The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

Johnson & Johnson executives, including one who oversaw the consumer division of the McNeil Healthcare unit, are testifying before Congress today to explain a series of recalls last year. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is especially interested to know more about the phantom recall.

A phantom recall is one in which a company quietly buys up defective products from the shelves without announcing a formal recall. In this case, it was millions of bottles of defective pain killers. According to one Food and Drug Administration executive, the agency should have acted more quickly to stop this secret recall. The executive will testify that Johnson & Johnson informed the FDA about the plan in April 2009. However, previous statements made by the FDA show that the agency didn't learn about the recall plan until July, and immediately demanded a formal recall.

Congress is investigating this, as well as why several J&J products have failed safety standards over the last few years, such as the painkillers which had bacterial contamination issues or bits of metal in them. J&J's chief executive has prepared a statement in which he will admit that the company has let the public down. The executive who oversaw McNeil Healthcare will be stepping down in March.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective Johnson & Johnson product, please contact the experienced product liability attorneys at the Cochran Firm. We serve clients nationwide.