James O. Cunningham 
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Camp Lejeune LawsuitsProduct Liability | Orlando Accident & Injury Blog - Part 9
E. coli Contamination Prompts Massive Recall of Snack Foods
A New York snack food manufacturer has announced a massive recall of snack foods due to E. coli contaminations that has sickened at least 27 people in 15 states, hospitalizing three and causing kidney failure in two people. Rich Products Corp., owner and manufacturer of the Farm Rich and Market Day lines of snack foods, has recalled all foods manufactured at its Buffalo, NY, and Waycross, GA, plants with best by dates from Jan. 1, 2013 to Sept. 29, 2014.
Johnson & Johnson Knew About High Failure Rates in Hip Implants
A recent article in the New York Times reports that Johnson & Johnson, parent company of DePuy Orthopaedics, the company that manufactured faulty metal-on-metal hip replacement appliances, knew that the hip devices would fail within five years in nearly 40 percent of patients who had them surgically implanted. According to the article, which cited documents recently disclosed in the upcoming trial for a recipient who filed a lawsuit against DePuy, Johnson & Johnson conducted the internal analysis of the implants shortly after they were recalled. Of particular concern to implant recipients and Orlando personal injury attorneys such as James O. Cunningham is the fact that Johnson & Johnson knew of the high failure rate while it was publicly disputing similar findings conducted by a British implant registry.
Publix Announces Bagel Recall for Metal Fragments
Publix grocery stores in Florida have announced that they are voluntarily recalling Thomas, Sara Lee, Weight Watcher and generic brand bagels due to possible contamination with metal fragments. BBU, Inc., the baking company that manufactured the recalled bagels, issued a voluntary recall after learning about the possibility of metal fragments being found in two packages of the bagels. BBU is citing a potentially faulty metal part as the possible source of the fragments.
Burn Hazard Prompts Recall for Pots and Pans
Orlando product liability attorneys are following a recent recall involving potentially defective cookware. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced the recall of 1.7 million Royal Prestige Thermal Wall pots and pans due to burn and fire hazards. The CPSC investigated the cookware after receiving complaints that it collapsed, crimped and became severely deformed when exposed to heat, creating a serious fire and burn hazard. Hy Cite Enterprises, the importer of the cookware, reported that it has received 1,136 complaints about Royal Prestige Thermal Wall pots and pans malfunctioning. One person reported that the pan collapsed inward while she was cooking and splattered her with hot oil.
Toyota Fined Another $17.35 Million for Sudden Acceleration Problems
Toyota Motor Corp., which has already paid record fines in connection with well-documented problems with sudden, unintended acceleration in its vehicles, has been ordered to pay another $17.35 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA regulators ordered Toyota to pay the fine for not recalling Lexus RX 350s and RX 450h sport-utility vehicles quickly after learning that floor mats in these vehicles could jam the gas pedal and cause sudden acceleration.
Update on Fungal Meningitis Outbreak From Contaminated Medication
Here is an update on the fungal meningitis outbreak that has killed at least 31 people across the country and sickened hundreds more. Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham has been following developments in this case very closely, as at least two Floridians have died from contaminated steroids and at least seven more have contracted the illness. Around 1,000 Floridians who received the contaminated steroids at clinics around our state are at risk for developing this potentially deadly disease. The tainted samples of methylprednisolone acetate, a steroid often prescribed for pain relief, came from the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts, and all vials of the drug have been recalled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Generators Recalled for Fire Risk
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced a recall affecting two models of Champion Power Equipment portable generators sold at Costco stores due to fire hazards. The CPSC issued the recalls due to fuel leaks from some carburetors posing a serious fire risk. Both Champion Power Equipment models affected by the recall feature a back frame with yellow and black control panels, a bar handle and two wheels. Costco estimates that around 8,600 of the faulty generators have been sold exclusively at their stores throughout the U.S. from December 2011 through July 2012 for around $699. The models affected by the recall include number 41332 and number 41532.
Malfunctioning Heater Causes Florida House Fire Leaving Four People Homeless
The Daytona Beach Fire Department reports that a malfunctioning heater caused a house fire on Oct. 30 that left four people homeless. They report that the house in the 200 block of Keech Street sustained nearly $25,000 in damage when the fire broke out around 5 a.m. that morning. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames erupting from the roof of the home but were able to contain the fire to the rear bedroom area. Fortunately, all four residents inside the home were able to escape, and no one was injured in the blaze. The American Red Cross is helping the victims.
ATV Accident Sends Teens to Orlando Hospitals
Three area teens were injured recently in an all-terrain vehicle accident in Brevard County. Accident investigators say that the teens were riding together on Hammock Road in Mims around 6 p.m. one recent evening when one of the ATVs clipped the back of another, causing a third to collide with one of the ATVs. The accident involved four teens, with one of the teens riding on the back of one of the three ATVs. The three injured teens were airlifted to two Orlando hospitals, where one is listed in critical condition, another is listed in serious condition and a third was treated for minor injuries. Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham is monitoring developments in this case closely, as this is one of several recent accidents involving ATVs that resulted in severe injuries to young people. Police say that one of the ATVs ran over at least two of the teens, resulting in the serious injuries.
Jury Orders Florida Company to Pay $10 Million in Damages in Lawsuit
A jury in Missouri has awarded an injured man $10 million in a lawsuit stemming from an electrocution accident that left him badly injured. In July 2008, the man was working on a heat pump manufactured by FHP Manufacturing Co. in Tallahassee, Fla., when he came in contact with an exposed wire on the pump. The contact sent at least 480 volts through the man’s body, knocking him from a ladder and badly injuring him. The man and his personal injury attorney filed a lawsuit against FHP Manufacturing in Jackson County Circuit Court after the accident, and the jury recently awarded him $9.97 million in damages.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.