The total solar eclipse that crossed over much of the United States on Monday, April 8, 2024, was surely a sight to see—but only for people with approved eclipse glasses that could protect their eyes from the intense rays of the sun. For locals in Moorestown, New Jersey, though, they might have put their eyes in danger without realizing it due to a mistake by the Moorestown Library staff.
According to a spokesperson from the Moorestown Library, staff members had distributed potentially counterfeit eclipse glasses in the days leading up to the celestial event. Once the potential error was realized, the library used social media to warn locals not to use the eclipse glasses, but it is impossible to know if everyone who received the glasses also received the warning in time.
On its social media platforms, the Moorestown Library further explained that it had purchased “Medical King” eclipse glasses from Walmart.com, only to later learn that the brand might not be ISO-compliant. According to the American Astronomical Society (AAS), only ISO-compliant eclipse glasses are considered safe for solar eclipse viewing. However, it also explained that, according to its knowledge, Medical King eclipse glasses sold in Walmart stores are safe for eclipse viewing. The issue is that it is not known if the same exact make and model of Medical King eclipse glasses are sold on Walmart’s website, which means the eclipse glasses distributed by the Moorestown Library might not have been safe.
(For more information, you can read a full article posted by Patch.com.)
What Should You Do If the Eclipse Hurt Your Eyes?
If you viewed the total solar eclipse in Moorestown, NJ, on April 8 and your eyes are still sore, you should:
- Visit an urgent care center today and allow a medical professional to evaluate the condition of your eyes.
- Keep all medical records related to your medical visit and any future medical care, including care from optometrists.
- Keep the eclipse glasses in a place where they will not be tampered with or damaged.
- Talk to an attorney about your potential options for legal action if your eyes were damaged due to defective eclipse glasses distributed by the Moorestown Library.
Act Quickly – Time is Limited to Start a Claim
Note: If you wish to bring an injury claim against the Moorestown Library for giving you counterfeit eclipse glasses that resulted in an eye injury, you need to do so very soon. In New Jersey, the Tort Claims Act requires you to “present the responsible public entity with a notice of claim within 90 days of the incident.” The Moorestown Library is a public library, so it is considered a public entity in the context of injury laws and lawsuits, which means you could have until about Sunday, July 7, 2024, to bring a claim against the library for your eye injuries or those of your child.
At Levinson Axelrod, P.A. in New Jersey, we are leaving our phone lines open for callers who may have suffered an eye injury due to potentially counterfeit eclipse glasses distributed by the Moorestown Library because we understand the urgency of this legal matter. We can notify the appropriate government entity and file a Tort Claim Act notice before the 90-day deadline expires, but only if you let us help you soon! Do not delay – reach out to our law firm today.
Call us at (732) 440-3089 to speak with an attorney about your potential defective eclipse glasses lawsuit.