshie Clip?

The complaint says FDA approval of the Filshie Clip came as Conditional Premarket Approval in 1996. It alleges Femcare obtained that approval and that it carried labeling conditions. That is an allegation by plaintiffs.

Who Makes Filshie Clips?

Filshie Clips are made by Femcare Ltd, a UK subsidiary of Utah Medical Products, Inc. In the United States, CooperSurgical, Inc., a subsidiary of The Cooper Companies, Inc., sells them, as the plaintiffs describe the corporate ties.

Can Filshie Clips Migrate?

Yes, Filshie Clips can migrate, according to the Dutch report. Femcare estimates that about 25% of clips eventually migrate, usually without causing problems. That figure is an estimate, and how often migration causes symptoms remains uncertain.

References

1. https://nltimes.nl/2026/08/18/female-sterilization-clips-can-migrate-body-causing-pain-warnings-fall-short
2. https://www.mealeys.com/mealeys/amp/articles/2458253
3. https://www.law360.com/articles/2421118
4. https://www.law360.com/articles/2383136
5. https://law360.com/healthcare-authority/articles/1781143/healthcare-authority/other
6. https://www.law360.com/articles/1596286/birth-control-clip-wreaked-havoc-on-bodies-women-claim
7. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flmd.398132/gov.uscourts.flmd.398132.2.0.pdf
8. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1996-12-09/html/96-31228.htm
9. https://gpnotebook.com/en-GB/pages/gynaecology/female-sterilisation/side-effects