Laundry Detergent Pods

Cincinnati Laundry Detergent Pod Attorneys

Was a Member of Your Household Injured by Laundry Detergent Pods?

Laundry detergent pods still have that “new tech” sheen, but they’ve in fact been around since 2012. Many households have been using them for over a decade, but they first rocketed to prominence in 2017 when a variety of internet memes and viral videos surrounding the consumption of detergent pods became commonplace.

The risk was known far before it became a running gag on the internet. Back in 2012, Senator Chuck Schumer observed the risk, quipping that he “saw one on my staffer’s desk and I wanted to it.” That same year the CDC openly acknowledged they posed a health risk for exactly that reason.

Manufacturers, especially the multi-national powerhouses like Procter & Gamble, are not dumb. They recognized the risk and attempted to take steps to reduce it. Examples include using opaque packaging to make them look less like candy, strengthening the pods to make them harder to burst and adding a bitter taste to the pod to make them less attractive as something potentially edible.

Those steps don’t necessarily mean detergent pods are safe, and they don’t completely insulate manufacturers from liability if they are consumed.

Examples of injuries that laundry detergent pods can cause include:

Poisoning: When ingested, the highly concentrated detergent in the pods can cause poisoning. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, coughing, difficulty breathing and drowsiness. In some severe cases, it can lead to respiratory distress, seizures, coma or even death.

Eye injuries: When the liquid detergent from pods comes into contact with the eyes, it can cause irritation, redness and pain. In more severe cases, it can result in corneal abrasions, burns or even temporary or permanent vision loss.

Skin irritation: The concentrated detergent can cause chemical burns or skin irritation if it comes into contact with the skin for an extended period.

In 2018, after the “Tide Pod Challenge” became an unfortunate viral activity, Consumer Reports put out a terrifying report on the potential long-term injuries that can result from consuming laundry pods. Unfortunately, most people (like children) susceptible to consuming detergent pods likely won’t take the time to read it.

Can Parents Hold Laundry Detergent Pod Manufacturers Liable for Injuries Their Products Cause?

In some cases yes, there have been successful claims and lawsuits brought against these companies. These lawsuits typically involve claims against the manufacturers of the detergent pods, alleging that their products were defectively designed or that they failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential dangers associated with the pods.

Many of these lawsuits focus on incidents involving young children or vulnerable adults (like those with dementia) who ingested the pods, resulting in serious injuries or death. Plaintiffs in these cases often argue that the pods’ colorful and candy-like appearance, combined with the lack of sufficient safety measures or warnings, contributed to the incidents.

In some cases, manufacturers have reached settlements with plaintiffs or have been ordered by courts to pay damages to the victims or their families. These lawsuits and settlements have contributed to increased awareness of the potential dangers of laundry detergent pods and have led to changes in product design, packaging and warning labels.

Some of these changes have provided some liability protection for manufacturers by making it more difficult to unintentionally consume a detergent pod. However, this doesn’t mean every detergent pod injury claim scenario is a lost cause.