Recent lawsuits filed against Proctor & Gamble and GSK claim that the zinc contained in the denture adhesive products Fixodent and SuperPoligrip has poisoned dozens of people and ruined their nervous systems irreparably. Chronic, excess zinc intake can result in copper deficiency and profound neurologic disease. Denture cream users, unaware of the zinc content of their product, were using excessive amounts of the adhesive on a daily basis to help with their loose fitting dentures. The affects have been reported as tingling and weakness in the extremeties like the hands, feet, arms, and legs, and have ultimately resulted with some individuals being confined to a wheelchair or unable to walk without the use of a walker.
Continue Reading
Articles Posted in Product Liability
Off-Label Promotion Continues to Make News
Last week, Novartis agreed to settle criminal allegations involving Trileptal, an anti-epilepsy drug, as it deals with similar investigations involving five other Novartis drugs: Diovan, Exforge, Zelnorm, Keturna and Sandostatin. Novartis has agreed to plead guilty to violations of the U.S. Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act and pay a fine of $185 million. The settlement is pending court approval.
Continue Reading
Surgeons have an Ethical Duty to Warn of Risks with Shoulder Pain Pumps
Dr. Joseph Carrese, director of the ethics and clinical practice program at John Hopkins Berman Institute of Bio-Ethics, recently stated that he believes surgeons need to inform all of their patients about the risks associated with the use of a pain pump catheter during shoulder surgery. Presently, many arthroscopic shoulder surgeries utilize this tiny catheter, placed directly into the shoulder joint, which infuses pain medication continuously for several days following the procedure. The concern that Dr. Joseph Carrese and many others have, is what happens to patients in the long run, as the result of this device.
Continue Reading
Recent Consumer Product Recalls
The following products have experienced problems resulting in their recall:
13-foot Square Trampolines. The straps supporting the top of the trampoline’s enclosure to the poles can fail. The enclosure could drop if these straps break, posing a fall risk. Skywalker Holdings LLC, (866) 603-5867 or www.skywalkertrampolines.com
2005 Novara Trionfo Bicycles. The fork can separate from the steerer tube, which can cause the rider to lose control. Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), (800) 426-4840 or www.rei.com
Continue Reading
Pet Flea Treatment Class Action — Risk of Chemical Burns, Seizure, and Central Nervous System Side Effects
The Wall Street Journal today is reporting new data compiled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), concerning a significant increase in the number of “incidents stemming from so-called spot-on flea and tick treatments.” According to the latest statistics, the number of adverse incidents involving pets and the use of such treatments “increased 53% to 44,263 in 2008 from the previous year.” Thus, the EPA is “intensifying an evaluation of spot-on products.”
Continue Reading
Falling Flat-Screen TVs — Children Exposed to Significant Risk?
In a recent study published in the Journal Clinical Pediatrics by researchers at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, injuries involving children and “heavy or unstable furniture” has increased 41 percent since 1990.
Continue Reading
Nicotine Gum & Lozenges: Increased Risk of Cancer?
A recent article published in the Journal of Public Library of Science, has provided findings of a new study that “nicotine chewing gum, lozenges and inhalers designed to help people to give up smoking may have the potential to cause cancer …”
Continue Reading
Maytag Recalls 1.6 Million Refrigerators Due to Fire Hazard
On March 10, 2009, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), along with Maytag Corporation, headquartered in Newton, Iowa, initiated a recall of approximately 1.6 million refrigerators, as a result of a significant risk of fire hazard Continue Reading
Nationwide Peanut Butter Recall — Potential Class Action Based On Salmonella Typhimurium Exposure?
The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on January 30, 2009, confirmed numerous outbreaks of “illnesses caused by Salmonella Typhimurium” as a result of exposure to “peanut butter and peanut paste produced by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) at its Blakely, Georgia processing plant.”
Continue Reading
Stork Craft Baby Cribs Recalled as a Result of Suffocation Risk
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today is recalling approximately 500,000 Stork Craft Baby Cribs.
Continue Reading