Woman Sues Manufacturer of OxyElite Pro, and Store that Sold It, in Personal Injury Case for Contracting Hepatitis
A woman from the Big Island of Hawaii has issued a personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturer of OxyElite Pro, as well as the store that sold the product to her after she contracted acute hepatitis.
So far, at least one person has died, and 56 became ill – 44 of which are in Hawaii – after ingesting OxyElite Pro and developing hepatitis. One person has also received a liver transplant, and many other people have been hospitalized and are waiting for liver transplants after hepatitis destroyed their livers.
USPLabs, manufacturers of Oxyelite Pro and other dietary supplements, stopped shipments of the drug after hepatitis infections in Hawaii were linked to consumption of the workout supplement. However, after the FDA sent a letter to the company threatening legal action, the manufacturer finally issued a drug recall.
The personal injury lawsuit was filed in the federal court in Hawaii on Tuesday, November 19th. Everine Van Houten, 33, said that she bought OxyElite Pro at a supplement store owned by GNC Holdings, Inc, and began experiencing abdominal pain, fatigue, and nausea just a month later. She was diagnosed with acute hepatitis, and after beginning treatment for the disease, she learned of the link between OxyElite Pro and hepatitis infection, which is particularly prominent in Hawaii.
Her personal injury lawsuit includes both USPLabs LLC, the manufacturers of OxyElite Pro, and DNC Holdings, Inc, for selling the product. GNC has not commented on the pending personal injury case, but they did say that all 25 of their stores in Hawaii have voluntarily stopped selling OxyElite Pro after it was linked to hepatitis infection.
Van Houten’s personal injury case claims that she is still experiencing symptoms, and her case of hepatitis was so serious that she missed a significant amount of work in the last year to undergo treatment. She still needs to have her liver monitored, according to the complaint.
The Hawaii State Department of Health is leading the investigation into the OxyElite Pro hepatitis A cases, as most of the infections have been reported in Hawaii. No one is sure yet why the drug causes the illness, but it could be caused by an ingredient, production error, or contaminant. The department collected several cases of the supplement and stopped just short of a plan to destroy them on Wednesday, November 20th, after an attorney suggested they could be used as evidence in future lawsuits.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Personal Injury Cases Involving Dangerous Drugs
The Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. is a leader in the consumer protection battle against dangerous drug recalls, personal injury cases related to physical harm from dietary supplements, and defective devices. We represent individuals who have been killed or injured by dangerous or defective dietary supplements. If you or a family member have been injured or killed after using a dangerous drugs or medical supplements such as OxyElite Pro, whether due to contamination from hepatitis or another cause, contact our dangerous drug lawyers as soon as possible so that we can begin taking steps to preserve evidence and your claim immediately. We offer free consultations to discuss the facts of your case. 803.252.4800