A panel of Federal judges recently created a “Multi-District Litigation” to consolidate and speed up numerous Tylenol lawsuits that have been filed around the country. The proceeding, known as MDL 2436, was created by order of the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on April 1, 2013 and is currently assigned to U.S. District Judge Lawrence F. Stengel of the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
When creating the MDL, the Panel noted that the actions “involve allegations that over-the-counter . . . acetaminophen[-]containing products that are marked and sold under its Tylenol brand name caused liver damage, including liver failure, even when taken as directed.” The defendants involved in the case deny these allegations and pretrial proceedings are underway.
Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and numerous other prescription and nonprescription pain relievers. Tylenol, in particular, is a commonly taken pain relief medication used to treat headaches, muscle aches and other forms of mild to moderate pain. However despite being an effective pain reliever, Tylenol has been reported to cause liver injury and even liver failure in some patients.
In perhaps a response to the growing number of claims and injuries associated with acetaminophen use, Johnson & Johnson is reducing the maximum daily dose of its Extra Strength Tylenol pain reliever to lower the risk of accidental overdose, as reported by CBS. Labels on the Extra Strength Tylenol bottles will now list the maximum daily dose as six pills, or a total of 3,000 milligrams. This is down from the previous dose of eight pills or 4,000 milligrams daily.
The attorneys of Lopez McHugh have earned an excellent reputation for drug and device litigation and have been involved in many MDLs like this one. If you believe you or a loved one has suffered liver failure from Tylenol with acetaminophen, contact Lopez McHugh for a free consultation by calling us toll free at (877) 737-8525. If you have any health concerns, you should first contact a doctor.
