McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges that the company sold contaminated over-the counter toddler and children’s medicine.

On Tuesday, March 10, the company acknowledged that after discovering that certain bottles of Infants and Children’s Tylenol and Children’s Motrin were contaminated, they failed to correct the issue. The company will be paying $25 million to resolve the federal charges.

Metal particles, including nickel, iron and chromium were found in the medicine after consumers complained that there were black specks in their children’s medicine. The particles originated from the company’s plant in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

Prosecutors claimed that McNeil knew about the problem as early as 2009 when the company first received consumer complaints, but it did not issue a recall until nearly one year later. Fortunately, no one was injured by the contaminated medicines.

In 2010, the Fort Washington plant was closed down. The contamination of these specific products was not a first for that specific location.  Several recalls of Tylenol and other nonprescription drugs were linked to the McNeil Consumer Healthcare plant.

At the law offices of Goldberg Finnegan, our experienced personal injury lawyers believe that consumer safety should come first. When companies fail to identify manufacturing issues that could put the public at risk, they need to be held accountable for their negligence.

If you or someone you love has been injured or fallen ill due to a defective product, contact us for a free case review you may be entitled to compensation for what you or your loved one endured.