Product Liability | Orlando Accident & Injury Blog - Part 11
Failing Artificial Hips Expected to Cost Taxpayers Billions in Coming Years
Defective metal-on-metal artificial hip implants are rapidly becoming the largest medical implant failure in years. The failure rate of these implants, the tens of thousands of patients who will need to have these implants surgically replaced, the costs of replacement and the scale of litigation involved all make this a very serious situation for taxpayers, who may be on the hook for billions in the coming years. Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham has been following this story closely, as many people in Central Florida have had these devices surgically implanted in recent years before government investigations led to massive recalls of these implants.
Cooked Chicken Breasts Recalled for Contamination Risk
House of Raeford has announced that they are voluntarily recalling more than 4,100 pounds of a cooked chicken breast product due to possible bacterial contamination. After conducting an investigation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said that the chicken may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which can lead to listeriosis, a potentially fatal disease. The product was distributed to delicatessens and food service facilities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina for further processing.
Orlando Personal Injury Lawyer Concerned About Contact Lens Recall
Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham was alarmed to learn recently that CooperVision, manufacturer of the Avaira line of contact lens products, has expanded an August recall after customers complained of hazy vision, eye discomfort and severe pain. CooperVision’s expanded recall now affects 6.6 million pairs of Avaira Sphere lenses in addition to the previous recall of 600,000 Avaira Toric lenses last summer. CooperVision urges customers who bought and used either type of lens anytime in the last 12 months to check the lot number of the lenses and call 855-526-6737 to see if the lenses are part of the recall.
Children’s Swimwear Recalled for Strangulation Hazard
Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham would like to alert Florida parents and grandparents about a recall that affects children’s swimwear due to a potential strangulation hazard. Build-A-Bear Workshop of St. Louis, in connection with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada, has recently announced that their Swimwear Set With Inflatable Inner Tube is being voluntarily recalled and parents who own these garments should stop using them immediately. Any retailers who have this product on their shelves are ordered by the CPSC to remove this product immediately as it is illegal to resell or attempt to resell any recalled product.
CPSC Issues Drop-Side Cribs Recall
On September 29, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall for around 2,300 drop-side cribs in the United States, and Health Canada has recalled another 800 in Canada. The recall affects drop-side cribs made by Sherman Inc. due to risks of entrapment, suffocation and fall hazards. The CPSC advises anyone who owns one of these cribs to stop using it immediately as the drop-side rail hardware used in construction of the cribs can break or fail, allowing the drop-side to become detached from the crib. If this occurs, a dangerous gap is created between the drop-side and the mattress, potentially trapping and hurting or suffocating an infant.
Complaints About Defective Hip Implants Surge As Problem Is Studied
In another news item that will come as no surprise to Florida residents or Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham, the federal government reports that it has received a surge of complaints in recent months about failed hip replacement devices. Researchers are still studying the dangers of some models of artificial hip devices, particularly metal-on-metal types, but early indications suggest persistent and very serious health consequences in association with faulty artificial hips. The Food and Drug Administration has reportedly received more than 5,000 complaints about metal-on-metal hips since January, more than the FDA has received about hip devices in the previous four years combined.
Consumer Group Urges Recall of Mesh Pelvic Surgical Product
Public Citizen, a national consumer advocacy group, is urging the Food and Drug Administration to issue a recall for a surgical product designed to help women with a common condition called pelvic organ prolapse. The FDA issued a warning about the product in July, and Public Citizen urges stronger action because the mesh device exposes patients to serious health risks and “the potential for permanent life-altering harm.” On average, around 300,000 women have surgery to correct pelvic organ prolapse, which happens when the muscles holding the bladder, bowel and uterus in place are weakened or stretched and these organs drop into the vagina.
Nine Injured When Tire Bursts on SUV and Causes Rollover
Nine people were injured recently in a July 1 single-vehicle accident on Interstate 4 near mile marker 57 near ChampionsGate golf course. Florida Highway Patrol officers say that a 2000 Ford Excursion was traveling eastbound on I-4 at the posted speed limit when one of the right tires burst, causing the large SUV to rotate counterclockwise and into the median. The SUV then rolled and came to a stop on top of a guardrail. Emergency response personnel closed all lanes of I-4 in both directions to render assistance, and traffic was reportedly backed up more than ten miles.
Orlando Personal Injury Lawyer Takes Dim View of New Florida Law
Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham is very concerned about a new Florida law that limits injured people’s rights in product liability cases. On June 23, Governor Rick Scott signed a bill into law that will allow jurors in a product liability case to consider the cause of the accident that led to the case. This new law has potentially devastating effects on people injured in accidents caused by defective automobiles. Previous Florida product liability laws gave injured people greater freedom in pursuing damages against the manufacturers of defective products by limiting companies’ ability to protect themselves.
Orlando Personal Injury Lawyer Monitoring Mazda Fuel System Recall
Many automakers have come under fire in recent years due to safety defects, but the latest recall involving Mazda cars is something no automotive designer or manufacturer could have anticipated. Mazda has announced a recall for thousands of its vehicles because of a fuel line problem that could result in potentially dangerous cracks and leaks. The recall involves a spider species and its fondness for the smell of gasoline. The Yellow Sac spider, a species common here in the U.S., likes the smell of gasoline so much that it builds its webs in the emission systems of automobiles. The design of the fuel system in Mazda6 vehicles allows these gas-loving spiders to crawl in and build webs, which can lead to a restriction in the vent line that can cause the emission control system to increase pressure in the fuel tank.
James O. Cunningham
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.