Jury awards $63M in Motrin suit; lawyer says drug caused reaction 'like having your skin burned off'
Jurors in Plymouth, Mass., have awarded $63 million to a teen and her family in a suit claiming Children’s Motrin caused a rare skin condition and blindness.
Samantha Reckis, now 16, was only 7 when she had a severe reaction to the ibuprofen medication, the Boston Globe and and the Associated Press report. Boston lawyer Bradley Henry told the Globe that Reckis developed Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, a condition that is “like having your skin burned off of you.”
Reckis is legally blind and has just 20 percent lung capacity, conditions caused by the drug, according to the allegations.
The suit had claimed Motrin maker Johnson & Johnson had failed to adequately warn about possible side effects. Jurors awarded $50 million to the teen and $6.5 million to each of her parents. Reckis said the total could reach $109 million when interest is included.
Johnson & Johnson issued a statement saying Children’s Motrin is safe and effective when used as directed, and the company believes the drug is labeled appropriately.
