Montgomery Personal Injury Lawyer - Defective Products

Defective Valve Stems - What You Should Know

Gibson Vance — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:42:32 GMT

Tech International, one U.S. distributor of Chinese-made valve stems, issued a massive recall of approximately 6 million “Replacement Snap-In Tire Valve Stems.” The stem has been tentatively linked to at least one fatal rollover crash of an SUV in Orlando, Florida.

The valve stems were made for Dill Air Control Products of Oxford, N.C., by Shanghai Baolong Industries Co. in China. The National Highway Traffic Safety administration has opened an investigation of Dill Air Controls Products, which manufactured approximately 30 million of the Dill TR400 Series tire valves in 2006. Per the NHTS report, the “tire valves can crack and leak air. A leaking tire valve could result in tire deflation, tire damage (e.g. overheating, rupture) and possible vehicle control problems.”

Consumers should check their tires to make sure they do not contain the rubber replacement tire valve stems. This is especially important if you have had a tire replaced since July 2006.

Unfortunately, that is easier said then done because once a valve stem has been installed the only way to check to see if it is in fact one of the defective models is to completely dismount the tire from the wheel and check it from the inside. Also, most service centers do not keep records of any valve stems they may have installed on a vehicle. Once they are out of the box and on a vehicle there is no tracking, so customers can’t be notified.

Eugene Petersen, program leader for tire testing at Consumer Reports, says, “At a minimum, motorists should conduct a visual inspection of their valve stems. To do this, remove the hubcap and move the top of the stem around, checking for any signs of cracks in the base of the stem where it meets the wheel. Ideally, the consumer should have the tire removed from the wheel and checked by a professional to make sure the valve is not one of the defective models.”

Below is a list of the model numbers your mechanic should look for:

TR-413

TR-413 CH

TR-414

TR-415

TR-418

TR-423

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Gibson Vance

Cantaloupes Recalled Due to Salmonella

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:04:48 GMT

Cantaloupes from Honduras have been recalled after concerns that they were contaminated with salmonella surfaced. There have been 50 reports in the United States of people falling ill after eating the cantaloupes. The recalled cantaloupes were distributed by Agropecuaria Montelibano.

So far, 50 people have become sickened in 16 states and nine have become ill in Canada after eating the cantaloupes. No deaths have been reported, although 14 people have been hospitalized, the FDA said.
The government also is seeking to detain all cantaloupes shipped to the United States by Agropecuaria Montelibano.

Salmonella can cause an illness that includes diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. If you have recently consumed cantaloupe and experience any of these symptoms contact your health care provided right away. Consumers should contact their grocery store if they purchased cantaloupe recently to see where it came from.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Products That Used Recalled Beef Added to Recall

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 06:11:38 GMT

Beef processed by the Hallmark/Westland slaugterhouse was recalled in a massive recall involving 143 million pounds of meat. Now companies that used the recalled beef in their products are adding items to the recall list. General Mills is recalling Progresso Italian Wedding Soup. NestlÃ© is also recalling items.

NestlÃ© Prepared Foods Co., which is part of NestlÃ© SA of Switzerland, said it has recalled some boxes of its Hot Pockets sandwiches that contain beef from a vendor that used Hallmark/Westland. The varieties include some Hot Pockets Philly Steak & Cheese sandwiches as well as some Hot Pockets Croissant Crust Philly Steak & Cheese sandwiches that were sold in two-pack boxes.

Hallmark/Westland and their actions are the subject of a congressional investigation. The president of the company was to appear before the committee Tuesday but did not show up. The beef was recalled after the Humane Society released video footage of the company using "downer" cows. Cows that can not walk are considered at a high risk of having mad cow diesease and are not to be used in the food supply.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Beef Recall Does Not Affect Alabama Schools

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:50:30 GMT

A huge recall of 143 Million pounds of beef has many parents worried after finding out that some of the meat went into the national lunch program serving public schools. According to the Director of Child Nutrition Programs none of the recalled beef were served in Alabama schools. The beef was recalled over fears of mad cow disease after reports surfaced that the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. slaughtered cows that could not walk.

"Alabama schools did not receive any of the products through the commodity program," Fulton said. "Our distributors tell us that they did not do business with this company."
Fulton wrote that additional products subject to the recall went to wholesale distributors nationwide in bulk packages, and aren't available for direct purchases by customers.
He said it's possible wholesale distributors providing ground beef to schools could have received the beef. Local lunchroom managers said they have not bought any wholesale beef.

The recall affects all beef produced by the slaughterhouse in the last two years. Officials are downplaying any risk to consumers saying other safeguards are in place. The plant has stopped production while federal officials investigate.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Botulism Canned Bean Recall Expanded

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:01:06 GMT

A recall for canned beans that may have been contaminated with botulism has been expanded to include larger cans. The recall also was expanded for beans that were canned for the last five years by New Era Canning Company.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that New Era is expanding its product recall to include large, industrial-size cans of green beans, Mexican-style chili beans, dark red kidney beans, and garbanzo beans that were distributed nationwide over the past five years.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, approximately 26 brands and 63 products were distributed to retailers, restaurants, schools, foodservice institutions and other facilities nationwide under various labeled brands.

