Class-action status sought for lawsuit against Bausch & Lomb

MIAMI — A Miami attorney is seeking class-action status for a lawsuit blaming Bausch & Lomb for a painful eye fungus he says permanently scarred the cornea of a woman who used its contact lens solution.

The lawsuit, following on the heels of a similar suit filed in New York, alleges the company either failed to remove the fungus from the Renu with MoistureLoc eye solution or fostered its growth in the manufacturing process.

Bausch & Lomb stopped shipping the product last week after health officials linked it to 109 cases of the eye fungus.

More than 50 of those cases were diagnosed in Florida, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Jacqueline Wartmann, 57, was among those diagnosed with Fusarium keratitis, a fungus that causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness, according to the Miami lawsuit, filed Monday. It says Wartmann’s corneal scarring has resulted in permanent blurry vision.

A Bausch & Lomb spokeswoman said Wednesday that the Rochester, N.Y.-based company does not comment on pending litigation.

Wartmann and the six other plaintiffs all used the Renu solution to clean their contacts, and all developed the fungus, said attorney Joel Magolnick.

The lawsuit seeks $75,000 in damages for each client and class-action status.

Magolnick said he had received dozens of calls from people in Utah, Georgia, Virginia and Las Vegas — all contact lens wearers who developed problems after using the Bausch & Lomb product.