Connecticut Personal Injury Blog - Defective & Dangerous Products

Dick’s Sporting Goods Recalls Camp Stoves Due To Burn Hazard

Chrissie Cole — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:02:00 GMT

Dick’s Sporting Goods, in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced a voluntary recall of “Field & Stream” Dual Burner Camp Stoves because the gas could produce higher than expected flames which pose a burn hazard to consumers.

Also, if rainwater is collected in the burners, it can prevent proper ignition allowing gas to build-up and ignite unexpectedly.

To date, the company has not received any reports of injury.

The agency advises consumers to stop using the recalled camp stoves and contact Dick’s Sporting Goods for a free repair kit.

Involved in the recall are “Field & Stream” dual burner camp stoves – style number (#CEH00475).

The items were sold nationwide at Dick’s Sporting Good stores and on the company’s Web site from January to October 2008.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dick’s Sporting Goods toll-free at (888) 837-1380 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday; e-mail the firm at CampStove@rankam.com; or visit the firm’s Web site at www.dickssportinggoods.com

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Bunk Beds Recalled By Land of Nod Due to Fall Hazard

Chrissie Cole — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:55:00 GMT

The Land of Nod, in cooperation with the CPSC, voluntarily recalled 750 Cottage Bunk Beds because screws are missing from the upper bunk’s guardrails, which can cause the vertical slats to detach posing a fall hazard to small children.

To date, the company has not received any reports of injury but there has been two incidents in which the vertical slats detached from the upper bunk.

The recalled beds were sold in both white (model #s 236-519 and 188-174) and pine/honey finishes (model #s 459-410 and 172-596) and included a long and a short upper bunk guardrail, each of which should be secured to the inside of the upper bunk beds side rail with screws. Stickers bearing the model numbers are located on the inside of the lower bunk headboard.

The agency recommends checking that all screws needed to attach the guardrails to the upper bunk have been installed. If you find your bed is missing screws, you should contact The Land of Nod to receive new screws free of charge.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact The Land of Nod at (800) 933-9904, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Peanut Butter Recalled For Salmonella

Chrissie Cole — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:16:00 GMT

A string of peanut butter recalls has been traced back to the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). The latest recall includes all peanuts, peanut paste, granulated peanut and peanut meal made by PCA dating back as far as Jan. 1, 2007.

Hundreds of products have been recalled by food makers in the wake of this salmonella outbreak which has sickened 500 people in 43 states and may be linked to eight deaths.

PCA products are not sold directly to consumers but distributed to food companies and under private label. Peanut paste, made from roasted peanuts, is an ingredient found in many cookies, cakes and other products that can be found in the supermarket.

The FDA recently released an inspection report which outlined unsanitary conditions found at PCA’s Georgia plant – including mold and roaches – and confirmed the company shipped peanut products despite knowing they were contaminated with salmonella.

Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12–72 hours after infection and the illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment, but those with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness.

The FDA Web site maintains a current list of recalled peanut products linked to the salmonella outbreak.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Shiloh Farms Recalls Shiloh Farms Organic Unhulled Sesame Seeds

Jenny Albano — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:16:24 GMT

Shiloh Farms, in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling Shiloh Farms Organic Unhulled Sesame Seeds, 12-oz., because it may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstance, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. Consumers with the above symptoms should consult their physician.

This recalled sesame seeds came in a 12 oz blue and white 5" x 8" plastic bag with the company's logo and USDA organic symbol printed on the bag. The UPC bar code number is 047593303545 and Shiloh Farms and the address appear on the back of the bag. The organic seeds were sold from November 1, 2007 to January 25, 2008. The products with the lot code numbers 17503 and 17133 are the only ones being recalled.

So far the company has not received any reports of illness from the product. The problem was discovered when FDA testing found salmonella in a sample of the organic sesame seeds from one of the Shiloh Farms suppliers.

The recall affected 98 health food stores in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Arkansas.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Construction Worker Injured by Nail Gun Awarded $3.4 Million

Jenny Albano — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:31:56 GMT

A construction worker who was severely injured when a nail from a nail gun became embedded in his head was awarded $3.4 million from a Hartford, Connecticut jury.

Jerry Crutchfield, 51, of Hartford had sued toolmaker Stanley Works and Home Depot, which sold the nail gun, claiming they were partly liable for the injuries he sustained Feb. 3, 2003.

The jury stated that Crutchfield was 55% liable for his injuries because he was the one to fire the nail gun into metal instead of a wood surface. This action caused the nail to backfire at him. But nevertheless, the jury ordered Stanley Works and Home Depot to pay $3.4 million for their percentage of the liability. The two companies have not decided if they will appeal the verdict yet.

