Reuters News Service reports that Johnson & Johnson has blamed “lax cleaning procedures” for its massive recalls of over the counter medicines and artificial joint replacements. “Insufficient equipment cleaning procedures and instances where people failed to adequately document cleaning procedures” are among some of the identified cleaning issues. The company has cited to “label irregularit(ies)” as well.
Johnson & Johnson has recalled nearly 200 million bottles of over the counter medicine products in the past year. Benadryl, Tylenol, and Rolaids are among the brands affected. Some batches of Softchews Rolaids were found to have wood and metal bits in the tablets. What’s more, odors have been reported in some of the other products. In light of Johnson & Johnson’s lack cleaning procedures, one may wonder what sort of research went into the DePuy ASR hip implants. DePuy, a division of Johnson & Johnson, announced in August 2010 a nationwide recall of the ASR hip replacement systems. The artificial hips contain design flaws stemming from too-shallow cups that don’t properly house the ball associated with the joint replacements. Complications of this design flaw include metallosis caused by microscopic metal shavings and substantial loss of mobility, to name a few symptoms. Moreover, pseudotumors have been reported in some recipients of DePuy’s ASR joint replacement products.
In light of Johnson & Johnson’s quality control flaws, and resulting defects, the federal government is beginning to pay attention. The Justice Department is considering potential charges against the corporation. The F.D.A. has initiated an investigation. Congressman Darrell Issa has expressed concern, too. At least one shareholder has filed suit against Johnson & Johnson’s board of directors in response to the manufacturing errors the company have committed recently.
It is not yet fully clear how consumers will react once news of the various recalls become more publicized and well known. U.S. sales of Johnson & Johnson consumer brands diminished by as much as 25 percent in the third quarter, and it can be expected that this trend will continue into the future so long as the company’s faulty practices continue to endanger consumers. And with a flurry of private lawsuits currently being filed against the company for the August 2010 DePuy recall, the total financial impact upon Johnson & Johnson remains to be seen. Although, legal experts estimate billions of dollars worth of damage will be charged against the manufacturer.
Because of Johnson & Johnson’s pervasive influence upon worldwide markets, it may seem impossible to hold a manufacturer of such size responsible for the harms it causes the public. Contrary to this initial belief, private lawsuits are one way to hold Johnson & Johnson and DePuy responsible.
The Berniard Law Firm is busy filing suits on behalf of injured consumers everyday. If you feel you have been adversely affected by one of Johnson & Johnson’s defective products, call Berniard Law Firm for a free consultation.