Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) is a serious adverse reaction primarily caused by prescription and over the counter medications such as Ibuprofen. Recently, our TEN attorneys represented Karen Robinson, a woman who developed TEN after taking Children’s Motrin, an Ibuprofen product manufactured by McNeil Consumer Healthcare.

Shortly after taking the medication, Ms. Robinson developed symptoms of TEN including painful lesions which led to large sheets of skin sloughing off about 60% of her body. Her mucous membranes including eyes, mouth and even genitals were also affected. Ms. Robinson was hospitalized in a burn unit for approximately one month. She is now blind in her left eye and will most likely not regain vision in right eye.

Ms. Robinson, represented by Simon, Eddins & Greenstone, LLP’s Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis attorneys, sued McNeil for failing to warn of the risk of TEN on the label of their over the counter Children’s Motrin product.

Before McNeil began selling Children’s Motrin over the counter, the prescription including warnings about the risk of TEN and a related condition called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS). However, when they began selling the product over the counter, the warning about TEN/SJS was removed

A jury found in favor of Ms. Robinson, and awarded her $3.5 million. However, the jury also found that Ms. Robinson was contributorily negligent because she continued to take the Children’s Motrin after she first became sick. The case was tried under Virginia law, and this state has a provision that historically has barred plaintiffs found to be contributorily negligent from receiving any amount of their awards. The final outcome of Ms. Robinson’s case is yet to be decided.

However, her case has established that McNeil was negligent in failing to warn about the dangers of their product. This is the first such finding against the company for OTC Children’s Motrin and opens the doors for other victims to receive financial compensation for their injuries.