The assistant general counsel for Stanley disagrees with the verdict. He stated that the nail gun met industry standards and is used every day without injuries. Also, the case for the nail gun warns consumers to follow all instructions.

Crutchfield was doing carpentry in a church when the incident occurred. The 3 in. nail went through his cheek and into his brain, which has partially paralyzed him and causes him to have seizures.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Workplace Injuries.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Curious George Recalled Over Lead

Shannon Weidemann — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:00:57 GMT

Over 200,000 Curious George stuffed animals have been recalled because of too much lead in the paint used to make the dolls. The recalled stuffed animals were made in China, which has seen a string of recalls this year over product safety.

The Curious George dolls were sold form 2005 to 2007 in stores nationwide. The dolls were sold in five different models all with a plastic face. They came with an activity book.

The stuffed animals were distributed by Mattel. The company is offering a full refund to those who purchased them. Lead can cause injury and brain damage to those that have been exposed to it. Children are most at risk because of their developing bodies. The Curious George dolls had a retail price of around $15.

If you would like to read more about product recalls, please visit InjuryBoard's Defective and Dangerous Products information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Aqua Dots Toys Recalled Due to GHB

Shannon Weidemann — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:43:19 GMT

A children's toy expected to be on many wish lists this Christmas has been recalled because of a harmful side effect. The recalled Aqua Dots were made with the incorrect chemical and can metabolize into the "date rape" drug GHB if swallowed. There had been reports of children falling ill after ingesting the small beads that make up the toy.

Millions of units of the popular toys, which are sold as Aqua Dots in the United States and as Bindeez in Australia, were recalled in those countries as well as Britain, Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere this past week after children began falling sick from swallowing the toy's bead-like parts.
The recall is the latest in a slew of product quality scandals that has tarnished China's image as an exporter of reliable goods. The government has tried to shore up the country's reputation by increasing inspections, selectively punishing companies and launching a publicity campaign to boost quality.

China has confirmed that the chemical 1,4-butanediol was used as a coating on the toy an there was no objection by the toy's distributor. They were supposed to use the chemical 1,5-pentanediol but it costs more.

If you would like to read more about recalled products, please visit InjuryBoard's Dangerous and Defective Products information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Bravo! Recalls Select Poultry Products for Dogs and Cats

Jenny Albano — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:51:15 GMT

Bravo! is recalling some tubes of poultry products for dogs and cats because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes. Two of the products have the potential to be contaminated with both of the bacteriums, and one product may only be infected with Listeria monocytogenes.

Both Salmonella and Listeria are organisms which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and if there is cross contamination, in people, especially small children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people with Salmonella infection may only suffer short-term symptoms, such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Long term complications can include arthritis and other more serious ailments. Healthy people with Listeria infection may only suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

As of now Bravo! has not received any reports of illness from pets or in people. The recalled products were sold across the country and were sold through retail stores, through the Internet, or sent directly to consumers. The recalled pet food can be identified by batch ID codes located on the hang tag which is attached to the bottom of the plastic film tubes.

The products recalled include Bravo Original Formula Chicken Blend frozen raw food with the product numbers 21-102, 21-105, 21-110 and the batch ID code 236, Bravo Original Formula Turkey Blend frozen raw food with the product numbers 31-102, 31-105, 31-110 and the batch ID code 236, and Bravo Basic Formula Finely Ground Chicken frozen raw food with the product number 21-212 and the batch ID code 226.

The Bravo Original Formula Turkey Blend frozen raw food is the pet food that is only affected by Listeria. Also, other batch ID for these products are not included in the recall.

Pets are not normally affected by Salmonella, but if they are their symptoms are normally the same as humans. People can also become infected with Salmonella by handling contaminated food, so consumers should be careful when disposing of the product.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Chinese Car Crumples In Russian Test

James Sabatini — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 20:38:15 GMT

Add another Chinse product to the ever growing list of defective and unsafe products being made in China. A Russian car magazine recently sponsored a crash test of a Chinese made vehicle - Chery Amulet. The car folded like an accordian in the test calling into serious question the basic safety of the car. Click here for car crash video.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini

Mattel Identifies Chinese Co. That Made Lead Tainted Toys

James Sabatini — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:50:07 GMT

Mattel Inc. on Tuesday identified the Chinese vendor that made nearly 1 million Fisher-Price toys that were recalled last week because they may contain lead. Mattel said Lee Der Industrial Company Ltd., located in Guang Dong province, made the 967,000 toys sold under the Fisher-Price brand in the United States between May and August.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini