Las Vegas, Nevada – A Las Vegas jury has ruled in favor of five individuals who sued Real Water, awarding them approximately $130 million in damages. The plaintiffs claimed that the company’s product had made them sick. This verdict marks the second case where a jury has awarded a nine-figure sum to individuals suing the bottled water company.
Real Water’s product, labeled as “alkalized,” was found to contain a toxic chemical used in rocket fuel. The water was linked to an outbreak of liver illnesses and at least one death. Myles Hunwardsen, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, had been diagnosed with acute liver failure and had to undergo a liver transplant.
The jury awarded approximately $30 million in compensatory damages and an additional $100 million in punitive damages. The plaintiffs’ attorneys had initially sought around $1 billion in punitive damages. Several other defendants in the lawsuit, including Whole Foods Market, Costco Wholesale, and testing meter companies Hanna Instruments and Milwaukee Instruments, reached confidential settlements prior to the trial. Terrible Herbst, another defendant, reached a settlement during the trial.
It was alleged that Hunwardsen purchased Real Water from Whole Foods and Terrible Herbst. Illnesses connected to the contaminated water were traced back to November 2018, ten months before Hunwardsen’s diagnosis. The damages awarded to Hunwardsen included $14 million for his reduced life expectancy.
In a previous lawsuit against Real Water, a jury awarded more than $228 million in total damages. The plaintiffs in that case included the families of a 69-year-old woman who died from liver failure and a 7-month-old boy who suffered from severe liver failure.
This latest ruling sends a message to food and water manufacturers to take greater precautions with their products. Attorney Will Kemp, who represented the plaintiffs, expressed hope that this verdict will encourage other companies to prioritize product safety.
This story is still developing, and further updates will be provided. For more information, please contact Katelyn Newberg at [email protected] or 702-383-0240.