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Lawsuit Against Advanced Medical Optics
Texas Corneal Transplant Patient Files Lawsuit Against Advanced Medical Optics For "Unbearable Pain" and Permanent Vision Loss In Contact Lens Solution Recall Litigation
June 13, 2007, Los Angeles, CA -- Signaling an expansion of the litigation against Santa Ana, California-based Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. ("AMO"), the national law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, announced that Fort Worth, Texas resident Debbie Wooten filed today a personal injury lawsuit for damages suffered against AMO in federal court in Los Angeles.
Wooten, a 44-year-old operations manager at a financial services company, alleges she has suffered permanent vision loss due to Acanthamoeba keratitis, a extremely painful infection of the cornea, from use of AMO’s Complete MoisturePlus Multi Purpose contact lens solution.
"The infestation in my left eye destroyed my cornea. I had to administer drops in my eye for a year," explained Wooten. "At first I had to administer the drops every hour around the clock. It took twenty minutes to administer the drops because I had to wait five minutes between each drop. The pain was unbearable. The microorganisms were chewing on my nerve endings."
Wooten was a regular purchaser of AMO contact lens solution, using the product as instructed. In late 2004, she began to suffer symptoms of light sensitivity, tearing, and redness. Wooten sought medical attention but her doctors were unable to accurately diagnose her condition. At the end of 2004, Wooten lost the vision in her left eye. In January 2005, Wooten was diagnosed with Acanthamoeba keratitis.
"Once the treatment ended, I then had to wait nine months for the corneal replacement surgery in case the infestation was dormant," Wooten stated. "I am extremely fortunate that I did not lose my eye but my vision is still impaired. I may need additional surgery. This was a terrible experience. I hope my lawsuit causes AMO to ensure its contact lens solution products are safe to use."
"AMO has not yet acknowledged its responsibilities to injured consumers," stated Wendy R. Fleishman, a partner at Lieff Cabraser. "AMO must compensate all users of its contact lens solution who developed serious eye infections, including reimbursing patients for the cost of their surgeries and other expenses, and agree to pay for necessary future medical care."
On May 25, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration alerted health care professionals and their patients who wear soft contact lenses about a voluntary recall of AMO’s Complete MoisturePlus Multi Purpose. The recall was undertaken because of reports of a link between a rare, but serious eye infection, Acanthamoeba keratitis, caused by a parasite and use of AMO’s contact lens solution.
AMO aggressively promoted Complete MoisturePlus Multi Purpose to healthcare professionals as well as to consumers with representations that it was a "highly effective cleaning agent" and that it "is effective against the introduction of common ocular microorganisms."
The Complaint charges that AMO’s contact lens solution was not effective in disinfecting contacts lenses, and vastly inferior to other multipurpose solutions available on the market. The Complaint alleges that AMO’s own data demonstrated the product’s lack of effectiveness in preventing the growth of protozoa microorganisms, including "acanthamoeba." The protozoa acanthamoeba are directly associated with a disproportionate risk and increased incidence of Acanthamoeba keratitis in users of contact lens solution products.
Wooten’s lawsuit brings claims of negligence, strict liability, breach of warranty, fraud, unjust enrichment, and violations of California statutory law. Wooten seeks compensatory and punitive damages against AMO for the injuries she has suffered.
Contact Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Lieff Cabraser has a superior reputation and a track record of successfully representing victims in all types of cases involving death or catastrophic injuries. Our staff of experienced attorneys and eleven in-house legal nurse consultants and medical analysts assures that each client receives high-level, individualized case review and representation.
Lieff Cabraser is representing contact lens users across America who developed serious eye injuries from AMO’s products. Injured patients who wish to speak to Lieff Cabraser about their legal rights and remedies without any charge or obligation may contact attorney Kent L. Klaudt toll-free at 1-800-541-7358 or by email at kklaudt@lchb.com or Wendy Fleishman toll free at 888-321-1510 or by email at wfleishman@lchb.com.
To learn more about the AMO contact lens solution recall and litigation against the company, visit amo-contact-lens-solution-recall.htm.
Source/Contact
Wendy R. Fleishman
LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP
250 Hudson Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10013-1413
Telephone: (212) 355-9500
Email: wfleishman@lchb.com
Kent Klaudt
LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP
275 Battery Street, 30th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Telephone: (415) 956-1000
Email: kklaudt@lchb.com
About Lieff Cabraser
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP is a fifty-plus attorney law firm that has represented plaintiffs nationwide since 1972. We have offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. We represent plaintiffs in class and group actions and in individual lawsuits in cases involving substantial losses. For the last six years, the National Law Journal has selected Lieff Cabraser as one of the top plaintiffs' law firms in the nation.
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