Blind girl sues pharmaceutical giant
A seven-year-old girl has sued US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, claiming that it failed to warn of a possible allergic reaction to a children's drug that left her blind.
Sabrina Brierton Johnson's family filed a suit in Los Angeles, accusing the firm of concealing the potentially horrific side effects of the anti-inflammatory drug, Children's Motrin, sold over the counter.
Sabrina's parents gave her a recommended dose of the drug after she came home complaining of a headache when she was six.
But the drug led to an acute allergic reaction known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, the suit alleged.
The girl and her family claim Johnson & Johnson learnt of the potential side effects during clinical trials but failed to warn consumers.
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a rare but violent immune system response that causes fever and blistering that may affect the cornea and other parts of the eye.
More than a year after taking the drug, Sabrina still cannot open her eyes independently.