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Children's Motrin Lawsuit: Phila. Jury Gives Teen $10M

By Admin on May 27, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

The family of Brianna Maya, 13, has prevailed against the makers of Children's Motrin in a lawsuit, receiving a $10 million judgment in Philadelphia. For most users of Children's Motrin, side effects are fairly uncommon. But for Maya, they have caused a lifetime's worth of pain.

Maya was only 3 years old when her parents gave her Children's Motrin to help combat a fever, according to the  Philadelphia Inquirer. She soon began to suffer serious side effects. Blisters formed in her mouth, she lost 84% of her skin, was blinded, and her reproductive organs were destroyed. She also suffered from brain damage and only has a 50% lung capacity.

According to her attorney, Keith Jensen, Maya had suffered from a rare but deadly reaction to the Children's Motrin called toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). TEN attacks the body's mucus membranes.

Maya almost died 3 times. She had to be treated at a burn unit for several weeks while her body recovered, after she received several grafts of skin from cadavers and pigs, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

By prevailing in the Children's Motrin lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson, the parent company, may now be forced to put more detailed warning labels on its products. Maya's family alleged that there needed to be more warnings on the bottles of Children's Motrin.

For parents concerned about the possible side effects of TEN, Children's Motrin is not the only drug that can cause the rare reaction. Penicillin, found in many types of medication, can cause TEN.

Parents concerned about the possible side effects of over the counter medicine: be sure to monitor your children's OTC medicine intake, especially when you are giving the medicine to your children the first time.

For Maya's family, the end of the Children Motrin's lawsuit does not necessarily mean that her battle has ended. She is still blind in one eye, even after she underwent 16 eye surgeries, and still suffers from her other injuries a decade later, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. For parents, being informed about Children's Motrin's side effects - or the side effects of any medicine, over the counter or not, can help avoid injury.

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