Category Archives: Product Liability or Medical Devices

Toyota, NHTSA Investigating California Runaway Prius Incident

Written On March 11, 2010 By Bob Kraft

I am really feeling sorry for Toyota these days. They’re getting no relief at all from the flood of bad publicity (including on this blog). Here’s the latest after the Prius incident in California:
Coverage of Toyota’s recall crisis surged again this week on reports of another case of a runaway Toyota vehicle, even as Toyota [...]

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

Supreme Court Will Hear Case About Vaccine Side Effects

Written On March 10, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The Supreme Court will decide whether drug makers can be sued by parents who claim their children suffered serious health problems from vaccines. As reported by the Associated Press, the Court agreed to hear an appeal from parents who want to sue Wyeth over the serious side effects their daughter, six months old at the time, [...]

Posted in Prescription Drug Claims, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Toyota Workers Raised Safety Concerns in 2006 Memo

Written On March 8, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Toyota just can’t get out of the headlines. Now more bad news as reported in the Los Angeles Times: Several Toyota workers sent a memo to their bosses in 2006 warning that the auto company was too focused on meeting demand rather than meeting safety standards (my paraphrase). The memo pointed out that from 2000 [...]

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

Drivers Complain That Toyota’s Fixes Didn’t Work

Written On March 5, 2010 By Bob Kraft

It appears that Toyota may not be out of the woods yet. More than 50 owners have complained to safety officials that they are still experiencing runaway acceleration even after their vehicles were repaired by Toyota for sticking throttles. So far as I know, these continuing problems have not been verified by the government or [...]

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

U.S. May Set Rule Requiring Brake Override System

Written On March 4, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The Obama administration is considering requiring all automobiles to contain a brake override system intended to prevent sudden acceleration episodes like those that have led to the recall of millions of Toyotas, the Transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, said Tuesday. This was reported in the New York Times, and excerpts of the article follow.
This sounds like [...]

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

Latest Wrap-Up of Toyota News

Written On February 27, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The CBS Evening News (2/25, story 7, 3:30, Couric) reported that Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda wept as he thanked a group of Toyota dealers in Washington for “supporting him through the company’s troubles” and said “his company has to rethink its operations after 8.5 million vehicles were recalled for unintended acceleration. All of this has focused [...]

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

Toyota Officials “Boasted” About Savings from 2007 Limited Recall

Written On February 23, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Here’s the latest wrap-up of news about Toyota’s problems:
The CBS Evening News (2/21, story 3, 2:10, Mitchell) reported that according to the AP, “Toyota officials boasted last summer they saved $100 million back in 2007 when negotiating a limited recall of certain models with the federal government.” The piece notes that NHTSA “has received more than 2,000 [...]

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

Toyota Hit With Grand Jury Subpoena

Written On February 22, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Toyota said Monday it has received a federal grand jury subpoena for documents relating to the unintended acceleration of its vehicles and braking systems in the Toyota Prius. The subpoena was from the Southern District of New York.

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

More Trouble for Toyota — Possible Corolla Recall

Written On February 17, 2010 By Bob Kraft

When will the bad news end for Toyota?! Now there is talk, as reported at TheWeeklyDriver.com, of a recall of the Corolla — Toyota’s most popular vehicle. The problem apparently lies in the power steering of 2009 and 2010 models. More than 35 million Corollas have been sold since the model was introduced in 1966. [...]

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

NHTSA Says Toyota Acceleration Defect Linked to 34 Fatalities

Written On February 17, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Here’s the latest roundup of Toyota recall news reports:
NBC Nightly News (2/15, story 7, 0:25, Williams) reported, “Federal safety officials said today the number of deaths that could be linked to sudden acceleration of Toyotas is now up to 34, based on consumer complaints they’ve received. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says it’s normal [...]

