On June 17, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to stop using Zicam, a popular "homeopathic" cold remedy, because it can damage or destroy the sense of smell. The FDA had received 130 reports of people losing their sense of smell after using one of the Zicam nasal products, which include Zicam Cold Remedy and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs. The reports date to 1999, when Matrixx Initiatives first sold Zicam.
In 2006, Matrixx paid $12 million to settle 340 lawsuits from Zicam users who claimed that the product caused anosmia, the loss of smell.
Legal Rights of Persons Who Have Lost Sense of Smell
The law in most states provides several personal injury claims for persons who have been injured by an over-the-counter drug with serious, undisclosed side effects. These claims include strict liability for a defective product, breach of warranty, negligence, and misrepresentation.
Contact Lieff Cabraser
The national plaintiffs' law firm of Lieff Cabraser has extensive experience in representing patients injured by defective over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
Any user of Zicam that has suffered a loss of smell is welcome to contact one of our personal injury attorneys for a free, no-obligation review of your claim.
About Lieff Cabraser
Founded in 1972, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP is a sixty-plus attorney law firm with offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. For the last seven years, the National Law Journal has recognized Lieff Cabraser as one of the top 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. Learn more about our firm.
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