Botulism can be deadly. The cans of beans included in the recall can weigh up to 6 pounds and should be double bagged before being thrown away. In no circumstances should the cans be opened.

If you would like to learn more about recalled products, please visit InjuryBoard's Defective & Dangerous Products information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Fisher Price Toy Medical Kit Tests Positive for Lead

Shannon Weidemann — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 19:55:21 GMT

Consumers Union, the company behind Consumer Reports performed lead testing on several popular children's toys. They found that the red blood pressure cuff in the Fisher Price Children's Medical Kit toy contained lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that the defective toy meets federal safety standards and is not subject to a recall.

Vallese says that the agency would like to see lead removed from all children's products. But she explains the agency can act only on items that are in violation of federal law. This means they must contain either lead paint, or they must contain enough lead to pose a hazard.
"When we find lead that is a serious risk, it's removed," says Vallese. "But just because it's there, doesn't mean your child's going to be sickened."

The state of Illinois requested that the toys be pulled from store shelves and Fisher Price agreed. If your child has the medical kit with the red blood pressure cuff in may be in your child's best interests to remove the toy. Lead poisoning in children may cause brain and developmental damage.

If you would like to learn more about recalled toys, please visit InjuryBoard's Defective Products information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Ground Beef Recalled Over E. Coli

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:47:25 GMT

A ground beef recall was announced today for over 96,000 pounds processed by American Food Groups, LLC. The ground beef may be contaminated with a strain of E. coli bacterium. E. coli can cause a severe illness with bloody diarrhea that may end in death.

The ground beef products subject to recall were produced on Oct. 10 and were distributed to retail establishments and distributors in Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Virginia.
The problem was discovered through an investigation into two illnesses that was initiated by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a physician.

Stores may have repackaged the meat making identification difficult. If you purchased ground beef in any of the involved states, you may want to contact the store you purchased at to see if your ground beef is affected by the recall.

If you would like to read more about product recalls, please visit InjuryBoard's Defective & Dangerous Product information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Top Christmas Toy Aqua Dots Recalled

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:20:28 GMT

A toy that was expected to be a huge hit at Christmas has been pulled from the shelves of stores because of a dangerous chemical. The recalled toy is Aqua Dots and it is coated with a chemical that can be hazardous if ingested. There were reports of two children falling ill after they swallowed the beads.

The craft toy comes with small colorful beads or dots that are coated with a non-toxic glue into shapes, and sprayed with water to fix them together.
Consumers should take the toy away from their child and look for any stray beads that may have fallen from the craft kit, the CPSC said.
"Parents should take this very seriously. The consequences to children who ingest these beads is very serious," Vallese said.

The Australian version of the toy was also recalled. The product was incorrectly made. The toy is metabolized in the body as GHB, commonly known as the date rape drug.

If you would like to learn more about product recalls, please visit InjuryBoard's Defective Products information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Panel to Increase Safety Regulation on Imports

Jenny Albano — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:59:55 GMT

The federal government has decided to increase safety regulation on imports after numerous recalls due to excess lead in products from China. The panel, which was created by President Bush to try and ensure product safety, gives several short-term and long-term goals for improving import safety and wants to allot the FDA more power.

According to the panel, the FDA could require manufacturers and importers of high risk products to take steps to prevent contamination and other problems during transport; and gives the FDA the authority to bar imports and mandate recalls if the agency is denied access to production records.

Under the panel's new rules the CPSC could have manufacturers conduct more tests to make sure products comply with safety rules, and could increase penalties for all violators. If these recommendations are implemented it would make it easier for agencies and U.S. trade partners to trade and share data.

"This will require shifting from reliance on 'snapshots' at the border to interdict unsafe products, to a cost-effective, prevention-focused 'video' model that identifies and targets those critical points in the import life cycle where the risk of unsafe products is greatest and verifies the safety of products at those important phases. Such a risk-based, prevention-focused model will help ensure that safety is built into products before they reach our borders," said U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Levitt in the panel's report.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Medtronic Stops Selling Heart Implant Part

Courtney Mills — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:23:17 GMT

Medtronic, the largest provider of heart implant devices, announced that it was stopping sale of a component of one of it defibrillator models because of a defect that had caused defibrillator malfunctions in hundreds of patients and possibly had led to five deaths.

The faulty component in the defibrillator can cause the device to deliver a shock at the wrong time. It can also fail to deliver an electric shock to the heart at the time when the heart needs it most. The faulty component is known as the Sprint fidelis, or lead, and Medtronic is urging all 235,000 patients with defibrillators to see their doctors to make sure they do not need surgery to replace the lead. According to Medtronic, approximately 2.3% of patients with the defibrillators - 4,000 to 5,000 people - will need the surgery.

According to reports, the Fidelis lead has been in use with Medtronic defibrillators since 2004, and most patients who received Medtronic defibrillator since then have them.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Courtney Mills