I sued Walmart after a product left my eyes with “relentless pain” – my life will never be the same even after surgery

A WOMAN is suing Walmart, claiming the product caused her eyes “unrelenting pain” – she said even surgery didn’t help much.

Florida resident Teresa Phillips, 60, filed a lawsuit against the retailer and three pharmaceutical companies that allegedly sold eye drops contaminated with bacteria.

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The lawsuit was filed on February 9, with Phillips claiming she was infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa — a highly antibiotic-resistant bacterium.

A few weeks before the alleged infection, Phillips purchased EzriCare Artificial Tears Lubricating Eye Drops from Walmart.

She said her eyes had become “itchy” and she had “relentless pain in her eyes.”

Phillips said she tried antibiotics, but “it became apparent that the antibiotics weren’t working to stop the infection.”

Some of the infected tissue was surgically removed, but Phillips said she still had symptoms.

A Texas law firm also filed a lawsuit on February 11 on behalf of Idaho resident Carolyn Ward.

The case claimed Ward also bought the eye drops before she felt pain in her eyes.

Although she was prescribed antibiotics and steroids for the infection, it spread to her torso, abdomen, and back.

EzriCare and Delsam Pharma Artificial Tears, another brand of eye drops, have been linked to a deadly outbreak of infections.

In 12 states, there have been at least 56 victims with at least one death after the infection spread to their bloodstream, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other victims experienced permanent vision loss, total blindness, or had to be hospitalized for IV antibiotic therapy.

EzriCare released a statement after becoming aware of the issue earlier this month.

“EzriCare, LLC first received notification on January 20, 2023 of the CDC’s ongoing investigation into a cluster of multi-state Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections,” the statement said.

“From today [February 1, 2023], we are not aware of any tests that definitively link the Pseudomonas aeruginosa outbreak to EzriCare Artificial Tears. Nonetheless, we took immediate action to stop any further distribution or sale of EzriCare Artificial Tears.

“As far as possible we have contacted customers to advise them against further use of the product. We also immediately reached out to the CDC and FDA and expressed our willingness to cooperate with any inquiries they have for us.”

The US Sun has reached out to Walmart for comment.

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