Tort Law
Suit Alleges New Victoria’s Secret Hazard: Bra Rash
Posted Nov 12, 2008, 07:54 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
An Ohio woman has filed a lawsuit against Victoria’s Secret that claims two bras she purchased gave her a rash that was apparently caused by formaldehyde.
Roberta Ritter says she became “utterly sick” after she wore her new Angels Secret Embrace and Very Sexy Extreme Me Push-Up bras, the New York Post reports. The cosmetic chemist and occasional Cher impersonator told the publication the rash was "red hot to the touch, burning and itching."
The suit, filed May 14, says Ritter’s lawyers bought and tested bras like the ones owned by Ritter and found they contained formaldehyde, ABC News reports. Victoria’s Secret said in a statement that it is investigating customer complaints but it has strict quality controls and does not use formaldehyde in its bras. "We are sorry that a small number of people have had an issue and we want to help them determine the cause,” the company said.
Ritter’s lawyer, John Climaco of Cleveland, told the Post he has heard from more than 200 potential victims and is seeking class-action status for the suit.
A different lawsuit filed against Victoria’s Secret claimed a woman was injured when a metal fastener attaching a rhinestone heart to a thong snapped off and hit her in the eye.
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