Quiet Contact Recall May Lead to Additional Eye Problems

In August, CooperVision Inc began quietly recalling some of its Avaira Toric contact lenses. The recall was based on the existence of an “unidentified residue” and affects ten percent of the contacts sold, approximately 600,000 in total. The contacts may be responsible for a number of eye injuries and other problems ranging from blurry vision to torn corneas.

According to MSNBC, CooperVision has yet to issue broader announcements of the >recall as requested by the Food and Drug Administration. Officials for the FDA have stated they may have to step in and “independently share [their] concerns about Avaira Toric contact lenses.”

At least a dozen consumers have suffered serious eye injuries due to the contacts. Mellisa Cotton of Atlanta suffered two corneal abrasions, likening the pain to that of labor. Erin O’Neil of Hampton, Virgina was taken to the emergency room after her cornea was torn and rolling on itself. Erin’s father said, “the opthalmologist didn’t even seem to be aware of [the recall].”

While the company’s website does disclose the recall, the warning includes neither a complete list of retailers who carry the affected contacts, nor a list of all the affected lots. Major retailers in the US contacted customers in various ways about the recall only after public notices appeared in other countries including Hong Kong, Spain, Australia, Canada, Germany and Italy.

By not informing the public in a timely manner of the dangers of these contacts CooperVision has continued to put people in danger. Companies whose irresponsibility causes injury to consumers must be held accountable for their actions. If you have suffered an injury due to a faulty product, a Florida product liability lawyer might be able to help.

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