Personal Injury News

Recall of Todson Bicycle Child Carrier Seats

Michael Bradley — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:36:02 +0000

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Todson, Inc. announced a voluntary recall of Topeak Babyseat II Bicycle Carrier Seat due to the possibility of a child’s finger getting caught in the hinge mechanism located on the grab bar. According to the recall, a child’s fingertips could be lacerated or amputated by the hinge when the grab bar is lifted to remove the child from the seat. The company received two reports of injuries caused by the seat, including a crushed finger and a near amputation. The model numbers included in the recall are: TCS2100, TCS2101, & TCS2102. For more information about the recall see the CPSC press release. Consumers may also contact Todson directly at (800)250-3068 or visit the company website at www.todson.com.

Jeep Wrangler Fires

Michael Bradley — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:57:39 +0000

Federal regulators have expanded an investigation into complaints of engine fires in Jeep Wranglers. According to recent news reports, the government stated that 23 Wrangler owners have complained about fires. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is asking Chrysler to provide information about Wranglers from the years 2007 through 2012. The investigation opened on March 28 and was originally focussed on the 2010 model year. Although the safety agency has not determined the cause of the fires, they suspect the problem is related to overheated transmission fluid and electrical wiring. In one incident, a 2007 Wrangler caught fire in the owner’s driveway and then exploded, setting fire to a nearby house. In another complaint, a 2009 Jeep caught fire in a garage, destroying the vehicle and damaging the house. The owner of a 2008 Wrangler reported that his vehicle became engulfed in flames after he pulled over when he smelled something burning. The NHTSA has given Chrysler until May 22nd to provide information needed to complete the investigation.

NHTSA Investigation of BMW-7 Series

Michael Bradley — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:40:05 +0000

An eight month investigation of transmission control problems with the BMW 7 Series found 16 crashes and 5 injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that BMW has received 50 complaints related to this issue. The probe, which began last August, has been upgraded to an engineering analysis, suggesting the possibility of a recall. Nearly 122,000 BMWs from the years 2002 through 2008 are covered by the investigation. The cars have a push button start and electronic transmission controls. According to reports, the car rolls unexpectedly because owners think the vehicle is in park when it’s actually in neutral. In one complaint the driver reported that his 2002 model was parked in a daycare center lot when it rolled 40 yards and crashed into an embankment. In another incident, a 2006 model rolled about 100 feet, crashing into a lamp post. In both cases there were no injuries.

Petition to Ban BPA Rejected by FDA

Michael Bradley — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:02:35 +0000

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) petitioned the U.S.Food & Drug Administration to ban the controversial agent bisphenol A (BPA) from food packaging due to concerns that BPA “is a hormone-disrupting chemical linked to cancer, obesity and a host of other health problems in the food supply.” The FDA found that there is not sufficient scientific evidence to justify a complete ban and denied the NRDC petition. The agency agrees that some studies indicate the potential for the chemical to have adverse effects on the brain, and prostate glands in fetuses, infants and young children. However, they remain unconvinced that current levels of human exposure to BPA are unsafe. The FDA supports voluntary actions on the part of industry to discontinue the use of BPA in baby bottles and limit the content of the agent in food can linings. The FDA stressed that they will continue to research the safety of BPA with the National Institute of Environmental Studies. According to the March 30th letter to the NRDC, the “FDA has determined, as a matter of science and regulatory policy, that the best course of action at this time is to continue our review and study of emerging data on BPA. Because the information provided in your petition was not sufficient to persuade FDA, at this time, to initiate rulemaking to prohibit the use of BPA in human food and food packaging, or to revoke all regulations permitting the use of any food additive that may result in BPA becoming a component of food, FDA is denying your petition in accordance with 21 CFR 10.30(e)(3). FDA is performing, monitoring, and reviewing new studies and data as they become available, and depending on the results, any of these studies or data could influence FDA’s assessment and future regulatory decisions about BPA.”

The American Chemistry Council continues to assert the safety of BPA.

Durezol / Durasal: FDA Warning About Name Confusion

Michael Bradley — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:15:39 +0000

Durazol is an eye medication sometimes prescribed for patients after eye surgery and Durasal, consisting of 26% salicylic acid, is an unapproved topical solution used for wart removal. Although the FDA usually reviews drugs to protect against confusion due to similar names, the safety check did not occur in the case of Durasal because the medication did not go through the FDA approval process. The name confusion has resulted in one incident where a pharmacist dispensed the wart remover instead of Durazol eye drops. The patient suffered a serious eye injury and has filed a $1 million lawsuit against a pharmacy chain. There have been other instances where the two drugs were confused but the error was discovered before the patient received the medication. Although a warning that Durasal is not to be used in the eyes is included on the box, no such warning appears on the medication bottle. The FDA has asked Elorac, Inc., the manufacturer of Durasal, to remove the medication from the market. According to the FDA, several health care professionals have complained about the similar names and expressed concern about possible injuries due to medical errors. The FDA has released an alert to pharmacists and health care professionals warning of the “potential for injury when dispensing” these two medications.

