A woman from New Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Hubble Contacts, claiming that she had to have her eye removed due to defective contact lenses. Stephanie Guarisco alleges that she experienced severe pain and injury after using the lenses for a few weeks, ultimately resulting in the loss of her right eye. Guarisco is suing Hubble’s parent company, Vision Path, for negligence, consumer fraud, and other charges.
According to the lawsuit, Guarisco purchased Hubble contact lenses through the company’s website in early 2020. She wore the daily lenses until late July of that same year. Weeks later, she experienced severe pain in her left eye and sought medical attention. An optometrist diagnosed her with iridocyclitis, an inflamed iris condition. Guarisco was later diagnosed with a corneal ulcer in her left eye. Her eye issues continued to worsen, and she sought emergency care for allergy-like symptoms in her right eye, including discharge, redness, itching, and visual disturbances. She was diagnosed with a corneal ulcer in her right eye and reported decreased vision.
Despite undergoing multiple surgeries to repair the ulcer, Guarisco’s vision could not be restored. As a result, she now has a permanent prosthetic in her right eye socket. Guarisco claims that Hubble contact lenses are made using Methafilcon A, a silicone-based polymer that many optometrists consider inappropriate for making contact lenses due to its lack of oxygen supply to the eye. Although Hubble’s contact lenses are FDA-approved, the lawsuit alleges that Methafilcon A is an inferior material no longer prescribed for contact lenses in the United States.
The lawsuit also accuses Vision Path of not following proper procedures for verifying customer prescriptions and paying customers for positive reviews on its website. Vision Path has responded to the allegations, stating that it takes them seriously and has launched an internal investigation.
Vision Path, the parent company of Hubble Contacts, previously faced legal issues. In January 2022, the company paid a $3.5 million settlement to the Federal Trade Commission for various violations, including failing to obtain proper optometrist prescriptions for customers’ contact lenses. This settlement was the largest ever paid for violating U.S. contact lens rules. Vision Path also paid a settlement of nearly $375,000 in Texas last June for deceptive marketing practices.
Founded in 2016, Vision Path sells Hubble branded contact lenses online through a mail-order subscription model. The company emphasizes its strict inspection process on its website.
This lawsuit highlights the importance of ensuring the safety and quality of contact lenses and the potential risks associated with using defective products.