Category Archives: Consumer Information

U.S. to Force Drug Firms to Report Money Paid to Doctors

Written On January 23, 2012 By Bob Kraft

Here’s a rule that’s long overdue — make doctors disclose the payments they receive from drug companies and medical device manufacturers. Knowing that your doctor has just accepted a pile of money from a hip implant company right before he says you need a hip implant might cause you to get a second opinion.
The details [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Medical Malpractice

Window Blind Manufacturers Urged to Improve Safety of Products

Written On January 11, 2012 By Bob Kraft

I’ve written many times about the hazards to children of window blinds, and specifically the cords on the blinds. Consumer groups are losing patience with the manufacturers repeated promises to make their products safer, and the inevitable delays in implementing those promises. A story in the Seattle Times goes into detail about the dangers, and [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

FDA Tells Consumers Not to Use ShoulderFlex Massager

Written On January 5, 2012 By Bob Kraft

Here’s a rather alarming story about a massager that could strangle a user. As reported in the Boston Globe, The FDA is telling consumers who own the ShoulderFlex Massager not to use it. Here are details:
If you own a ShoulderFlex Massager, get rid of it, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The device — [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Featured Link — FightingForJustice.org

Written On December 22, 2011 By Bob Kraft

Fighting for Justice is the new blog of the American Association for Justice. It is filled with consumer information about defective products and unfair laws. Here is a description from the site:
Fighting for Justice is your resource for the latest news and information about America’s civil justice system.
As the world’s largest trial bar, the American [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Featured Link, Product Liability or Medical Devices, Tort Reform, Vehicle Law or News

Toy Report: Kids Exposed to Lead, Carcinogens, Choking Hazards

Written On December 21, 2011 By Bob Kraft

Before you let your kids open their Christmas gifts, you need to consider whether there are any hazardous toys under the tree. An Associated Press story recently quoted a report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group that found over a dozen toys on store shelves that violate federal safety standards for lead and chemicals [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Safety Tips

Report Says Hybrids Are Safer for Occupants Than Traditional Cars

Written On December 20, 2011 By Bob Kraft

Have you considered buying a hybrid car to save money on gas? There may be another reason — hybrids may be safer in collisions that their gas-powered counterparts. That was the conclusion of an insurance industry report released recently. The story was mentioned in the Washington Post. Here are excerpts:
People who invest in hybrid cars [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Vehicle Law or News

You Can Save Money On Auto Insurance

Written On December 13, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The business section of the Dallas Morning News recently featured an article on saving money by making changes in your automobile insurance coverage. I recommend reading the full article, but here are a few excerpts:
The ideal way to save money is to exert effort once and automatically reap savings over and over again, every month. [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Insurance Information, Vehicle Law or News

American Academy of Pediatrics: Crib Bumper Pads Pose Risk Of Death

Written On November 1, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The Chicago Tribune reports updated American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines say that crib bumper pads “should not be used” because “there is no evidence that bumper pads prevent injuries and say they pose a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation and entrapment.” The issue is “still being hotly debated” and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has “hesitated [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Half of Child Booster Seats Need Checking, Study Finds

Written On October 19, 2011 By Bob Kraft

Child safety seat laws (and child safety seats) have certainly changed in the many years since our kids were toddlers. But now that we have little grandchildren, we’re very conscious of safety seats and the laws controlling them. That’s why an article in the Washington Post was disturbing to me. The article detailed a report [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Primatene Mist Inhalers To Go Off Market After December 31

Written On October 5, 2011 By Bob Kraft

Dow Jones Newswire reports that the US Food and Drug Administration says that Primatene Mist epinephrine inhalers, which are the only over-the-counter inhalers approved by the FDA, will not be produced or sold after December 31, because they use chlorofluorocarbons as propellant.
The AP reports, “The FDA finalized plans to phase out the products in 2008 and [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Beware of Drop-Side Cribs Sold Online

Written On August 10, 2011 By Bob Kraft

As reported by USA TODAY, Craigslist and eBay are allowing illegal used cribs to be sold, including the drop-side versions banned more than a month ago.
EBay agreed to shut down its used crib auctions within a few weeks, according to a statement by eBay and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) provided to USA TODAY [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Rental Companies Granted More Time to Buy Cribs That Meet New Safety Standards

Written On June 28, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has voted to give rental companies more time to buy cribs that meet new safety standards.
The commission voted Friday to extend the deadline for short-term rental companies to buy the new cribs from today, June 28, 2011, to Dec. 28, 2012. That’s the same deadline for child-care facilities and hotels [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Preparing Financially for a Natural Disaster

Written On June 6, 2011 By Bob Kraft

This has nothing to do with personal injury clients and Social Security disability claimants, but Pamela Yip, the excellent financial columnist for the Dallas Morning News has written an important column about preparing financially for a natural disaster, and recovering after such an event. I highly recommend reading the entire article. Here are excerpts:
The furious [...]

Posted in Consumer Information

Panel of Experts Categorizes Cell Phones as “Possibly Carcinogenic”

Written On June 2, 2011 By Bob Kraft

ABC World News reported, “An important new alert about the safety of cell phones and the possible risk of cancer, brain cancer in particular…comes from the World Health Organization.” NBC Nightly News reported, the WHO “statement labeling cell phones as a possible carcinogenic hazard comes from a panel of 31 scientists.”
According to the AP, the [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Proposal Limiting Consumer-Product Safety Agency Advances

Written On May 26, 2011 By Bob Kraft

U.S. House Republicans are continuing in their efforts to water down safety regulations in place to protect children. These details are from an article by Bloomberg News:
A House subcommittee approved a proposal to roll back the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s authority on issues including lead testing for toys, baby-crib replacements and consumer complaints.
Child-care facilities [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Isabella and Jacob Reign Supreme on Social Security’s Most Popular Baby Names List

Written On May 16, 2011 By Bob Kraft

I enjoy publishing the Social Security Administration’s list of most-popular baby names each year. It’s interesting to see the changes, usually related to popular culture such as trendy TV shows or hot movies. Here is the latest list:
Teen Mom Moving Up While Elvis Has Left the Building
Jacob and Isabella are king and queen of the [...]

Posted in Consumer Information

FTC Proposes New Rules on Food Advertising Aimed at Children

Written On May 11, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The New York Times reported the Federal Government “proposed sweeping new guidelines on Thursday that could push the food industry to overhaul how it advertises cereal, soda pop, snacks, restaurant meals and other foods to children.” Citing an “epidemic of childhood obesity, regulators are taking aim at a range of tactics used to market foods [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Featured Link — FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts

Written On May 4, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The Food and Drug Administration has made it easier to keep up with information about foods that could make your family sick. The agency is now providing search results about food recalls in a more consumer-friendly format thanks to the Food Safety Modernization Act that President Obama signed in January. You can find the information at [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Concern Grows Over Window Blind Safety

Written On April 26, 2011 By Bob Kraft

I’ve written on this topic many times, as it is a real concern to me. Too many infants die needlessly each year because they get strangled by the cords on window shades or blinds. The New York Times ran a lengthy article recently about this danger. Here are the opening paragraphs. You can read more [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Office of National Drug Control Policy Says Congress Should Mandate Painkiller Safety Training

Written On April 25, 2011 By Bob Kraft

USA Today reports, “To halt prescription drug abuse, the nation’s fast-growing drug problem, Congress must require special training for doctors and other health care workers before they are allowed to prescribe powerful drugs such as OxyContin,” ONDCP Director Gil Kerlikowske said Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal reports the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Prescription Drug Claims, Product Liability or Medical Devices