Acetaminophen is a component of Vicodin, Percoset, and other popular painkillers, whose overuse can result in liver damage, and, ultimately, liver failure. When combined with the narcotics medication found in Vicodin, the effects of acetaminophen on the liver are increased, both due to the fact that the painkillers are typically used for a long period of time, and the fact that increasingly higher dosages of the painkillers are usually necessary to continue to control pain over time. As a result, long-term use of Vicodin and other painkillers is resulting in more incidences of liver failure. An advisory panel of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration ("FDA") recently recommended that painkillers such as Vicodin and Percocet be recalled; although the FDA would have to formally issue the recall of the popular medications, the FDA does typically follow the recommendations of its advisory panels. With the rise in products liability claims related to the use of Vicodin and other such painkillers, as well as the documented increase in liver damage and failure due to their usage, a recall may be imminent in the United States.