People who have experience taking medications will vividly remember physicians or pharmacists detailing the precautions that need to be taken with these medications. People receive instructions about which foods to avoid and to avoid drinking alcohol while taking the medications because of the dangerous side effects that can result from certain interactions. In addition, when […]
Dangerous Or Defective Products
Legal liability for medication errors that cause injury or death
We all rely on medical providers to carry out their duty to follow accepted standards of professional care to keep us healthy and safe. Unfortunately, when a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or other medical personnel breaches that duty in the prescribing or administration of a drug, a medication error may cause severe injury or death. What is a […]
Unreported Auto Defects Are a Threat to Driver Safety
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires automakers to pass along claims of car defects from consumers. By gathering this information, the NHTSA can spot trends and determine when a mandatory recall should be initiated. While the laws requiring defect reporting are more than a decade old, the system still falls short of expectations. An […]
A Call for Tighter Regulation
A scandal uncovered by one agency has led another to consider cracking down on the auto industry. The Environmental Protection Agency recently discovered that Volkswagen carefully engineered software to skirt U.S. emissions standards. VW diesel vehicles were programmed to run differently when being tested than during normal operation. After an EPA investigation, Volkswagen could be […]
Rise in Large Verdicts in Defective Product Cases
For 10 years, there were no jury verdicts of $1 billion or more in cases involving defective products. In 2014, that trend stopped with several verdicts exceeding that total. Some have tied the absence of large verdicts from 2004 to last year to extensive lobbying efforts by “tort reform” groups. Others suggest that the gap […]
Legislators Call for Changes at the NHTSA
President Obama is expected to name a new permanent chief for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the next two weeks. Three U.S. senators have called for the President to use the opportunity to make substantial changes to the NHTSA and its practices. They want the NHTSA to reform its safety mission and make […]
NHTSA Defends Recall Actions
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has come under fire for its actions concerning the recalls of GM vehicles with defective ignition switches and the vehicles containing Takata air bags. Critics have suggested that the NHTSA has moved too slowly or taken limited action in addressing serious auto defects. NHTSA leaders recently responded with a […]
Toyota Issues New Worldwide Recall over Airbag Defect
Toyota recently announced a second worldwide recall of vehicles with defective airbags. The problem is that the passenger-side airbag has a defective inflator that, if cracked, could allow metal fragments to get into the compartment, potentially causing injuries when the airbag inflates. The defect could also leave the instrument panel with “thermal damage.” Toyota said […]
Small Portion of Product Recall to Be Funded by Buckyballs Founder
Much has been said in the last few years about the dangers posed by magnets in toys and other products available to children. As we discussed in a previous post, children have ingested these powerful magnets, which can become connected in the body and cause serious tissue damage. According to federal regulators, various kinds of small magnets […]
Cholesterol and Diabetes Drugs Recalled over Mistaken Bottling
As consumers and patients, we rely on product manufacturers and distributors to ensure that products are reasonably safe and properly labeled. Unfortunately, when companies fail in this regard, defective products can have devastating consequences. People who have been affected by a dangerous product need to be aware of their right to hold the responsible party accountable. With […]
Lawmakers: Why Did GM Not Heed Complaints over Deadly Defects?
Legislators want to know why General Motors declined to fix deadly auto defects that were allowed to go to market for a decade. So far, an ongoing investigation has linked 13 deaths to defective ignition switches in a variety of GM models. The problem with 1.6 million recalled cars is that their electrical systems and […]
New FDA Rules Could Protect Medical Device Recipients
For some, receiving a new medical device leads to a vastly improved quality of life. For those who receive defective medical devices, the results can be painful or even fatal. The problems involved with faulty medical devices have long been complicated by the difficulty in identifying which patients received devices that ended up failing. The U.S. […]
Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Still Taking Its Toll
Eleven months after headlines broke all over the nation about a fungal meningitis outbreak caused by contaminated injections, the fallout continues for victims and regulators. The illnesses shined a light on compounding pharmacies and the role they play in the health care industry. The pharmacies exist under a different regulatory scheme than other drug manufacturers. With the […]
Illinois Supplier Sold Antifreeze-Tainted Ingredient To Malt-O-Meal Maker
MOM Brands Co., the makers of Malt-O-Meal cereal products was forced to recall 22,000 cases of cereal across five states. The product, Malt-O-Meal Marshmallow Mateys, used a Vitamin C supplement that MOM had purchased from a supplier in Libertyville, Illinois. The supplement was reportedly made in a plant China and was later discovered to contain […]
Company Knew About High Failure Rate For Hip Implant
More information is coming to light concerning the hip implants recalled by Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics division. According to Johnson & Johnson’s internal documentation, the metal hip implants known as Articular Surface Replacement, or A.S.R., fail at a rate of almost 40 percent within the first five years after they are implanted. The company […]
New Study Concerning The Dangers Of Bounce Houses
The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database houses information regarding emergency department visits by children less than 18 years of age. A new study using that database has determined that a child is injured in an inflatable bounce house, castle, moonwalk or other inflatable device every 46 minutes nationwide. The author of the study is calling for […]
U.S. Senate Report Claims Patients’ Trust Violated By Medtronic Practices
Medtronic has been accused of violating patients’ trust through heavy-handed participation in the content of medical journal articles concerning the product Infuse. A U.S. Senate report was commissioned after the company was alleged to have financial ties to physician authors who ignored dangerous side effects tied to the bone growth product. Medtronic issued a statement after the […]
Magnets In Toys Pose Serious Risk To Children
Magnets on toys, clothes and other household items pose a serious risk to children who might swallow them. Products with magnets have been the subject of numerous recalls largely based on the possibility that children will ingest the magnets. The Consumer Products Safety Commission reports roughly 200 such cases since 2008. Once swallowed, the magnets clump together […]
Clothing Recalls and the Danger of Drawstrings on Children’s Clothing
While the earliest guidelines regarding drawstrings in children’s clothing date back more than 15 years, new recalls are still necessary every year. The guidelines for the makers of children’s clothing are voluntary, so non-conforming items are still regularly sold to unsuspecting parents. Parents and guardians must be aware of the products they make available to […]
Pharmacy Mistake Switches Breast Cancer Meds and Fluoride Tablets
Countless children are prescribed chewable fluoride tablets to help prevent tooth decay every year. A product mix-up at a pharmacy in New Jersey led to several children receiving the drug Tamoxifen, a breast cancer treatment, rather than the fluoride pills they had been prescribed. The error may have affected up to 50 families over nearly three months’ […]
