Injury in Infants' Tylenol Case Sends Warning to Parents
A judge has upheld a $5 million jury award in a product liability lawsuit over a 1-year-old's death from liver failure after taking an overdose of Infants' Tylenol. The case involved a child who received Infants' Tylenol for three days to treat his cold symptoms and developed acetaminophen toxicity. While Acetaminophen, Tylenol's active ingredient, can lead to liver toxicity, the parents claimed that without proper warning labels and clear directions on the Infants' Tylenol label they had no way of understanding the significance of giving too much to their ill child.
In its defense, the giant pharmaceutical company, McNeil-PPC Inc., owned by Johnson & Johnson, countered that the infant’s injury and death resulted from an unrelated viral hepatic injury and that the parents had failed to follow the medicine's instructions and warnings.
This case brings home the importance of parents understanding the dangers involved with over the counter medicines. Simply because no prescription is necessary for such drugs does not mean that parents can let their guard down. It is very important to understand all of the side effects and whether your child has any contraindications to taking the medicine.
In this case the parents proved that the Infants' Tylenol warning labels were defective and contributed to the child’s death. They testified they would not have given the medicine to their son if it included a warning that it could cause liver damage or death.