Rhode Island Nursing Homes Cited by State

Michael Bradley — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:07:26 +0000

Of 90 nursing homes in Rhode Island, 59 have been cited by the Health Department for problems that range from minor deficiencies to life-threatening errors. A local TV station (WJAR-TV) reviewed hundreds of pages of deficiency reports issued by the Department of Health. The problems cited included failure to remove medication patches from patients, complaints of bed sores, and errors pertaining to diet and nutrition. One incident resulted in a patient overdose. According to the reports, a rehabilitation center in Pawtuxet was found to have “a 19.5 percent medication error rate. The department also said a resident was placed in a wheelchair without a safety belt and fell out of the chair, fracturing her right arm. And allegations of overdosing date back eight years.” Click here to read the WJAR-TV report.

Propecia – Increased Concern Over Permanent Sexual Side Effects

Michael Bradley — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:27:48 +0000

Propecia is one of several prescription drugs called “5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARI)” used to treat hair loss and pattern baldness in men. Pending lawsuits allege that Merck, the drug company that makes Propecia, failed to warn consumers of permanent sexual side effects. The cases claim that the drug was not thoroughly researched and Merck withheld information from health care providers and consumers. Although Merck acknowledged potential sexual side effects, they maintained these problems would go away when the drug was discontinued. However, in April 2011 Merck changed the label to include information about “reports of erectile dysfunction that continued after discontinuation of Propecia.” The label also includes a warning that in “rare cases” users of propecia have developed breast cancer.

In June 2011 the FDA required the warning labels on Propencia and several other 5-ARI drugs to include information on the increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer. The FDA has yet to take action in response to rising concerns over reports linking Propecia to permanent sexual side effects. Information about these potential side effects have been well publicized in Europe for several years. As far back as 2008 Sweden demanded that Merck add reports of “persistent erectile dysfunction” to the label.

The recent removal of the Merck-sponsored website, Propecia.com, has sparked speculation about a possible recall. The promotional website has been replaced with prescription information, refund request procedures related to the Propecia Promise Program, and information on how to report adverse side effects to the FDA.

Anticoagulant Pradaxa – FDA Safety Announcement

Michael Bradley — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:32:03 +0000

Introduced in October 2010, the purpose of the blood thinner Pradaxa is to reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. According to a recent article by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP0), the Food and Drug Administration has been notified of over 900 reports that link Pradaxa to serious medical complications. These “adverse events” include 120 deaths, 25 cases of permanent disability, and 505 cases of hemorrhage. The events involving hemorrhage predominantly occurred among patients with a median age of 80 years. These reports raise questions concerning safe doses and monitoring standards when Pradaxa is prescribed for elderly patients. Although bleeding has long been recognized as a possible complication of anticoagulant medications, the FDA is re-evaluating Pradaxa in light of the number of adverse events to determine whether occurrences of bleeding are excessive.
“At this time, FDA continues to believe that Pradaxa provides an important health benefit when used as directed and recommends that healthcare professionals who prescribe Pradaxa follow the recommendations in the approved drug label… Patients with AF should not stop taking Pradaxa without talking to their healthcare professional. Stopping use of blood thinning medications can increase their risk of stroke.” Click here to read the full text of the FDA Safety Announcement.

Liberty Jeep Airbags

Michael Bradley — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:31:27 +0000

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 2002 and 2003 Liberty Jeep SUVs in response to complaints from jeep owners that the airbags go off unexpectedly. Although no deaths have been reported, drivers have suffered cuts, burns and bruises. 42 incidents involved the driver side front air bags and in 45 cases both driver and passenger front bags inflated. Chrysler believes the problem is related to an electrical voltage spike.

To date, the problem appears to be limited to vehicles made prior to March of 2003. However, Chrysler has no explanation why more recent models are not affected. An engineering analysis is ongoing and might ultimately lead to a recall. To monitor the investigation and learn of a recall visit the NHTSA’s website, or call NHTSA’s auto safety hotline at: 1-888-327-4236.

Birth Control Pill Recall

Michael Bradley — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:00:39 +0000

The pharmaceutical company Pfizer has recalled one million packages of birth control pills due to errors in packaging. Some of the packages have too many active tablets while other packages have too few active tablets. Although the recalled pills are not a safety risk, they may not prevent pregnancy. Pfizer is advising women who have used the pill to also use a “non-hormonal” form of contraception. According to the statement released from Pfizer, “…the daily regimen for these oral contraceptives may be incorrect and could leave women without adequate contraception, and at risk for unintended pregnancy.

The recall includes 14 lots of Lol Ovral-28, and 14 lots of Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradol. Full text of the Pfizer Press Release announcing the voluntary recall is available on the Pfizer website.