If you’re currently taking Zicam nasal spray or have taken Zicam nasal spray, consult your physician immediately. The FDA recently warned consumers about Zicam and its connection to a permanent side effect – the complete loss of smell, known clinically as anosmia.
Matrixx Corp. produces Zicam nasal spray and has been entangled in legal battles over the harmful side effects of their product. In 2006, Maxtrixx agreed to a $12 million settlement with over 300 plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit, according to newsinferno.com.
Approximately 400 lawsuits have been filed against Matrixx Corp. due to Zicam nasal spray since 2003, according to The Washington Post. There were even some users who stated they lost their ability to smell and taste after using Zicam nasal spray just one time.
In August of 2005, Matrixx settled a Zicam lawsuit that went to trial, brought by a 42-year-old Los Angeles computer consultant. An undisclosed payment was awarded to the plaintiff.
Here’s a video of people talking about their loss of smell due to Zicam:
Medical experts have known since 1938 that zinc can harm smell tissue in high doses. In fact, Canadian doctors used a zinc nasal solution to kill the sense of smell in children as part of an experiment to prevent polio, according to The Washington Post.
This isn’t the first-time a zinc-based nasal spray caused serious side effects. Cold-Eeze, a nasal spray with zinc as its primary ingredient, had lawsuits brought against the manufacturer a few years ago. Cold-EEze was removed from the market in 2004 after just one year.
As a personal injury lawyer who’s been practicing for over 20 years, I’m always distressed when I hear about these horrible side effects associated with popular, over-the-counter medications. It’s clear the Matrixx should have done studies to see what side effects occur when injecting zinc gluconate into nasal passages. People’s lives are being forever altered because of Matrixx’s irresponsible actions.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.
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Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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