U by Kotex Sleek Tampons Recall Spurs California Woman to Sue over Defective Tampons

A woman from California recently filed legal action against Kimberly Clark Worldwide Inc., alleging their U by Kotex Sleek Tampon products are defectively made and could have caused her serious injuries.

She is seeking to represent a Class of consumers who have purchased allegedly defective U by Kotex Sleek tampon products, which could unravel or come apart inside them.

Plaintiff Janna Choi filed legal action soon after learning of the U by Kotex Sleek Tampons recall, which was initiated by Kimberly Clark on Dec. 11, 2018, after receiving consumer complaints that alleged the tampons unraveled during removal and left pieces inside women’s bodies.

The Kotex recall affected products being manufactured between Oct. 7, 2016 to Oct. 16, 2018, and distributed between Oct. 17, 2018 and Oct. 23, 2018.

The allegedly defective tampons were sold throughout the United States and Canada to millions of women. Choi, the plaintiff, was one of the women allegedly hurt by these products, and says she had no way of knowing that the U by Kotex Sleek Tampon products were prone to unravel during the removal process.

According to the Kotex tampon lawsuit, Choi regularly purchased U by Kotex Sleek Tampons on a regular basis from September 2016 to present. It is important to note that the plaintiff says she reviewed the product’s packaging before purchase, but she says it never disclosed the defect that would cause the tampons to unwrap.

Overview of U by Kotex Tampon Complications

Kimberly Clark issued the voluntary recall after numerous customers complained about the products unraveling or coming apart upon being removed, which caused some women to seek medical help.

According to some complaints, shreds of the tampon were left in some customers’ bodies and they required medical assistance to remove them. In serious cases, the recalled tampons reportedly caused infections, vaginal irritation, vaginal injury, and other serious symptoms. Some of the consumer complaints mentioned in the Kotex lawsuit include:

• a recent complaint that was issued several months ago on the company’s website, which stated “the tampon started to come apart” and that the customer “had to go to the ER to get it out.”
• another complaint stated “this tampon fell apart inside of me!”
• similarly, another complaint stated “tampons have literally fallen apart inside me while removing them.”

Each time the company reportedly responded to inquiries by directing the consumer to customer service, while failing to offer any kind of refund. The company also reportedly recommended that patients seek medical attention immediately if they experienced any pain or discomfort in their abdominal or vaginal areas.

The Kotex tampon lawsuit alleges that the company was aware of this problem for at least several months based on the frequency of the company’s responses to the complaints. The U by Kotex tampons recall was allegedly initiated by Kimberly Clark to protect their profit margin and to ensure as few returns as possible.

Choi is seeking to represent a nationwide class of consumers who purchased the affected U by Kotex Sleek Tampon products from March 08, 2013 to present, as well as a subclass for California consumers.

This Kotex Class Action Lawsuit is Choi v. Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Case No. 8:19-cv-00468, in the U.S. District Court of Central California.

Join a Free U by Kotex Sleek Tampons Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you purchased U by Kotex Sleek Tampons, Regular Absorbency between October 2016 and October 2018 and the tampons unraveled upon removal or left pieces in your body, you may qualify to join this investigation.

Learn More