After Real Water ‘nightmare,’ a Las Vegas jury will decide damages for plaintiffs

Closing arguments have ended in the latest trial against bottled water company Real Water, which was tied to a liver failure outbreak in Southern Nevada, paving the way for jury deliberations that could lead to another high-dollar verdict.

The company behind Real Water, Affinitylifestyles.com Inc., was based in Las Vegas since 1998 and promoted its product as “the healthiest drinking water available” when it actually contained a toxic chemical used in rocket fuel.

Last year, juries delivered multibillion-dollar verdicts against the company, $5 billion in October and $3 billion in June.

By the time closing arguments were finished, the 13 plaintiff trial was in its 19th day, said attorney Will Kemp, who represents 11 of the plaintiffs.

Kemp told the jury in his closing argument that it was stipulated that “the rocket fuel in Real Water” caused the plaintiffs’ liver injuries, so jurors only had to determine compensation.

Plaintiffs went through a “nightmare” with repeated hospitalizations and no answers, he said. They would get released, he said, drink more Real Water and go back to the hospital. Many were told they had to get liver transplants or would die, he told the jury.

“The devil could not have devised a greater torture,” he said.

Defense attorney Bradley Johnson said that even though fault was established, Real Water was still entitled to a fair review of the evidence. None of the plaintiffs died or had a liver transplant, he said.

He told jurors: “My client isn’t a monster.”

Jurors began deliberations around 4:40 p.m. Thursday, but quickly decided to go home for the day and return at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Real Water’s product caused dozens of cases of liver failure and hospitalizations, according to court filings. People suffered miscarriages and aborted liver transplants, attorneys have said. One person needed emergency brain surgery. Pets died.

Real Water is no longer operating, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. At least 21 hospitalizations and one death were likely linked to the water, the agency said.

Federal court records show the company filed for bankruptcy.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.