Class Action Blog : Consumer Fraud, Consumer Protection, Securities and Antitrust Lawyer & Attorney : Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz

Anyone with a child knows that one of the earliest challenges new parents face is getting their infants to sleep through the night. Thus, it comes as no surprise that some sleep-deprived parents are particularly susceptible to the claims of companies offering products they claim will help infants fall asleep easier and sleep through the night. Unfortunately, these parents may be being sold a bill of goods, as many of these products have not been proven to have any impact on a baby’s sleep.

One such product is Johnson’s Bedtime Bath, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. Prominently displayed on the bottle’s label is the claim “*clinically proven* help baby sleep better”, creating the distinct impression in the mind of the consumer that this product is clinically proven to help your baby sleep better. Banking on parents’ willingness to try anything to help their babies sleep, Johnson & Johnson charges more for this product than for its regular “head-to-toe baby wash”.

However, it does not appear that Johnson’s Bedtime Bath is, in fact, clinically proven to have any impact on an infant’s sleep. Thus, those consumers who have paid a premium in reliance upon Johnson & Johnson’s false claims have suffered the loss of not a few more nights of sleep, but of a few extra dollars as well.

If you or someone you know has purchased Johnson’s Bedtime Bath in the hopes of helping your baby sleep better, please contact us to discuss your legal rights.

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Johnson & Johnson's subsidiary McNeil Consumer Healthcare (“McNeil”) recalled six million bottles of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles with the distinctive red EZ-Open Cap in early December, which follows a November recall of five lots of the drug.  But the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") waited an additional ten days -- until December 28^th -- before it issued its more widely seen and publicly accessible medical alert for the contaminated pills.  Thus, many consumers may not have been aware that they had purchased and ingested contaminated Tylenol caplets.

The all-out recall encompasses arthritis pain reliever produced over the past three years, stemming from contamination likely caused by the breakdown of a chemical treatment used on wooden pallets.  The chemical contaminant 2,4,6-tribromoanisole is believed to have seeped into empty medication bottles.  The contamination resulted in a musty odor and consumers who have taken the contaminated pills have allegedly suffered from cases of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.  According to the FDA, consumers who purchased Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets from the lots included in this recall should stop using the product.

If you purchased Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets and have suffered nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and/or any other injuries, please contact us to discuss your legal options.

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The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (“CSC) has issued a warning to consumers to avoid certain Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) baby bath products because they allegedly contain undeclared ingredients that could pose serious health risks. For example, CSC claims that dozens of popular bath products for babies and kids manufactured by J&J contain at least two hazardous contaminants: 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, both of which are not listed on the ingredients label of the product.

Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known carcinogens; formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children. Unlike many other countries, the U.S. government does not limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, or most other hazardous substances in personal care products.

Both of these chemicals cause cancer in animals, and formaldehyde is also known to cause skin rashes in people who are sensitive to the chemical. The CSC alleges that Johnson's Baby Shampoo, the iconic brand used by families for generations, contains both of these contaminants - neither of which is listed on J&J’s baby shampoo ingredient label. The CSC also alleges that while a single product might not be cause for concern, babies may be exposed to several products at bath time, several times a week, in addition to other chemical exposures in the home and environment. The CSC claims that these small exposures add up and may contribute to later-life disease.

Of the CSC claims and its report, J&J said, "The trace levels of certain compounds found by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics can result from processes that make our products gentle for babies and safe from bacteria growth," and the Campaign should stop "alarming" parents. 

The CSC responded that parents have a right to know if the products they buy for their babies contain hazardous chemicals linked to cancer and skin rashes. The CSC points to other companies that it claims makes safe and gentle baby products allegedly without hazardous chemicals.

In response to the CSC report, on April 29, 2009, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Safe Baby Products Act, which directs the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") to investigate and regulate hazardous contaminants in personal care products marketed to or used by children.

If you have purchased J&J baby bath products, please contact us to discuss your legal options.

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