Lawsuit Settled Over Child’s Death from Recalled Triad Wipes

A settlement has been reached between the makers of recalled Triad alcohol wipes and the parents of a two-year-old who died of a bacterial infection believed to have been caused by the wipes. 

The death of Harrison Kothari was one of the incidents that sparked a massive nationwide recall of Triad alcohol swabs, pads and wipes in January 2011, which were made by H&P Industries.

In February 2011, Sandra and Shanoop Kothari sued H&P, doing business as Triad Group, filing a wrongful death lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

According to allegations raised in the complaint, their child died of a Bacillus cereus infection after having surgical sites wiped with Triad alcohol prep pads and swabs that were contaminated.

Millions of alcohol wipes, swabs and pads manufactured by Triad were recalled after some were found to be contaminated with Bacillus cereus. The Triad wipes were commonly used in hospitals and packaged with a number of medications. They were also sold under a number of labels, including CVS, Walgreens and Cardinal Health.

Production problems that allowed the contamination to occur eventually led the FDA to shut H&P down, and while the company vowed to clean up and re-open, it has yet to do so.

The details of the Triad wipes settlement have not been released. The case is one of at least 10 lawsuits filed against the company following the Triad wipes recall.

Bacillus cereus is responsible for about two percent of all foodborne illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Illness comes within 24 hours after exposure and can result in a diarrheal illness. Serious illness and permanent injury are very rare.