The estate of a woman who died of liver failure alleges that her death was connected to her use of Extra Strength Tylenol.

Megan Miller took Tylenol prior to her death in June 2010, according to the lawsuit filed by her heir and the administrator of her estate, Marcia Miller. The Tylenol wrongful death lawsuit was added to the Tylenol MDL, the mass legal action over Tylenol liver damage.

Tylenol is a ubiquitous drug with a reputation for safety. However, the active ingredient in Tylenol, acetaminophen, can cause liver problems. Like many drugs, the liver breaks acetaminophen down into other chemicals, called secondary metabolites, to remove it from the body. However, in the case of acetaminophen, some of the chemicals the body breaks it into are more toxic than acetaminophen. Under ideal conditions, the liver creates very small amounts of these secondary metabolites, or produces them slowly enough that the body can get rid of them before they cause problems. But this is not always the case.

The way the liver reacts to the active ingredient in Tylenol varies from person to person. Some individuals produce slightly different secondary metabolites, or break the drug down faster, creating greater amounts of these chemicals. For these individuals, even a regular dose of the drug could cause liver problems from Tylenol. This could include liver damage and even liver failure. Individuals suffering from liver problems from Tylenol can suffer for weeks, even months, in great pain. Others may die from relatively small doses of the drug — allegedly, even the recommended dose.

This Tylenol liver damage lawsuit is joining others in a mass legal action called a multidistrict litigation, or MDL. MDLs are a coordinated group of similar lawsuits. The main difference between MDLs and the better-known class action lawsuit is that class action lawsuits are started as group lawsuits, while MDLs start out as a group of similar individual lawsuits. The Tylenol liver damage MDL is being coordinated through a court in eastern Pennsylvania.

The Tylenol Liver Damage Lawsuit is Marcia Miller, et al. v. McNeil-PPC Inc., et al., Case No. 2:13-cv-04790-LS, within the larger MDL, In Re: Tylenol (Acetaminophen) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2436, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.