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GENERAL INFORMATION |
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Bausch & Lomb
Update: Researchers Confirm ReNu With MoistureLoc
Link to Serious Fungal Eye Infections |
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| On August 23, 2006 experts
at the Centers for Disease Control and leading
eye doctors published a report in The Journal
of the American Medical Association, formally
concluding that Bausch & Lomb’s
ReNu With MoistureLoc was the only contact lens
solution contributing to the outbreak of Fusarium
fungal eye infections earlier this year.
The lead author of the report said “the most
important message for contact lens wearers is to
stop using MoistureLoc, and throw out any MoistureLoc
solution purchased before the recall.” |
| The research report
also challenged Bausch & Lomb’s claim
that a major factor in the outbreak was customers’ failure
to properly clean their lenses and regularly
replace the storage solution, as there was
little difference in the practices of the people
infected and those who remained healthy. |
| In related commentary,
researchers are calling for investigation into
the safety of other brands of all-in-one lens
care solutions currently on the market that,
like MoistureLoc, are used for cleaning, storing
and moisturizing soft contact lenses. Some
doctors fear the solutions make it more difficult
to reliably sterilize lenses than those that
use a separate cleaning fluid. |
| On May 15, 2006 Bausch & Lomb
issued a full recall of its ReNu with MoistureLoc
contact lens solution after federal health
officials linked it to Fusarium keratitis,
a fungal eye infection. Without treatment,
which can last two to three months, the infection
can scar the cornea and blind its victims. |
| As of May 2006, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) had received 195 reports of Fusarium
keratitis infection in the U.S., 122 of which
have been confirmed. In about 50 to 60 percent
of the confirmed cases, patients said they
used ReNu with MoistureLoc, while a number
of other patients said they used other Renu
products. Before the recall, an estimated 2.3
million of the 30 million soft contact lens
wearers in the nation used Moisture Loc. |
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| Lieff
Cabraser represents persons
across America injured by
defective products. Click
here to submit your case. |
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| Fusarium keratitis is
a fungus commonly found in plant material and soil
in tropical and subtropical areas. In January 2006,
Singapore health officials noticed an increase
in reports of infection and discovered 39 cases
involving contact lens users from 2005 to February
of this year. Cases have also been reported in
Malaysia and Hong Kong. In February, Bausch & Lomb
halted sales of its ReNu contact lens solution
in Singapore and Hong Kong. In May 2006, infection
cases linked to the product were confirmed in Europe. |
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| Bausch & Lomb's plant
in Greenville, South Carolina, has been linked
to the Fusarium keratitis outbreak, although the
cause of the outbreak remains unclear. U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators are
looking into whether contamination at the South
Carolina plant or the effectiveness of disinfectants
in Bausch & Lomb products are factors. |
| The Greenville plant,
which produces the ReNu product and all the
company's popular eye-care solutions sold in
North America and most of Asia, had reportedly
not been inspected by the FDA for three years.
The last FDA inspection occurred in March 2003
as a follow-up to citations given in May and
June 2002. |
| In May 2006, the
FDA announced that Bausch & Lomb failed
to promptly notify federal regulators about
35 cases of Fusarium keratitis that occurred
in Singapore, and also did not properly notify
the FDA that it had removed the MoistureLoc
product from the Singapore and Hong Kong markets
in February. |
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The main symptoms associated
with Fusarium keratitis are: |
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Foreign body sensation;
and |
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| The law in most states
provides several personal injury claims for persons
who have been seriously injured by a consumer product
for personal use that is contaminated and unsafe. |
| Claims brought against
Bausch & Lomb include strict liability for
the defective product, breach of warranty, negligence,
and fraudulent concealment. Damages sought against
the manufacturer of a defective product can include: |
- Physical pain and suffering, mental anguish
and physical impairment;
- Medical expenses associated with the defective
product; and
- Loss of earnings and/or earning capacity.
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| "Bausch & Lomb
has not yet acknowledged its responsibilities to
injured customers," stated Wendy
R. Fleishman, a partner with Lieff Cabraser
who represents injured ReNu patients. "Bausch & Lomb
must compensate all users of ReNu contact lens
solution who developed Fusarium keratitis, including
reimbursing patients for the cost of their surgeries
and other expenses, and agree to pay for necessary
future medical care." |
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| Lieff Cabraser is representing
patients with severe eye infections contracted
from ReNu MoistureLoc contact lens solution. |
| If you or a family member
have developed an eye infection or suffered a serious
eye injury or loss of function after using Bausch & Lomb
ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution, you
may be eligible to file a claim. Contact
an attorney at Lieff Cabraser to discuss your legal
rights at no cost or obligation. |
| We will handle all inquiries
with the strictest confidentiality and sensitivity.
Inquiries from Canada and other nations are also
welcome. |
| You are also welcome to
call us toll-free at 1-800-541-7358; visitors from
Canada can call 415-956-1000. Please ask to speak
with lawyer Heather Foster. |
| Founded in 1972, Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP is an over fifty attorney
law firm with offices in San Francisco, New York
and Nashville. For the last five years,
the National Law Journal has recognized
Lieff Cabraser as one of the top 20 plaintiffs’ law
firms in America. |
| For our personal injury
cases, we bring a team of experienced lawyers.
Each client is assigned an individual lawyer. In
addition, we have on staff multiple nurses, legal
assistants, scientific analysts and case clerks
to assist the attorneys. To learn more about our
firm, click here. |
| For the ReNu contact lens
solution recall, we bring a team of experienced
lawyers. Each client is assigned an individual
lawyer. In addition, we have on staff multiple
nurses, legal assistants, scientific analysts and
case clerks to assist the attorneys. To learn more
about our firm, click
here. |
| ReNu MoistureLoc contact
lens solution is a registered trademark of Bausch & Lomb
Incorporated. Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein,
LLP is in no way affiliated with Bausch & Lomb
Incorporated. All trademarks, service marks, trade
names, trade dress and products named in this site
are used only to identify products for informational
purposes only. |
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| Trademark
Notice: Personal Injury Lawyer America is an electronic newsletter
from Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP. Lieff Cabraser
represents clients in a wide range of cases, including personal
injury and wrongful
death lawsuits. Our personal injury attorneys
| lawyers are committed to providing the very best representation
and support possible for our clients. This website provides information
on the legal rights of the injured and the latest news on product
defects and related lawsuits. |
Lieff Cabraser
is not affiliated in any way with any trademark owner. The use of
any trademarks on this site is for product identification and information
purposes only.
About Lieff Cabraser: We have
offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. Our lawyers have
represented clients in personal injury, wrongful death and
rollover crashes and product defect lawsuits across America, including
residents of Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland,
Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North
Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada,
New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin,
West Virginia and Wyoming.
Among the cases our personal injury
attorneys are prosecuting are the Medtronic heart lead recall, the
AMO contact lens solution recall, the Peter Pan peanut butter recall, Guidant
pacemaker defects, SUV
rollover accidents, popcorn
workers lung injuries, and Ford
switch fires.
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| Copyright © 2008 Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP |
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