Distributor of Recalled Hand Sanitizer Sued by Indiana Woman

A northern Indiana woman has filed a lawsuit against the distributor of a recalled hand sanitizer over the presence of toxic methanol, alleging her children had severe side effects.

The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in St. Joseph County, seeks penalties. It names Texas-based 4e Brands North America, which distributes Blumen hand sanitizer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the product contained methanol, or wood alcohol, which is toxic and can be deadly.

The company, which issued a voluntary recall in July, did not return a message seeking comment.

The Osceola woman claims her children’s side effects included headaches and vomiting. The lawsuit accuses the company of violating Indiana’s Products Liability Act and Deceptive Consumer Sales Act and seeks class action status.

“These deceptive acts are incurable because, among other reasons, the plaintiff relied upon them when purchasing the hand sanitizer and consumed the product in reliance upon the deceptive acts, resulting in personal injury,” according to the lawsuit.

The Indiana Department of Health officials on Aug. 30 reported 880 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and six additional deaths. Overall, the state has reported 93,313 confirmed cases and 3,072 deaths since the pandemic began.