Children’s Motrin Legal Information Center
Families with children who’ve taken Children’s Motrin (ibuprofen) have sued the manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiary McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Inc., for life-threatening allergic skin reactions caused by the drug.
What Is Children’s Motrin?
Children’s Motrin is McNeil Healthcare’s trademark version of ibuprofen (iso-butyl-propanoic-phenolic acid) meant for use by children aged 2 to 11. Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which means it can be used without a prescription to treat pain and reduce fevers, unlike steroids. It has been available since the 1960s, and it is currently sold in a variety of forms from tablets to oral suspensions like Children’s Motrin.
Scientists believe NSAIDs work by inhibiting the enzyme “cyclooxygenase-2″ (COX-2), which helps create the lipid (fat cell) “prostaglandin.” This lipid regulates pain sensation in people’s bodies. By reducing its presence, people feel less pain from various symptoms.
Children’s Motrin Subject to Recalls in 2010
Starting in 2010, J&J initiated a series of Motrin recalls. Users reported detecting a musty smell emanating from the product’s bottles, and it is believed to be a harmless chemical used in packaging material. J&J recalled the affected products in early 2010. In April 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered “manufacturing deficiencies” at Johnson & Johnson’s Fort Washington, Pennsylvania facility. The company agreed to correct the problems in a consent decree signed in March 2011. No serious known injuries have resulted from either of the recalls.
Children’s Motrin Might Cause Life-Threatening Skin Side Effects
Some users of Children’s Motrin have suffered allergic skin reactions from Children’s Motrin. Symptoms include:
- Rash
- Hives
- Skin Reddening
- Facial Swelling
- Blisters
- Shock
A minority of these users have experienced far more severe reaction: toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). A more severe form of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, TEN is a frequently fatal condition that occurs when the top layer of the skin (the epidermis) separates from the next layer (the dermis) and then dies. The disease has a high mortality rate; 30-40 percent of victims die due to subsequent bacterial or fungal infections.
Children’s Motrin does not warn consumers that TEN or Stevens-Johnson syndrome can result.
However, people who took Children’s Motrin and suffered TEN have found strong success in court. Three-year-old Brianna Maya was administered Children’s Motrin in 2000 and suffered TEN. In May 2011, a Pennsylvania jury awarded her $10 million in damages due to damage to her skin and blindness. In October 2011, Christopher Trejo of California received a $48 million award for ibuprofen-related TEN. Finally, in February 2013, Samantha Reckis, who went blind and lost 90 percent of her skin to TEN, received a $63 million award.
RLG’s Children’s Motrin Lawyers Will Make Things Easier
The process of demanding compensation for the harm you’ve suffered can be complicated, even if it doesn’t seem fair that you should have to go through even more trouble to be made whole again. The lawyers at the Rottenstein Law Group believe that obtaining legal satisfaction from those who harmed you shouldn’t require more hardship. That’s why we do everything we can to streamline the process, and we will file a Children’s Motrin lawsuit on your child’s behalf if necessary. RLG will also keep you up to date on any Children’s Motrin class action lawsuits, FDA Children’s Motrin warnings, and additional Children’s Motrin FDA recall announcements. If your child took Children’s Motrin, and you believe it caused an injury, contact RLG today.
