Woman Sues Walmart on Behalf of D.C. Population Over Deceptive Labels
A District of Columbia woman is suing Walmart on your behalf related to unfair and deceptive trade practices perpetuated by the retail giant. The complaint, filed on February 4, 2015 by three law firms including Paulson & Nace, demands a jury trial against the retailer in a lawsuit claiming deceptive trade practices because of the blatant mislabeling of certain Spring Valley dietary supplements.
The Plaintiff was a regular purchaser of Spring Valley supplements at Walmart and now brings this claim seeking injunctive relief and damages for herself and the general public.
Though the lawsuit only names Walmart, other retailers – Target, GNC and Walgreens – are also in trouble for selling faulty supplements.
What did they all do wrong?
According to the New York Times, when authorities tested certain supplements found in all four chains’ stores, “four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels.” For example:
- Walgreens’ ginseng pills are made of garlic and rice
- Walmart’s gingko biloba contained powered radish, wheat and remnants of some houseplants
- Target’s gingko biloba, St. John’s wort and valerian root were filled with peas, carrots, rice and beans
- GNC’s Echinacea contained rice, pine tree and buttercups
Purposely mislabeling the supplements is illegal on its own; however, some of the labels could have led to the death of the people who took them. People with celiac disease cannot digest wheat – yet Walmart’s gingko biloba was labeled as gluten free despite being made of wheat. All four retailers put the health and lives of the general public in danger by selling “vitamins” and supplements that were completely and obviously mislabeled.
Why this case is important
The lawsuit does more than name Walmart as complicit in its own illegal activities: it provides a wake-up call to large retailers, the American public and the FDA. Right now, the Food and Drug Administration has little to no control over how dietary supplements are packaged, labeled or tested. They can only require that the supplements be safe. Most supplements you find in Walmart or any retail outlet say that they are not FDA approved in small letters – letters that are easy to miss.
What the lawsuit may do is show the country’s largest retailers that the American people will not stand to be lied to any longer. When the products we buy are unsafe, we hold both the manufacturers and the sellers responsible. In this case, the supplements sold by Walmart, Walgreens, Target and GNC could have been deadly if they were used by people with allergies. It is time to demand more accountability from companies who put their profits before the public.
Protecting the people of D.C. from deceptive practices
We are proud to help in this fight against injustice. If you purchased defective or mislabeled supplements from Walmart, Walgreens, Target or GNC, please contact Paulson & Nace, PLLC at 202.463.1999, or fill out our convenient contact form.
Christopher T. Nace works in all practice areas of the firm, including medical malpractice, birth injury, drug and product liability, motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death, and other negligence and personal injury matters.
Read more about Christopher T. Nace.