Cottonelle Wipes Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Bacterial Contamination Injuries

A class action lawsuit has been filed over the Cottonelle flushable wipes recall after the wipes were contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria that caused some users to sustain injuries. 

Bacteria Contaminated Cottonelle Wipes Cause Bodily Injury

Plaintiff Linda Bowman filed the class action lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark, the manufacturers Cottonelle Flushable Wipes and Cottonelle Gentle Plus Flushable Wipes, after she allegedly suffered injuries from the wipes.

Beginning in February 2020, some batches of Cottonelle flushable wipes were contaminated with harmful bacteria pluralibacter gergoviae, says the class action lawsuit Canada.

Bowman used the bacteria contaminated Cottonelle wipes, at least, since February 2020. While using the now-recalled bacteria contaminated wipes, Bowman developed an “infection of her gluteal muscles and inflammation of her cervix shortly after use,” says the contaminated wipes class action lawsuit.  

She has suffered a potentially continuous injury from the bacteria contaminated wipes. 

Cottonelle Flushable Wipes Bacterial Contamination Recall

Kimberly-Clark voluntarily recalled the bacteria contaminated wipes across Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean in October 2020. The recall included batches of contaminated Cottonelle wipes that were made from Feb. 7 to Sept. 14, 2020.

On Oct. 22, 2020, more than two million wipes were added to the bacterial contaminated Cottonelle wipes recall, and the time period for the recalled wipes sold was reportedly expanded to Oct. 7. The bacterial contaminated Cottonelle wipes were said to rarely cause “serious infections in healthy people,” but “there is an increased risk of it happening to people who have weakened immune systems, a serious pre-existing condition or just had surgery,” reported Narcity.

The recalled Cottonelle wipes involved batches with the following UPC codes:

• 036000449327
• 036000359701
• 036000434781
• 036000486742
• 036000497762
• 036000489859 

Kimberly-Clark reportedly confirmed a total of 2,064,860 packs of recalled bacterial contaminated wipes were sold in Canada. 

The recalled wipes were noted on Kimberly-Clark’s website.

The Kimberly-Clark wipes recall was cited “due to the detection of some Cottonelle® Flushable Wipes that do not meet our high quality standards,” according to the bacterial contaminated Cottonelle wipes class action lawsuit.

The lawyers in the lawsuit say the recall announcement was “inadequate in terms of timing, scope, and effectiveness.” The lawyers also allege the company failed to adequately warn customers of the serious bacterial contamination. The company reportedly knew about the recall sooner than the public did and they should have acted swiftly to warn users of the dangers, but they failed on these accounts too, says the class action lawsuit. 

From at least February to September, the bacteria contaminated wipes were sold internationally to consumers, and users of the Cottonelle wipes were unaware of the dangers until October.

The recalled bacterial contaminated Cottonelle wipes are not safe for personal use. The court documentation states the wipes can cause “infection, irritation, abrasion, and scarring to the skin.” 

Recalled Wipes Manufacturer Accused of False Claims

The bacterial contaminated wipes class action lawsuit alleges the company that manufactures the wipes failed to prevent contamination of the wipes and did not detect contamination before selling them to millions of consumers.

Kimberly-Clark is accused of liability for bodily injury and breaching the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, (BPCPA) that prevents companies from making false claims about products’ standards, says the class action lawsuit document.

The maker of the Cottonelle wipes is also alleged to have been negligent, breached duty of care, breached the Sale of Goods Act, and breached the Competition Act, S 52, for making, marketing, and selling bacteria contaminated wipes to consumers.

As a manufacturer of hygiene products, the manufacturer should have detected the bacterial contamination, the class action alleges. The lawyers accuse the recalled Cottonelle wipes maker of “conduct was unconscionable and deceptive,” says the class action lawsuit’s court document.

Class Members Seek Damages For Medical Costs

Bowman and the Class Members have suffered from the manufacturer’s negligence and have been subjected to not only bacterial infection but psychological injury, and potential future injuries, says the court documentation.

The Class Members have suffered injuries and infections from the bacteria contaminated Cottonelle wipes and have endured losses as a result of medical bills. Bowman and Class Members may have to continue seeing doctors for their injuries, which will cause additional losses. 

Bowman has brought the class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and all Canadians who suffered injuries from using the recalled bacteria contaminated Cottonelle wipes and wishes to hold the company accountable.

Did you purchase or use the recalled Cottonelle wipes? Do you plan to join the class action lawsuit? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Bowman and Class Members are represented by Anthony A Vecchio QC of Slater Vecchio LLP and Mathew Good of Mathew P Good Law Corp.

The Cottonelle Wipes Recall Class Action Lawsuit is Linda Bowman v. Kimberly-Clark Corporation, et al., Case No. S2010566, in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Canada.

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