### Massive $5.2 Billion Verdict Against Real Water in Liver Illness Lawsuit

In a groundbreaking judgment, a Southern Nevada jury has awarded $5.2 billion to 15 plaintiffs who suffered severe liver illnesses linked to Real Water, a Las Vegas-based company now in bankruptcy.

One of the plaintiffs, Daisy Wei, shared her agonizing battle with acute liver failure. "I felt so helpless and hopeless," Wei recounted, describing her severe jaundice, incessant vomiting, and inability to get out of bed. She faced nine hospitalizations in a single year and was on the brink of needing a liver transplant in 2020.

For months, Wei and her medical team were baffled by the cause of her illness. Eventually, they traced it back to her prolonged consumption of Real Water. Attorney Breanna Switzler commented on the shocking situation, stating, "You never expect something that's supposed to keep you alive to actually be poisoning you."

Real Water faced intense scrutiny starting in 2021, with multiple cases of severe illness, one death, and liver transplants tied to their product. Kemp Jones LLP represented Wei and the other plaintiffs in this recent lawsuit, resulting in one of several major settlements over the past year.

Switzler emphasized that the litigation revealed hydrazine, a toxic chemical used in rocket fuel, as the culprit. Inadequate testing procedures for the water allowed this dangerous substance to be consumed. Switzler asserted, "If adequate testing was done, who knows if we would have even been here today?"

In prior lawsuits, Real Water's attorney argued that the company tested the water but was unaware of the need to check for hydrazine. Despite improvements in her health, Wei still bears the permanent scars of her ordeal and faces ongoing medical tests and treatments.

The FDA intervened in June 2021, compelling Real Water to cease operations until compliance with federal regulations was achieved. By August 2021, the company had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

In earlier legal proceedings, a $3 billion verdict was awarded in June to eight other Las Vegas residents, and another $228 million settlement was reached in October 2023. For Wei, this recent judgment represents a "little light at the end of the tunnel," providing some solace as she continues her journey toward recovery.