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

Generation 2 Crib Recall: CPSC Says Stop Using Your Crib Now

Written On February 10, 2010 By Bob Kraft

This important press release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission was issued today:
Generation 2 Worldwide and “ChildESIGNS” Drop Side Crib Brands Recalled; Three Infant Deaths Reported
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing the recall of all Generation 2 Worldwide and “ChildESIGNS” drop side cribs. CPSC is warning parents and caregivers [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Toyota Announces Recall of More Than 400,000 Hybrids

Written On February 10, 2010 By Bob Kraft

I know this is becoming the “Toyota Recall Blog,” but this is important information for anyone who drives a Toyota or Lexus. The problems that have been announced can lead to very serious accidents. If you have one of the recalled vehicles please get it repaired immediately.

Heavy coverage of Toyota’s safety issues is continuing, with [...]

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

Congressional Investigators Question NHTSA’s Vigilance and Toyota’s Fix

Written On February 10, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Here’s a wrap-up on Toyota stories from yesterday:
The CBS Evening News (2/8, story 4, 2:00, Hatton) reported, “On Wednesday, congressional hearings will look into when the company and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration knew something was wrong with Toyota’s vehicles. State Farm Insurance alerted the government as far back as 2007 about sticking gas [...]

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

Transportation Chief Keeps Pressure on Toyota

Written On February 4, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The federal government is really pushing Toyota to correct the sticking throttle problems that have plagued the car company for weeks, if not much longer. Here are the opening paragraphs of an article in the New York Times:
The Transportation Department scrambled on Wednesday to keep up the pressure on Toyota, with the agency’s head at [...]

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

Toyota Says It Will Start Fixing Recalled Cars

Written On February 1, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Toyota has announced (finally) that it will begin repairing defective throttles almost immediately. Here are excerpts from an article in the New York Times:
Toyota Motor on Monday said repairs to accelerator pedals in millions of recalled vehicles would begin later this week as it tried to reassure customers and show that it had the situation [...]

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

No Quick Fix for Toyota Throttle Problems?

Written On January 29, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Toyota continues to have problems with its throttle assembly, and the company doesn’t seem to be getting any closer to a solution. The throttles are manufactured by CTS Corporation, and Toyota and CTS have put out differing statements as to the cause, and even the effect of the throttle problem.
Toyota says the pedal assembly has [...]

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

Lawsuit Claims Medtronic Promoted Device for Off-Label Uses

Written On January 28, 2010 By Bob Kraft

CourthouseNews.com reports on a lawsuit involving the Medtronic InfuseBone Graft, and alleged “off-label” marketing by Medtronic. Here are excerpts:
Medtronic pays doctors to promote a medical device for off-label uses, and the InfuseBone Graft is “unreasonably dangerous” because its active ingredient can travel from the implant site to the esophagus or trachea, turning soft tissue into [...]

Posted in Product Liability or Medical Devices

Toyota Knew of Throttle Problem Last Year

Written On January 26, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Confirming some suspicions, and according to USA Today, Toyota says it knew there were problems with accelerator-pedal assemblies from supplier CTS late last year, but not enough to warrant a recall. Here are excerpts from the article:
The automaker says it hurriedly announced last Thursday a planned recall of 2.3 million Toyotas, back to 2005 models, because [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Graco Recalls Strollers After Amputation Injuries

Written On January 22, 2010 By Bob Kraft

In a story appearing on at least 335 news websites, the AP reported, “About 1.5 million Graco strollers sold at Wal-Mart, Target and other major retailers are being recalled after some children’s fingertips were amputated by hinges on the products.” Five children “had their fingertips severed and two children received cuts on their fingertips.” In an [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices

Product Recall Info for McNeil Medicines

Written On January 21, 2010 By Bob Kraft

McNeil Consumer Healthcare has had to recall so many different products recently the company has set up a special Web site to inform consumers of the details. Visit McNeilProductRecall to learn more about recalls of Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, Rolaids, Simply Sleep, and St. Joseph medications.

Posted in Consumer Information, Product Liability or Medical Devices