McNeil, J&J, Awarded Summary Judgment in Over-The-Counter Motrin Suicide Action

HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut federal judge has awarded McNeil PPC Inc. and Johnson & Johnson summary judgment in an over-the-counter Motrin case, ruling that the plaintiff failed to proffer evidence that her son, who developed rare and painful skin conditions after taking the drug, relied on its warnings.

On March 10, Judge Michael P. Shea of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut further ruled that the plaintiff’s design defect claim is preempted because it would have required McNeil to change the drug’s design, and doing so is prohibited by federal law.

In October 2010, Kyle Kimball …