Category Archives: Product Liability or Medical Devices

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

Study Reveals More Deaths By Poisoning Than Car Crashes

Written On January 9, 2012 By Bob Kraft

Here’s a story that took me by surprise — deaths by poisoning have overtaken deaths by auto collision in the United States. The latest statistics are from 2008, and were reported by the National Center for Health Statistics. The report was detailed in an article in the New York Times. Here are excerpts:
An analysis published [...]

Posted in Prescription Drug Claims, Product Liability or Medical Devices, Vehicle Law or News

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

Alarms on Monitors Named Most Hazardous Hospital Technology

Written On December 7, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The Boston (MA) Globe “White Coat Notes” blog reports, “Alarms on cardiac monitors, infusion pumps and ventilators, which are meant to protect patients, have been named the most hazardous technology in hospitals by an organization that tracks problems with medical devices.” Recently, “ECRI Institute, a nonprofit independent research organization in Pennsylvania…published its list of top ten [...]

Posted in Medical Malpractice, Product Liability or Medical Devices

FDA Advisory Panel Says Medtronic Catheter’s Risks Outweigh Benefits

Written On November 3, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The AP reports, “Medtronic Inc. says a panel advising the US Food and Drug Administration has concluded that an experimental catheter from the medical device maker poses a potential health risk that outweighs its benefit to patients.”
The Wall Street Journal reports the advisory panel voted 8-2 stating the risks of the device outweighed its benefits [...]

Posted in Product Liability or Medical Devices

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

Fiat 500 is ‘Top Safety Pick’

Written On October 27, 2011 By Bob Kraft

In my neighborhood I saw a lot of the tiny Smart cars when they first came out, and while I loved the look, I was concerned about the safety. Now the latest hot car is the FIAT 500C, which I see frequently. Again, I think they’re really cute, but I worry about the safety aspects [...]

Posted in Product Liability or Medical Devices, Vehicle Law or News

New SIDS Prevention Guidelines Released

Written On October 26, 2011 By Bob Kraft

USA Today reports, “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended Tuesday that parents stop using all bumper pads in cribs because of the risks to infants.” While the group previously only warned against “pillow-like” pads, AAP says there is “no evidence that bumper pads prevent injuries, and there is a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation or [...]

Posted in Computer Tips, Tricks, and Tools, Product Liability or Medical Devices

NHTSA Investigating 36,000 Mini Cooper S Models for Engine Fires

Written On October 24, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the 2007-2008 BMW Mini Cooper S for engine fires. This disturbing bit of information was reported by the Detroit News. Here are excerpts from the article:
NHTSA said in a notice posted on its website Saturday it is probing 36,000 models sold in the United States after receiving [...]

Posted in Product Liability or Medical Devices, Vehicle Law or News

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

Hip Implant Complaints Surge, Even as the Dangers Are Studied

Written On October 12, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The federal government has received a surge in complaints in recent months about failed hip replacements, suggesting that serious problems persist with some types of artificial hips even as researchers scramble to evaluate the health dangers. This problem was reported by the New York Times in an excellent article. Here are the opening paragraphs:
An analysis [...]

Posted in 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

Study Faults Approval Process for Medical Devices

Written On August 31, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The government’s system for approving medical devices has come under fire in a recent study by the Institute of Medicine. The study recommends the current process be scrapped because it is not protecting consumers. This was detailed in a recent article in the New York Times. Here are excerpts:
The government’s system for regulating many medical [...]

Posted in 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

Ford Recalls 1.1 million Pickups with Potentially Explosive Gas Tanks

Written On August 8, 2011 By Bob Kraft

The AP reported over one million Ford pickup trucks are involved in a recall over concerns that metal straps securing the trucks’ gas tanks “can rust, allowing them to fall, rupture and catch fire,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday on its website. The recall includes some Ford F-150s between model years 1997 [...]

Posted in Product Liability or Medical Devices, Vehicle Law or News

FDA Issues Warning on Vaginal Mesh Implants

Written On July 20, 2011 By Bob Kraft

In a front page story, the Boston Globe reports, “Women who have vaginal surgery to fix a common gynecologic condition called pelvic organ prolapse may wind up with more problems than benefits if a plastic mesh is used, according to a safety communication issued yesterday by the Food and Drug Administration.”
The Los Angeles Times reports [...]

Posted in 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

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