Wilmington Personal Injury Lawyer - recall

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Largest Recall

Gary Shipman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:39:32 GMT

New details of a fatal crash were released by the Federal highway safety inspectors that triggered Toyota Motor Corp.’s largest recall. The NHTSA report found that the Lexus ES 350 sedan involved in the fatal crash had a gas pedal design that could increase the risk of its being obstructed by a floor mat. Toyota stated “among the remedies it is considering in the current recall is an adjustment to the pedals or their design.”

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Gary Shipman

Toyota and Lexus Recall Vehicles After Deadly Crash Due to Floor Mat Causing Accelerator to Stick

Jean Martin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:38:25 GMT

Last month a California Highway Patrol Officer and three members of his family were tragically killed in a fiery crash moments after they had called 911 to report that the accelerator on their loaner Lexus was stuck. Reports were that the car was traveling at speeds over 100 mph. Now Toyota Motor Corp. has issued a recall for nearly 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles to address a problem with removable floor mats that could cause the accelerator to get stuck.

This is not the first time that Toyota has heard these comlaints. In 2007, a recall was issued for all-weather floormats used in some 2007 and 2008 Lexus ES350 sedans. The car in this latest deadly crash was a 2009 Lexus 350 that the dealership had loaned to the family while their car was being serviced. Now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that it has received over 100 reports of incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck in a Toyota or Lexus vehicle.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

Serious Health Issues Associated With Bard Avaulta Transvaginal Mesh/Sling Products

Jean Martin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:00:30 GMT

For many women, there is nothing more gratifying and joyous than being pregnant and having a child. However, there are some health problems that may occur later in life as a result of child birth. Pelvic organ prolapse is one such problem and it occurs when the pelvic muscles become weak or damaged either because of injury or due to old age and the muscles cannot adequately support the pelvic organs any longer. It is estimated that half of women who have children will suffer from some form of prolapse at some point in their lives and that while the condition itself is not serious or life-threatening, it can still cause a great deal of distress to the patient and ought to be treated.

One such treatment method is a surgical procedure in which a device known as a transvaginal mesh is inserted to help treat the problem; sometimes the device is referred to as a sling. The procedure is still fairly novel and new materials are frequently used by companies trying to develop new designs for the product. Slings and meshes have been promoted as an excellent treatment option for women suffering from some degree of prolapse. One company that makes transvaginal meshes is Bard Avaulta. Their product has been used to treat incontinence and other problems associated with a prolapse. However, there have been problems and now the company and its products have had warnings and recalls issued against them.

The problems affecting the meshes and prompting the recalls and warnings include pain, infection, urinary trouble, recurrence of prolapse, incontinence and vaginal erosion. There have also been some problems reported in the actual process of inserting the mesh in the patient, though these are not generally thought to be a result of a defect in the product itself. In October of 2008, the FDA made a public warning to consumers warning them about the complications that had been reported in conjunction with the insertion and use of the mesh sling. In the FDA public warning, the FDA reported that there had been over one thousand reports of problems which were reported in transvaginal meshes made by nine different manufacturers. The result of the public warning was to alert women who thought that their problems were unique to the problems other women were also having and resulted in calls by consumers for a recall of Bard Avaulta’s product.

This was an important development in the transvaginal mesh problem because many women had been experiencing problems but due to the sensitive nature of their health problems and because of their assumption that it was either an extension of their original health issue or a unique problem to them, these patients were underreporting their problems with the product. The result of the FDA warning and calls by the public for a recall is that there is a rather strong case to be made that the Bard Avaulta product is defective. A defective product which remains on the market and/or which injures a consumer may allow a patient who was injured to recover in a suit or may even result in a class action suit against the manufacturer. As of today, there are still no recalls which have been issued for Bard Avaulta transvaginal meshes or slings nor have any been issued to any of the other eight manufacturers.

