Wrongful Death Suit Filed Over Recalled Alcohol Prep Pads

An Illinois widow has filed a Triad alcohol prep pad wrongful death lawsuit against H&P Industries and a number of other defendants, claiming that her husband was killed by bacteria-infected alcohol prep pads. 

On July 1, Sharon Rockett filed a complaint in Madison County Circuit Court against H&P Industries, Triad Group, Inc. Carefusion Corporation, the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Inc., Genenteck Inc., and RGH Enterprises (doing business as Edgepark Medical Supplies). Rockett alleges that all of the defendants are responsible for the death of Garry W. Rockett, who died from complications caused by a bacillius cereus infection.

According to allegations raised in the lawsuit, Garry Rockett received contaminated Triad alcohol prep pads in PleurX Drainage Kits, which were distributed by Carefusion and Edgepark Medical Supplies directly to the couple and through the Cancer Treatment Centers. Sharon Rockett claims that the alcohol prep pads were contaminated and that the problems should have been identified at some point along the supply chain.

The claim is the latest of several wrongful death and product liability lawsuits filed against H&P, which did business as Triad, over allegedly contaminated alcohol prep pads.

H&P issued a Triad wipes recall in early January 2011, after it was discovered that prep pads, swabs and swabsticks tainted with the bacteria Bacillus cereus may have been distributed to consumers.

The recalled Triad wipes, prep pads and swabs were commonly used in hospitals and packaged with a number of medications. They were also sold under variety of other labels, including CVS, Walgreens and Cardinal Health.

The FDA has received at least of eight reports from doctors and patients involving deaths from Triad wipes, 11 reports of Triad wipe infections and more then 250 other problems associated with the products. However, most of the reported deaths have not involved enough evidence for investigators to truly follow up.

Last month the FDA put a permanent injunction against the company doing any kind of business until it has established that its products are safe and that a number of systemic production problems have been solved. H & P indicates that it plans to meet the FDA’s requirements and re-open its business in the future.