Mental Health
Family Awarded $63M in Motrin Lawsuit, After Daughter Loses Eyesight, 90% of Skin
A Plymouth, Mass. Family has been award $63 million from drug company Johnson & Johnson after their 7-year old daughter suffered a severe allergic reaction which resulting in severe skin loss and blindness after taking Children's Motrin 10 years ago.
The girl, Samantha Reckis, was 7 years old when she took the ibuprofen medicine and unfortunately suffered a rare side effect known as toxic epidermal necrolysis. This resulted in Reckis losing 90 percent of her skin and was blinded.
Reckis and her parents are set to receive a total of $109 million, including interest, from Johnson & Johnson and its McNeil-PPC Inc. subsidiary , a Plymouth Superior Court jury decided on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
McNeil disagreed with the verdict and said it would consider other legal options. In a statement, the company said:
"The Reckis family has suffered a tragedy, and we sympathize deeply with them. A number of medicines, including ibuprofen, have been associated with allergic reactions and as noted on the label, consumers should stop using medications and immediately contact a healthcare professional if they have an allergic reaction."
She had previously taken Motrin without suffering any side effects. Her parents began giving her the medication to reduce fever that began the day after Thanksgiving in 2003. The medicine inflamed Samantha's throat, mouth, eyes, esophagus, intestinal tract, respiratory system and reproductive system, forcing physicians to put her in a coma.
In 2011, Johnson & Johnson recalled 12 million bottles of Motrin after finding that "some caplets may not dissolve as quickly as intended when nearing their expiration date."
That same year, a Pennsylvania girl was awarded $10 million after she had an adverse reaction to Children's Motrin, which caused her to lose 84 percent of her skin, go blind, and suffer brain damage.
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