SAN FRANCISCO, July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharmaceutical
product-safety lawyers at the Beasley Allen law firm have filed a
federal class-action lawsuit on behalf of consumers who bought
recalled benzene-tainted sunscreen products made by Johnson &
Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) subsidiaries Neutrogena and Aveeno.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction and damages on behalf of
consumers who purchased a range of Neutrogena and Aveeno sun-care
products. An analysis by independent lab Valisure found alarming
concentrations of benzene in at least 78 sun-care products made by
Neutrogena, CVS Health, Banana Boat and other manufacturers.
"It should not have taken the publication of a third party's
tests to bring this critically important information to the public,
and J&J's response so far is not enough. We will find out how
long J&J knew about these concerns and why it took so long to
take action," said product safety trial lawyer Andy Birchfield of the Beasley Allen law
firm.
More than seven weeks after the lab results were published,
Johnson & Johnson announced a recall of five spray products and
ordered retailers to stop selling Neutrogena's sunscreens labeled
Beach Defense, Cool Dry Sport, Invisible Daily, Ultra Sheer and
Aveeno Protect + Refresh.
The Food and Drug Administration permits traces of
benzene on rare occasions in medical products that
are deemed critical, but the chemical is not
allowed in sun-care products in any amount. The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends
protective equipment for those expecting to be exposed to benzene
at concentrations above 0.1 parts per million for 10 hours or 1 ppm
for 15 minutes. Some Neutrogena products contained benzene amounts
of more than 6 ppm, according to Valisure.
While Valisure found benzene in both aerosol
and lotion products, J&J's voluntary recall is
limited to spray products. A full list of the risky
sunscreens can be found here.
"When these kinds of safety failures occur, the American public
deserves a swift and transparent accounting of what happened and
what is being done to ensure it doesn't happen again,"
said Beasley Allen attorney David
Byrne. "J&J's response falls far short of
that."
The lawsuit Johanna Dominguez
and Sharron Meijer et al. v. Johnson
& Johnson Consumer Inc., is filed in the U.S. District
Court for the Northern District of California, No. 3:21-CV-05419. In addition to
Beasley Allen, the legal team includes Walsh Law PLLC and Keller
Lenkner LLC.
Benzene is a common industrial chemical that has long been
linked to leukemia, a deadly form of blood cancer. The
discovery raises grave concerns because chemicals in
sunscreen are known to be absorbed through the skin
into the bloodstream – even after only one application. Since
children's skin is more permeable than adults, the threat of
absorption of harmful chemicals is even greater for them.
About the Beasley Allen Law Firm
Headquartered in Montgomery,
Alabama, Beasley Allen is a national leader in medical
product liability litigation, with a staff of experienced attorneys
and expert staff committed to ensuring the safety of
consumer and medical products. For more
information, visit https://factsaboutsunscreen.com/.
Media Contact:
Robert Tharp
800-559-4630
Robert@androvett.com
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SOURCE Beasley Allen Law Firm