Cottonelle Wipes Contaminated With Bacteria Spark Multiple Class Action Lawsuits

A new Cottonelle Wipes class action lawsuit has been filed over allegations that certain batches of the product are contaminated with bacteria that cause skin infections.

Class Members of the proposed Cottonelle class action lawsuit include all Quebec residents who purchased and/or used Cottonelle Flushable Wipes and Cottonelle Gentle Plus Flushable Wipes since Feb. 7, 2020.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Kimberly-Clark Canada Inc. are named as defendants in the Cottonelle Wipes class action lawsuit. These companies manufacture personal care and tissue products, including the Cottonelle Wipes products listed in the bacterial contamination class action lawsuit.

According to the complaint, Kimberly-Clark promotes its flushable wipes as “downtherecare to treat the skin you don’t see like the skin you do” and claims the wipes will make you “feel confident knowing you’ve upped your game down there.”

However, consumers who trusted that Cottonelle Wipes were safe to use on delicate parts of their body have allegedly experienced significant skin irritation and other issues after using the contaminated Cottonelle Wipes.

Cottonelle Wipes Recalled Over Bacterial Contamination

According to the Cottonelle Wipes class action lawsuit, certain batches of the wipes were contaminated with pluralibacter gergoviae, a bacterium that is dangerous to human health.

Kimberly-Clark agreed to a voluntary recall of the contaminated Cottonelle Wipes products, which was announced on the Health Canada recall website on Oct. 21, 2020.

The recalled Cottonelle products include:

• Cottonelle Flushable Wipes, Flip Top, 42 Count, UPC 036000449327
• Cottonelle Flushable Wipes, Flip Top, 2 Pack x 42 Count, UPC 036000359701
• Cottonelle Flushable Wipes, Flip Top, 4 Pack x 42 Count, UPC 036000434781
• Cottonelle Flushable Wipes, Flip Top, CA Pallet 10 Pack x 56 Count, UPC 036000486742
• Cottonelle GentlePlus Flushable Wipes, Flip Top, 42 Count, UPC 036000497762
• Cottonelle GentlePlus Flushable Wipes, Flip Top, 2 Pack x 42 Count, UPC 036000489859

If you have any of these products, Health Canada says you should stop using them immediately and dispose of them. You can contact Kimberly-Clark for a refund.

Plaintiff Says Contaminated Cottonelle Wipes Caused Rash, Scarring

According to the Cottonelle Wipes class action lawsuit, the plaintiff used a package of the contaminated wipes in September and October 2020 until he learned of the bacterial contamination.

He says he developed a rash during the time he used the product. The rash caused him physical discomfort, sleep disturbance and anxiety because he did not know what had caused it. These symptoms continued even after he discontinued use of the product, and, according to the class action lawsuit,  he continues to have scarring and discoloration at the site of the rash.

The plaintiff says he never would have purchased the Wipes if he had been aware that they were contaminated with bacteria.

According to the class action lawsuit, the Kimberly-Clark defendants failed to implement adequate methods to prevent product contamination and to detect bacterial contamination before the products were distributed for sale.

The plaintiff is seeking damages on behalf of himself and the proposed Class for physical and psychiatric injuries, out-of-pocket expenses related to treatment of the injuries, loss of past and future earning capacity, refund for the purchase price of the Cottonelle Wipes, and punitive damages.

Cottonelle Wipes Bacterial Contamination Class Action Lawsuits

This isn’t the first class action lawsuit to spring up after the bacterial contamination recall. A number of consumers who used contaminated Cottonelle Wipes and subsequently experienced injuries are taking legal action against Kimberly-Clark. According to a class action lawsuit filed earlier this year in British Columbia, Kimberly-Clark failed to prevent bacterial contamination and detect it before selling the products. As a result, the plaintiff says she suffered not only physical injuries from the contaminated product, but psychological injury and potential future injuries as well.

A New York plaintiff has also launched a potential Cottonelle Wipes class action lawsuit that alleges she needed medical testing and prescription medication after using the contaminated wipes. She says she used the products daily and began to suffer from a variety of health problems, including urinary tract infections and painful urination. Although she has received treatment for these conditions and has stopped using the contaminated wipes, she says she continues to experience pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, fear, and severe emotional trauma.

Did you purchase the Cottonelle Wipes that were affected by the recall? Are you planning to purchase the products again in the future? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The plaintiff is represented by Me Sébastien A. Paquette of Champlain Avocats.

The Cottonelle Wipes Bacterial Contamination Class Action Lawsuit is Butters v. Kimberly-Clark Corporation, et al., Case No. 500-06-001108-204, in the Superior Court of Québec, District of Montreal, Canada.

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