Plaintiffs' Personal Injury Law Firm

Bausch & Lomb Settles For $250 Million

The Centers for Disease Control confirmed over 186 cases of eye infections in approximately 35 states in the US caused by a fungus known as Fusarium keratitis. Apparently, Bausch & Lomb used a disinfectant, alexidine, in their contact lens cleaning solution ReNu with MoistureLoc. This chemical seems to become absorbed into the lenses at a higher rate than other products. Evidently, this in turn creates a biofilm that actually promotes the growth of the fungus.

This fungal infection can be very serious to eye health with the potential to cause blindness. 7 people in the US contracted the infection by using Bausch & Lomb's product and it kept getting worse even after using antibiotics and steroids to treat it. This resulted in the complete loss of vision and removal of eyes that were infected to prevent further spreading of the infection to the brain.

Another 60 people needed corneal transplants requiring multiple surgeries in some cases in order to repair the damage done by the infection. Even then, many sufferers report that their vision will never be the same and one lady reports that her eyes are now two different colors due to the surgery. One eye is brown and the other eye is blue. Still others reported scarring and temporary vision loss from the infection caused by the use of the ReNu with MoistureLoc solution months after it was recalled from the market. Symptoms include excruciating eye and head pain, blurred vision and eye discharge.

In a safety news report issued by the FDA in June of 2006, individuals were warned to stop using ReNu with MoistureLoc immediately and advised the public and clinicians that the product had been permanently removed from the market. ReNu contact lens solution generated $45 million in sales in 2005 and it had only been introduced onto the market in 2004.

Bausch & Lomb made the decision in 2007 to handle the lawsuits privately in order to keep things quiet. So far this year, over $250 million have been paid in lawsuit settlements by Bausch & Lomb to almost 600 different patients. Dozens more lawsuits are still pending. If you or someone you love has suffered from this serious eye infection due to the use of Bausch & Lomb's ReNu with MoistureLoc, take a moment and fill out the "Quick Contact" form on the home page of this website. Our teams of professional lawyers will patiently and compassionately evaluate your claim. You may be eligible for compensation. Be sure to act quickly, because the statue of limitations may be running out soon for this case.