Recalled triad wipes may still cause personal injuries in New Jersey
We discussed the recall of alcohol wipes manufactured by Triad Group in a previous post. These alcohol prep pads and swabs were recalled due to a very serious contamination of the bacteria Bacillus Cereus. This bacterium was linked to eight deaths and at least one infant’s brain damage. It is believed that the bacteria infection cases are underreported because the bacterium does not show up in test results unless it is specifically cultured.
Safety experts warn that the contaminated alcohol wipes may still be in use more than half a year after the first worldwide recall of the alcohol wipes. The infected wipes are likely still in medicine cabinets and store shelves throughout New Jersey, which is alarming to many area residents. The recall may also have confused many store customers because the wipes are not always labeled as Triad or H&P wipes, but are also sold as generic brands under the Walgreens, CVS, and Cardinal Health labels.
Wisconsin-based Triad Group denies any wrongdoing but failed to specifically comment on the bacteria scandal because of ongoing personal injury and wrongful death litigation.
One customer who bought her alcohol wipes from Walgreens was shocked when the store refused to tell her who manufactured her alcohol wipes. The customer wanted to know the name of the manufacturer so that she could determine whether the wipes were safe.
“Walgreens stonewalled me,” she said. “They said they had an agreement with the manufacturer not to release who the manufacturer is. I said, ‘That’s not acceptable.'”
The customer called again and Walgreens finally agreed to contact the manufacturer and ask the manufacturer to call her. The customer received a call from Triad a few hours later and the company told her to either return or dispose of the wipes.
These wipes may have seriously harmed the customer had she not been vigilant. The customer never saw a recall notice at Walgreens and may not have known the cause of any illness arising from the use of the wipes. It is important for customers to thoroughly inquire about potentially dangerous products and to contact a qualified personal injury attorney if they fall ill as a result of a product such as alcohol wipes.
Source: The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, “Recalled alcohol wipes may still be in use,” Raquel Rutledge, Rick Barrett, July 16, 2011.
