PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A U.S. couple filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia against Johnson & Johnson Inc. alleging Very Berry Strawberry Children's Tylenol was linked to their son's death.
In a lawsuit filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, Daniel and Katy Moore of Ellensburg, Wash., allege their 2-year-old son received a larger dose than normal of acetaminophen causing liver damage and ultimate death July 23, 2010, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The suit names Tylenol's manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, and its McNeil Consumer Healthcare subsidiary.
"Johnson & Johnson makes statements about their credo of putting patients first, but it's simply not true," Joseph Messa, a Philadelphia attorney, whose firm represents the family, told the Inquirer. "It is lip service, a marketing tool to tell the public and shareholders how wonderful they are."
In a statement, Johnson and Johnson said: "While we are sympathetic to the pain and hardships suffered by the Moore Family, we must correct several of the allegations being made against our company in this suit. When McNeil Consumer Healthcare initiated several recalls for children's products in 2010, it communicated that information to the Food and Drug Administration, consumers, retailers and healthcare professionals. There were various reasons for those recalls, but they were not related to serious adverse events, as alleged in this suit."
McNeil announced a voluntary recall April 30, 2010, of more than 136 million bottles of liquid infants' and children's products, due to metal particles, incorrect doses and musty-smelling pills among other issues. A congressional hearing was held in May 2010, the Inquirer said.
