People who bought toiletries in mass quantities at the start of the pandemic might be in for some distressing news now that Kimberly-Clark has announced a large-scale recall of its popular Cottonelle® Flushable Wipes and Cottonelle® GentlePlus Flushable Wipes products. According to the company, the bacterium pluralibacter gergoviae has been detected on several lots of products manufactured between February 7th, 2020 and September 14th, 2020. The company is asking all consumers who purchased affected products within those several months and since then to immediately stop the use of those products, discard them, and to reach out for a refund or product replacement.
You can see if your Cottonelle Flushable Wipes product is at risk of bacterial contamination by clicking here and viewing the official Cottonelle recall page. There are instructions on how to find the lot number on your product and use the website to determine if it needs to be discarded.
Is Pluralibacter Gergoviae Dangerous?
The bacteria found on some Cottonelle Flushable Wipes products - pluralibacter gergoviae – is naturally-occurring and rarely causes a serious infection. Most people will experience a temporary rash at worst. Kimberly-Clark has announced that it has only received a “low rate of non-serious complaints” from consumers at this time.
However, people with immune system deficiencies or bacterial allergies could become seriously ill due to even slight exposure to the bacteria. The symptoms of a severe bacterial infection can vary depending on the bacteria, infection site, and individual. Some of the most dangerous symptoms, though, could include respiratory complications, high fevers, full-body weakness, and nausea or vomiting.
Can You Sue Kimberly-Clark & Cottonelle?
If you have experienced any serious symptoms of infection, then you should see a doctor right away. You should also keep the product and its packaging in a secure location where it cannot be tampered with by children or pets. Do not store the product anywhere where it could potentially cross-contaminate other household items or food.
The reason why you should not throw away a contaminated product right away is that its packaging might serve as a key piece of evidence in an injury claim or class action brought against Kimberly-Clark.
Before you take any steps, contact us. People who have suffered a serious infection that required medical attention might be able to use a claim to pursue fair compensation from the product manufacturer for selling a dangerously defective product. Compensation could potentially pay for medical bills, lost wages, and undue pain and suffering.
Cottonelle Bacterial Infection Claims in Philadelphia
Golomb Legalin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is currently investigating the ongoing Cottonelle Flushable Wipes recall to determine if there are legal grounds to bring a lawsuit or a class action against Kimberly-Clark. We are hearing from people throughout the area who might have purchased the contaminated product or become sick due to using a contaminated product. The more people who reach out to our law firm, the stronger the case against the product manufacturer will be.
Please call us at (215) 278-4449 if you need to talk to an attorney about a potential claim against Cottonelle. Please note: You do not need to have fallen ill due to using a Cottonelle product in order to file a lawsuit or join a consumer class action against Kimberly-Clark. Simply purchasing a contaminated product could be enough to start your case.