The world of contact lenses has come a long way since they were first introduced to the market in 1949. What was once thick, hard, and difficult to maintain is now thin, comfortable, and basically feels as though it melts right onto the surface of your eye. Today, there are many different types of contact lenses, from hard to soft, hydrophilic, and gas permeable, twenty-four-hour wearable, and disposable, even colored and cosmetic, the possibilities seem almost endless. One common type of contact lens is known as toric. Toric contact lenses are specially designed for patients who have astigmatism.
While millions of people wear contact lenses on a daily basis without any problems or complications, not all types of contact lenses are worry-free and some manufacturers cut corners in their manufacturing process, leading to serious complications for patients.
One major contact lens manufacturer issued a recall of more than half a million toric contact lenses after being pressured by health officials in the United States. The company was forced to issue a second recall after receiving reports of patients with blurred vision, corneal tears, and various other types of vision problems. The United States Food and Drug Administration has said an even larger effort needs to be made by the manufacturer to get the seriousness of the issue out to consumers using the defective lenses.
Toric contact lens wearers who have suffered from eye pain and discomfort to an extreme level, torn corneas, and other types of vision problems could be victims of these defective contact lenses. The manufacturer issued a quiet recall of one brand of its toric contact lenses in August of 2011 in the United States, citing a residue that could not be identified. While this is somewhat helpful, patients were never actually warned that there was a recall on the lenses. This led to the recall being somewhat downplayed, putting patients at a higher risk of developing serious injuries to the eyes.
Investigators are looking into the toric contact lens recall in order to determine if proper protocol was followed to ensure patient safety. If you or someone you know suffered an eye injury while wearing toric lenses, or if you had pain to an intense level after wearing these lenses, or if you suffered a torn cornea, you should contact a personal injury attorney who specializes in defective medical devices as soon as possible. He or she will be able to review the details of your case and help to protect your valuable legal rights.
The issues surrounding the defective toric contact lenses are not only related to the actual medical problems that patients suffered but also the way the recall was handled. The manufacturer actually issued a voluntary recall on a limited number of lots, for one brand of its lenses in August of 2011. This recall actually accounted for only about ten percent of those particular lenses that were sold or given out as samples within the past year. The recall affected lenses sold at many major retailers and was said to be initiated because of a residue being found on some lenses. While first unidentified, the manufacturer did finally classify the residue after investigating complaints of patients experiencing hazy or cloudy vision.
A major news outlet investigated the issue further and found that the problems patients reported went far beyond just hazy or cloudy vision. At least twelve consumers told the news outlet that they suffered serious injuries because of the toric lenses such as vision impairments, eye pain to an excruciating degree, blurry vision, abrasions to the cornea, and torn corneas.
In many of the cases of patients negatively affected by these toric lenses, they were only informed that a recall had been issued after they experienced injuries. According to information uncovered by the news organization, the manufacturer issued even broader reaching recalls in Australia, Spain, and Hong Kong. The recall issued in Hong Kong stated that the lenses in question were also recalled in Italy, Canada, and Germany. Even though there was a far-reaching recall of the toric lenses on an international scale, the manufacturer failed to issue a broader recall in the United States. As more and more patients reported injuries because of toric contact lenses, the United States Food and Drug Administration took action and threatened to issue a public notice if the company did not. Unfortunately, the FDA cannot demand this type of recall and cannot force the company does take further steps.
If you or someone you know has suffered any type of injury to the eye because of defective toric contact lenses, you should not hesitate to contact a personal injury attorney who specializes in this area of the law. He or she will review the details of your case and will determine the best possible way to proceed in order to ensure a favorable outcome.
Medical device manufacturers are required to take certain steps in order to ensure their products are both safe and effective for consumers. When these steps are not taken and customers suffer more harm than good, action needs to be taken to prevent others from being hurt in the future. Manufacturers should never be allowed to get away with cutting corners and placing profits ahead of people.
Compensation in cases such as these can be sought for a variety of items, including past, present, and future medical expenses, loss of quality of life, loss of income or earning potential, and for pain and suffering. In some cases, punitive damages may also be sought as a means to punish the offender and keep similar acts from happening again in the future.
Since personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront, there is very little to lose, but a great deal to gain. Do not take chances with your future, and do not risk being a victim twice. Contact a personal injury attorney today to get started on your claim to hold those responsible accountable.