For consumers who have been injured, it is important to remember that you are not just an injured consumer, but a victim. If you have been injured, do not be afraid to contact an attorney or an advocacy group, such as Truth in Medicine, to find resources that may be able to help you. To avoid potential injury or to minimize injuries, should they appear, it is important for women to be involved in their own treatment, to engage their physicians in a dialogue and not to suffer in silence. Always remain aware of new findings, studies and reports about meshes and slings but also do not be afraid to question and speak with your physician about these resources as not all reports are complete and accurate. As a consumer of health care products, you should not be subjected to defective or dangerous products; remain vigilant of your own health and any changes you experience after any procedure; your health and well-being are the most important things you have.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

Magtastik and Magnetix Magnetic Toy Recall - Company To Pay Huge Fines

Jean Martin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:48:32 GMT

Since 2006, there have been three recalls of magnetic toys made by Mega Brands America, Inc., formerly known as Rose Art Industries. The recalls involve their magnetic toys known as Megtastik and Magnetix. These are building toys which use magnets to allow the parts to connect to each other through large, colored metal balls. These magnetic toys have a risk that the magnets can detach. Young children can swallow the magnets causing much harm. Once swallowed, the magnets can cause blockages of the intestines and can perforate the intestines, particularly whe the powerful magnets attract to one another. If swallowed, these magnets present a risk of serious harm, including death inot treated immediately.

Just a week ago, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that the manufacturer of these magnetic toys, Mega Brands, will pay a fine of $1.1 million dollars to settle allegations that the company failed to provide the government timely information about the dangers to children associated with using these magnetic toys, as required by federal law.

Mega Brands is urging consumers to stop using these toy sets immediately. Consumers can look at this notice to determine if their child's toy set is one that has been recalled. The sets in question include the Magtastik, Magnetix Jr and Magnimal Building systems.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

More Digoxin Tablets Recalled

Jean Martin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:09:07 GMT

Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Ltd. announced yesterday that it was recalling all of its Digoxin 0.125 mg and 0.25 mg tablets. Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories manufacturers generic pharmaceuticals. Only the generic Digoxin tablets manufactured by Caraco are subject to this recall.

These Digoxin tablets are being recalled because they differ in size and may contain more or less of the active ingredient, digoxin, than they should. Too much digoxin can cause a risk of toxicity, particularly in patients with renal failure. Digoxin toxicity can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, low blood pressure and cardiac instability. Death can also result.

Digoxin is used to treat heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms. Just about a year ago, other digoxin tables were recalled because of a manufacturing problem resulting in pills containing twice as much medication as was intended.

Consumers with the following Digoxin tablets should return them to the pharmacy where purchased:

Caraco Digoxin 0.125 mg is a scored round biconvex yellow tablet imprinted with “437”

Caraco Digoxin 0.25 mg is a scored round biconvex white tablet imprinted with “441”

If you are a digoxin patient and have experienced any of the side effects listed above, you should contact your doctor immediately.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

Medtronic Pain Pumps Recalled

Jean Martin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:20:09 GMT

The FDA has issued a recall for Medtronic drug pumps. The recall notice came Friday. The pumps involved are the Indura 1P Intrathecal Catheter, model 8709SC; Intrathecal Catheter, model 8731SC; Sutureless Pump Connector Revision Kit, model 8578, and Intrathecal Catheter Pump Segment Revision Kit, model 8596SC. The pumps are used in patients who have spasticity related to cystic fibrosis, traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis and from chronic pain.

The FDA issued a Class I recall which means that there is a "reasonable probability" that the product may cause serious adverse health consequences or death. Improper connections between the implanted catheter and the pump cause the medications to leak. At least 25,000 of these pumps have been sold.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

Zimmer Hip Implant Lawsuits Start

Jean Martin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:59:27 GMT

In the wake of the announcement at the end of July that Zimmer was recalling its hip implants using the Durom cup, lawsuits are now being filed. Zimmer suspended sales of the Durom acetabular cup, a component of the artificial hip implant, due to high implant failure rates. The Durom cup fails to bond with the host bone, causing the cup to move out of position, and resulting in excruciating pain for the implant patient.

Patients who underwent the painful ordeal of hip implant surgery and recovery in an effort to reduce the hip pain they were experiencing, are now faced with having to undergo this awful process again when their implant fails. Patients started complaining of problems soon after the Durom cup came on the market in March 2006, but Zimmer took no action until July 2008. It is estimated that the Durom cup has been implanted in more than 12,000 patients in the last 2 years.

Zimmer has made claims suggesting that the problem is the surgical technique used by the doctors implanting these hip components. But even the orthopedic surgeons who have used the product are suggesting that the problem is a design defect, not the technique used.

While Zimmer has offered some assistance to patients who have experienced a failure with their Durom cup implant, these patients would be well advised to seek the advice of legal counsel to ensure that they full interests are protected.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin