Laundry Pod Poisoning Lawsuits Continue As Calls To Poison Centers Increase

Laundry Pod Poisoning Lawsuits Allege Young Children And The Elderly Have Suffered Serious Injury And Even Death Due To Colorful Laundry Pods That Resemble Candy.

October 23, 2015 - As laundry pod poisoning lawsuits continue, more than 1,100 calls have come in to poison centers over the past month reporting exposure of children to laundry pods. The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) reports 8,937 calls have come in as of September 30. Reports show children who mistake the laundry pods for candy and toys have ended up in the mouths of infants and toddlers. Children who ingest liquid laundry pods have purportedly suffer chemical burns, loss of consciousness and even death.

Calls to the AAPCC show a 7 percent increase over the 8,318 calls that came in as of August 31 of children 5 and under being exposed to liquid laundry pods. Reports of young children eating, inhaling, being injured by the laundry pods in other ways have been climbing since the AAPCC first started tracking the calls three years ago. In 2014, the AAPCC recorded 11,714 calls from poison centers, up from 10,395 in 2013. Exposure to liquid laundry pods cause children to vomit excessively, wheeze, and gasp, according to the AAPCC. Other symptoms include sleepiness, breathing problems, and scratches to the eyes if the highly concentrated liquid detergent gets into their eyes. The AAPCC notes that not all exposures to laundry detergent packets are considered poisonings or overdoses.
[aapcc.org/alerts/laundry-detergent-packets/, September 30, 2015]

"Wright & Schulte continues to advocate for changes in laundry detergent pods products that are seriously and fatally injuring young children as well as the elderly," says Richard Schulte, a founding partner of the law firm which is representing the families of 13 children in laundry pod lawsuits who were injured allegedly after being exposed to Procter & Gamble's Tide Pods laundry detergent packets. (Case No. A14068580, Court of Common Pleas in Hamilton County, Ohio) Wright & Schulte is also representing the family of an elderly man in another laundry pod poisoning lawsuit involving a 67-year-old Ohio man with diminished mental capacity who died after swallowing a Tide Pod. (Case No. A 1500868, Hamilton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas)

The AAPCC and the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls began focusing on laundry pod poisoning in May 2012 after noticing a rise in the number of reports youngsters becoming ill after eating the toxic pods. Although the pods are colorful and resemble candy to youngsters, the product contains highly concentrated liquid detergent. According to the CDC, laundry detergent pods were introduced in the U.S. market in 2010. The products, including Procter & Gamble's Tide Pods, Sun Products Corp.'s All Mighty Pacs, have since become popular because the pods are pre-measured to wash a single load of clothes. The Wall Street Journal reported that at least seven people have being poisoned by the laundry pods, including a 7-month Florida boy who ate an All Mighty Pacs capsule in 2013.
[cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6141a1.htm, October 19, 2012]
[wsj.com/articles/laundry-pod-poisonings-piling-up-1431632747, May 14, 2015]

Due to the rising concerns over the products, a voluntary safety standard for the laundry packets was recently approved. Detergent manufacturers who agree to adopt the standard will place their pods in opaque containers so children cannot see the pods. The standard also includes making the containers harder to open and adding a bitter taste to the film to deter children from putting the packets in their mouths. The film will also take longer to dissolve after it gets wet. The voluntary measure, however, does not require detergent manufacturers to "tone down" the appearance of their brightly colored pods.
[nytimes.com/2015/09/16/health/to-deter-poisoning-of-children-safety-measures-for-packaging-of-laundry-pods-are-approved.html?_r=2, September 15, 2015]

Wright & Schulte LLC continues to offer free legal reviews to individuals who may have been seriously injured due to exposure to the contents of Tide Pods or other single-load laundry packet. To learn more, or to arrange for a free consultation with an attorney at Wright & Schulte LLC, please visit yourlegalhelp.com.

Wright & Schulte LLC, an experienced personal injury firm, is dedicated to the belief that America's legal system should work for the people. Every day, the attorneys of Wright & Schulte LLC stand up for the rights of people who have been injured or wronged and fight tirelessly to ensure that even the world's most powerful corporations take responsibility for their actions. If you're looking for a law firm that will guarantee the aggressive and personal representation you deserve, please do not hesitate to contact Wright & Schulte LLC today. Free Tide Pods lawsuit case evaluations are available through yourlegalhelp.com or by calling 1-800-399-0795.

Contact:
Wright & Schulte LLC
812 East National Road
Vandalia, Ohio 45377
1-800-399-0795
www.yourlegalhelp.com

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