ReNu with Moisture Loc – Injury Claims Lawyers
ReNu with Moisture Loc is a popular contact lens solution by Bausch & Lomb, which was recently discovered to have a disturbing correlation to rare fungal infections of the eye, which could have devastating consequences for users, up to and including blindness.
Basis for Litigation
It is still not fully understood how the lens solution is related to the fungal infections, but there are two likely explanations:
- The lens solution became contaminated during the manufacturing process
- Rather than retarding fungal growth, as contact lens solutions are designed to do, the product created a desirable host environment that exacerbated existing trace contaminations of the fungus, encouraging it to grow.
Depending on the cause of the correlation, lawsuits from injured consumers may be different. If the cause of the incidence of fungal infections is contamination, the cases may be based on Bausch & Lomb’s negligence in the manufacturing process. If the cause is shown to be that ReNu with Moisture Loc created a fertile environment for the spread of the fungus, the cases would center on the fundamental design defect in the product that neglected to prevent this predictable outcome.
Injuries Caused by ReNu with Moisture Loc
The extent of injuries caused by this product is alarming, but even more alarming is the mounting evidence that Bausch & Lomb was aware of the situation well before they actually stopped shipping the product. During the time that the company was aware of the problem with fungal infections and the time they had the solution removed from store shelves, many consumers suffered serious injuries.
Bausch & Lomb was initially alerted to the presence of the fungal infections— fusarium keratitis—in the US in March of 2006, when an ophthalmologist in New Jersey alerted the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported treating three patients for the very rare infection.
The condition caused by the fungus is a rare but very dangerous microbial keratitis, which can cause serious injuries, including permanent blindness.
Even in treatable cases, this infection can take up to three months to treat, and may cause permanent corneal scarring or require a corneal transplant.
Bausch & Lomb’s responsibility
Even more disturbing, according to a lawsuit filed in April of 2006, Bausch & Lomb had been aware of the correlation between use of the product and fusarium keratitis infections as early as February 2006, and had suspended shipments of the product to Singapore and Hong Kong as a result.
During investigations of the US fusarium keratitis outbreak, investigators from the CDC uncovered evidence that Bausch & Lomb had failed to report 35 cases of the infection in Singapore, as they are required to do by law.
What You Can Do
If you or someone you care about suffered from this rare fungal infection as a result of using ReNu with Moisture Loc, it is important that you seek competent legal representation as soon as possible.
As of late April 2006, over 200 cases of fungal keratitis had been reported to the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 73% of which were directly linked to use of ReNu with Moisture Loc.
To learn more about how you can protect your legal rights and receive the compensation you need and deserve for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of work, and other damages, contact a seasoned pharmaceutical injury attorney in your area today.
Click here for detailed information on pharmaceutical injury law.
