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Was Bausch & Lomb Negligent With Renu Contact Lens Solution?
Its recent recall of a best-selling contact lens solution, Renu with MoistureLoc, made headlines. Its stock fell quickly and it had to face international scandal based on the solution's negative side effects, which include fungal keratitis, a disease that can lead to corneal ulcers, transplants, and even blindness. But Bausch & Lomb's troubles aren't over yet - the giant eye care corporation, which raked in over $2 billion in 2004 alone, has been implicated in a recent FDA (Food and Drug Administration) report on its practices surrounding the Renu contact lens solution. Was Bausch & Lomb negligent in its production of Renu? In order to prove negligence in a Renu lawsuit, a jury has to find Bausch & Lomb innocent of any failure to practice reasonable care in its production and distribution of the Renu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution.
Failure To Report Dangerous Side Effects
The FDA's May 15, 2006 report was conducted after an international outbreak of fungal keratitis, the dangerous eye infection, including victims in the United States and Asia. Included in these cases were 35 serious injuries in Singapore, which Bausch & Lomb reportedly failed to report to the FDA despite federal regulations. The report stated that as of early April 2006, none of these cases were reported, notwithstanding the company's reporting obligations. A Bausch & Lomb spokesperson responded by saying that the company did participate in direct and proper communication with the FDA regarding known cases of fungal keratitis and denied that the company had been negligent in its compliance with national regulations.
Contamination at Renu Facility?
The FDA report also claimed that Bausch & Lomb's Greenville, South Carolina production facility, where Renu was produced, may have been contaminated. It noted that the FDA observed peeling paint and paint chips in the facility's upper mix room in early April 2006. In fact, the company had received a warning from the FDA as early as summer 2002 regarding the conditions at the Greenville plant, which alleged that Bausch & Lomb failed to correct flaking paint in the very rooms where the company produced its best-selling contact lens solutions and other eye products. At the time, officials at Bausch & Lomb said that actions would be taken to address the paint situation in the factory.
Despite the FDA report's findings, the Bausch & Lomb's spokesperson vigorously denied any implications that a contamination in the mix room or another part of the Greenville facility had occurred, leading to the international outbreak of fungal keratitis in Renu with MoistureLoc users. She added that no evidence of contamination had been found and that the product had been discontinued from manufacture and sale.
If You Have Been Injured
If you have suffered eye injury, including but not limited to tearing, blurred vision, photosensitivity, corneal scarring, corneal ulcers, or temporary or permanent blindness due to your use of Renu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution, you may be eligible for monetary compensation for your medical problems. Those who still use Renu should discontinue use immediately. You can contact Bausch & Lomb directly for a refund of the solution. More importantly, contact an experienced unsafe products attorney. Your Renu lawyer can help to evaluate your claim, file and litigate your case, and assist you in obtaining monetary damages for lost wages, medical bills, future medical care, pain and suffering, and other causes.
