OTC (Over-the-counter) drugs save the time and inconvenience of procuring a prescription. While these are easily available, consumers are often susceptible to side effects.
Tylenol (acetaminophen) is consumed by almost one-fourth of U.S. adults every week. While it would be safe to say call it a common drug, it poses some safety risks as well.
A risk to customer safety eventually leads to injured consumers and, finally, lawsuits. But before you read the top three lawsuits involving Tylenol side effects, here is a little more information on the drug.
What Should You Know About Tylenol?
Tylenol, introduced in 1955, is among the most common drugs that patients consume as a pain reliever. It helps manage medium to heavy pain caused by headaches, toothaches, and so on.
Tylenol is an OTC medicine, but doctors and hospitals often prescribe the drug. This is because of its high efficacy and the fact that there are fewer side effects compared to other pain relievers, like Advil (ibuprofen).
As preferred as Tylenol is today, it has faced considerable challenges. The Chicago murders scandal done by drug tampering in 1982 is among the most significant.
It has inspired several copycat crimes but also led to the adoption of many of the modern regulations involving pharmaceutical drugs. However, Johnson & Johnson, the parent brand, has been facing a new set of challenges in the form of lawsuits.
In some, Tylenol’s side effects have injured the consumers themselves. Others involve serious complications in their unborn child.
Three Major Lawsuits Involving Tylenol
Here are the three lawsuits where plaintiffs claimed Tylenol of causing severe injury to them:
Tylenol Autism/ADHD Lawsuit
Tylenol has been linked with ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) and ADHD (Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) in children of pregnant women who consume them. In 2019, an NIH-funded study was conducted on umbilical cords from 996 births. Upon testing, acetaminophen was found to cause ADHD in roughly 26% of the children by the time they were about 9 years old.
About 6.6% of children were diagnosed with ASD, and 4.2% with both ADHD and ASD. Soon after the release of this data, lawsuits from plaintiffs followed. And in 2022, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) certified the formation of an MDL (multidistrict litigation).
As of 2023, the Tylenol Lawsuit for autism and ADHD is still ongoing. Lawyers and law firms have been instrumental in helping plaintiffs fight for their claims in court. Not only that, they further help with additional information that gives the plaintiffs clarity.
TorHoerman Law, for instance, mentions mothers who consumed generic acetaminophen during pregnancy are also eligible for filing a Tylenol autism lawsuit. With appropriate evidence of the plaintiff suffering from Tylenol side effects, pharmacies like Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS that sell generic acetaminophen can be held liable.
Tylenol Liver Damage Lawsuit
Acute liver failure (ALF) is a life-threatening condition and not quite uncommon. There are about 2,000 cases of acute liver failure in the U.S. every year.
Many of these are cases of drug-induced liver injury, with acetaminophen at fault for around 50% of them. Tylenol, once consumed over the limit, can severely damage the liver, and death as a result of ALF may take place.
With this being a fact, plaintiffs are going against the manufacturers in a Tylenol liver damage lawsuit. It has recently been certified as an MDL. Now plaintiffs, with the help of their lawyers, are attempting to prove the fault of the manufacturers.
Tylenol SJS Lawsuit
Most common Tylenol side effects are not of major concern, although some can be debilitating. Among these are rare skin conditions like SJS (Stevens-Johnson Syndrome) and TEN (Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis).
In 2011, Jasmin Bindom sued McNeil Consumer Healthcare, claiming that her SJS was a result of taking Tylenol and Motrin. Ever since she fell ill with the disease, Bindom has been subject to several surgeries on her skin, eyes, and genitalia.
While she won the case and received a private settlement amount in 2016, she was scarred for life.
Ending Notes
No matter the result, Tylenol lawsuits show why both consumers and manufacturers must be more responsible with their drugs. This includes OTC medicines which we often consume without worrying about the consequences.
Medicines will always have side effects, some more serious than others. But, with awareness of what is being consumed, many of these can be avoided.
Welcome to our blog! My name is Yuvraj Kore, and I am a blogger who has been exploring the world of blogging since 2017. It all started back in 2014 when I attended a digital marketing program at college and learned about the intriguing world of blogging.
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