Johnson & Johnson Aveeno Neutrogena Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Awards $1.75 Million

 

Aveeno Neutrogena aerosol sunscreen spray

Large consumer brand Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay out $1.75 million in vouchers as a result of a class action settlement from claims that Neutrogena and Aveeno aerosol sunscreen spray products were contaminated with a cancer ingredient (Benzene), known as carcinogens.

If you purchased certain Aveeno or Neutrogena sunscreen products between May 26, 2015 and April 8, 2022, you are entitled to participate in this class action settlement lawsuit.

Neutrogena Beach Defense Aerosol spray (pictured without oxybenzone)

Johnson & Johnson Aveeno Neutrogena Aerosol Spray Containing Benzene

The products containing Benzene were:

• Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion
• Aveeno Protect + Refresh Aerosol Sunscreen
• Neutrogena Beach Defense Aerosol Sunscreen
• Neutrogena Cool Dry Sport Aerosol Sunscreen
• Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Aerosol Sunscreen
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Water Resistant Sunscreen Lotion
• Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Dry-Touch Face Sunscreen Lotion

If you used these Johnson & Johnson Aveeno Neutrogena aerosol sunscreen spray products between May 26, 2015, and April 8, 2022, you are eligible to participate in this class action settlement lawsuit. If you have these products in your home that were purchased between these dates, stop using them immediately! They have been found to contain Benzene carcinogens that cause cancer.

Johnson & Johnson Aveeno Neutrogena Voluntary Product Recall in July 2021

In July 2021, Johnson & Johnson issued a recall of aerosol sunscreen spray products of the brands listed above after third-party testing found that the cancer ingredient, Benzene was present. Johnson & Johnson admitted on their website that these products may not be safe for use. Benzene is known to cause leukemia and lymphoma, which are blood-related cancers. 

Consumers that used these products understood that they were put at risk of getting these blood cancers by Johnson & Johnson's products marketed under the brands, Aveeno and Neutrogena. Consumers took legal action against the company, as they rightfully believed that it was dangerous for Johnson & Johnson to sell contaminated aerosol spray sunscreen products.

If you want to participate in this settlement and receive benefits, you must submit a valid claim form by the deadline: July 7, 2022. 

The final approval hearing for this settlement is currently scheduled for: August 12, 2022.

The website to file a claim is: SunProductSettlement.com

Johnson & Johnson Public Recall Statement

On July 14, 2021, Johnson & Johnson released a statement regarding benzene found in Aveeno and Neutrogena aerosol spray sunscreens.

According to their own admission on their website:

"Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen, a substance that could potentially cause cancer depending on the level and extent of exposure. Benzene is ubiquitous in the environment. Humans around the world have daily exposure indoors and outdoors from multiple sources. Benzene can be absorbed, to varying degrees by inhalation, through the skin, and orally. Based on exposure modeling and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) framework, daily exposure to benzene in these aerosol sunscreen products at the levels detected in our testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences. Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling all lots of these specific aerosol sunscreen products."

The intelligent consumer may read this and ask: Did Johnson & Johnson test and market these products with the knowledge that benzene was present?

Have you used these products?

If you have used or have been in contact with a person that used these aerosol spray sunscreen products and have experienced an adverse reaction, you are encouraged to report your event to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at this website:

www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm

Click the red button that says, "Report a Problem."

FDA Reporting website

Is Lawsuit Settlement Income Taxable?

Is Lawsuit Settlement Income taxable?

The IRS considers lawsuit settlement income taxable.Taxable? Personal injury settlements are the exception to this. If you specifically receive a personal injury settlement, then the money is not taxable.

Sources:

Johnson & Johson website. "Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall of Specific Neutrogena and Aveeno Aerosol Sunscreen Products Due to the Presence of Benzene." 14 July 2021.

H&R Block Online Software Dependent Glitch for Alabama Income Tax Filers

H&R Block Tax Software glitch for AL tax return filers

Alabama Income Tax Filers: If you use H&R Block online software to file your taxes, be aware - there is a glitch in the software when it carries your federal information over to the state tab. Your state tax return will not be accurate if this glitch is present.

I Found a 'Dependent Glitch' in the H&R Block Online Tax Software

I noticed that the information for my dependent was missing after I printed my Alabama tax return. For some reason it did not import the dependent data from the Federal tab to the state tab. I tried everything possible to add this data, but there was no ability to add a dependent on the state tab (see screenshot below).

Screenshot of AL dependent page of online tax software

After I Discovered the Glitch, I Called H&R Block Customer Support

I called H&R Block customer support. The lady on the phone couldn't figure it out either. She then had me go to the live chat support from the website. He couldn't figure it out, either. Then this guy transferred me over to technical support. He spent at least an hour researching why my dependent information did not carry over to the state return. He came up with a guess why the glitch happened, but it his guess not correct. He thought it didn't carry over because of Alabama's Tax law, but that was not the case.

In the time it took for him to research the problem, I manually did my Alabama tax return using the AL40 with calculations, available on the state website.

Resolution to H&R Block Online Tax Software 'Dependent Glitch'

What I ended up doing was getting a refund of ($36.99) for my AL state portion of the H&R Block online software, and I manually did my AL state return. The technical support guy said what you seem to hear a lot when there is a problem: "I've never seen that glitch happen before. So I am going to give you a refund on your state return."

It did happen, and is a good reason why you should always review your tax information before sending it in, even if you feel confident in the tax software. Tax software can have glitches in it.

I am glad that H&R Block was willing to give me a refund, after all, I am not going to pay for them to give me the wrong data on my individual income tax return.

This was a valuable lesson for me in using tax software, and how I am going to be extra careful in examining my returns in the future when filing my taxes.