Purell’s Claim to Combat Disease Spurs Demand -- and Lawsuits

Everyone’s favorite hand sanitizer may have to stand trial for claiming it can stop you from getting sick.

A trio of lawsuits has hit Purell’s maker, Gojo Industries Inc., since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency on Jan. 30. The coveted alcohol gel doesn’t live up to its promises, according to the suits.

The litigation is brewing as U.S. states begin to ease their social-distancing lockdowns -- and as employers, preparing to greet anxious returning workers and customers, are desperate for the germ-killing liquid. Gojo, of Akron, Ohio, is already working round the ...