$228 Million Awarded in Lawsuit Over Liver Illnesses Linked to Bottled Water

A recent jury verdict in Las Vegas has sent ripples through the bottled water industry. Jurors have just awarded a whopping $228 million in damages to plaintiffs who took legal action against a company named Real Water. The reason? Their product was allegedly connected to liver illnesses, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

In this groundbreaking case, jurors found Real Water and two other defendants liable for the damages. Specifically, they were held responsible for $28.5 million in compensatory damages and an astonishing $200 million in punitive damages.

Multiple lawsuits had been filed against Real Water, but this particular case was the very first to go to trial. The plaintiffs in this case included the family of a 69-year-old woman who tragically passed away due to liver failure in 2020, as well as the family of a 7-month-old boy who faced severe liver failure.

The heart of the matter was a serious allegation. The plaintiffs contended that faulty testing meters, produced by the companies involved, led to the presence of toxic chemicals in the water.

Real Water's attorney, Joel Odou, explained to the jurors that the company had indeed conducted water testing. However, they were unaware of the need to check for hydrazine, a toxic chemical used in rocket fuel.

In a separate development, in May 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning. They cautioned consumers, restaurants, and retailers against drinking, cooking with, selling, or serving Real Water.

This bottled water product was widely available in stores across the Southwest, including Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Los Angeles area. It was even delivered to homes in large bottles. However, the product was pulled from shelves in March 2021.

Affinitylifestyles.com, the marketing arm behind Real Water, presented the product in distinctive blue plastic bottles. They touted it as mineral-rich, "infused with negative ions," and "the healthiest drinking water available." Intriguing, right?

Interestingly, Affinitylifestyles.com was overseen by Brent Jones, a former Republican Nevada state Assembly member who served from 2016 to 2018. It's worth noting that the company didn't dispute that the water originated from the Las Vegas public water supply.

The Associated Press tried to reach out to Brent Jones for a statement on the jury's verdict, but their calls went unanswered.