When we think about product recalls due to safety defects or injury risks, we often think about medications, large furniture items, household appliances, food products, and motor vehicles. Yet everyday objects that we use on a regular basis can also pose serious injury risks, and it is important to be aware of recall notices. According to an NPR report, more than two dozen dry shampoo products have been recalled due to concerns about contamination with benzene. What should you know about the recall, and what are your options if you used this recall product or any other defective product and suffered injuries? Our West Palm Beach product liability lawyers can help.
Procter & Gamble Recalls Dry Shampoos Due to Benzene Contamination Risks
As the NPR report explains, Procter & Gamble recalled a total of 32 different dry shampoo and conditioner products after the company identified benzene in some of these products. Benzene is a known carcinogen, and it has been linked to different types of illness and disease, including cancer. The article clarifies that benzene “is found in the air, contained in motor fields, and used by industrial producers to make things such as plastics and resins,” yet “exposure to high levels of the chemical can cause illness, including an increased risk of leukemia.”
The voluntary dry shampoo and condition recall included a variety of aerosol products, including Pantene, Herbal Essences, Aussie, Hair Food, Waterl<ss, and Old Spice products. When Procter & Gamble received reports that levels of benzene had been detected, it conducted a review and discovered “unexpected levels” of the carcinogen.
The company’s news release indicated that, “based on exposure modeling and the cancer risk assessments published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at the levels detected in our testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.” At the same time, the press release notes that “exposure to benzene can occur by inhalation, orally, and through the skin and it can result in cancers including leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow and blood disorders, which can be life-threatening.”
Filing a Product Liability Claim
The recalled dry shampoo products were sold at various retailers throughout the U.S. in-person and online. Anyone who has one of the recalled products should stop using it, discard it, and seek reimbursement from Procter & Gamble. What can you do if you were harmed by one of these products or by another consumer product?
You may be able to file a product liability lawsuit. In product liability claims, an injured person may be able to hold the designer, manufacturer, or retailer of the product accountable. Most product liability lawsuits are strict liability claims, which means you will not need to prove that the defendant was negligent. Rather, the mere fact that the defendant made or sold the product and that it caused injuries is sufficient for liability.
Contact a Product Liability Lawyer in West Palm Beach
If you need assistance filing a product defect claim, one of our Florida product liability attorneys can assist you. Contact Lesser Lesser Landy & Smith PLLC to learn more.
Resource:
npr.org/2021/12/21/1066275846/recall-dry-shampoo-benzene-procter-gamble
