Defective & Dangerous Products

• Icy Hot Heat Therapy Products Recalled Due to Skin Irritation and Burns

  Jenny Albano | February 09, 2008 5:35 PM | 0 CommentsOmaha, NE

  Chattem, Inc., in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling Icy Hot Heat Therapy products, and some consumer samples that were given out for a limited promotional basis.Chattem is recalling these products because it has received some consumer reports of first, second and third degree burns as well as skin irritation resulting from consumer use or possible misuse of these products.The following...

• New Era Expands Nationwide Recall of Canned Vegetables for Botulism Risk

  Chrissie Cole | February 07, 2008 11:12 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced they are expanding a nationwide recall of canned vegetables for a third time due to potential Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) risk.C. botulinum produces the toxin that creates botulism which can cause life threatening illness and sometimes death. The affected New Era products included in this recall weigh between 6 and 7 pounds and...

• Baltimore Jury Awards $15.3 Million In Asbestos Case

  Greg Webb | February 06, 2008 5:15 PM | 0 CommentsCharlottesville, VA

  A Baltimore jury awarded seventy-three year old George J. Linkus $15.3 million dollars in damages after continued exposure to asbestos laced rope led him to develop mesothelioma. The company being charged is John Crane Inc., a sealant company responsible for producing the rope. Linkus worked for Key Highway Shipyard from 1952 to 1959. In 1954, he worked with the contaminated rope after being...

• Allstate Finally Begins Handing Over Important McKinsey Documents To Florida

  Greg Webb | February 06, 2008 5:12 PM | 0 CommentsCharlottesville, VA

  Last week, Allstate Insurance Co. handed over parts of the McKinsey Documents, a controversial set of documents that gives insights on how insurance companies determine rates, to attempt to appease the state of Florida. For some time now, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has sought the documents to supplement an investigation into how Allstate has set the rates on its homeowner...

• New Consumer Activist Report Shows U.S. Property Insurers Overcharging Policy Holders

  Greg Webb | February 06, 2008 5:04 PM | 0 CommentsCharlottesville, VA

  A report made by consumer activists claims the United States property/casualty insurance agency systematically overprices policy holders and underpays their claims. This report shows, in 2007, the insurers paid fifty-five cents in benefits from each dollar collected. The insurance companies are overcharging their consumers while cutting back on benefits and not fully paying claims. This new rise...

• CPSC Issues Recall On Red Toy Wagons

  Greg Webb | February 06, 2008 4:56 PM | 0 CommentsCharlottesville, VA

  Red toy wagons are being recalled by the U.S. Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and their importer, Tricam Industries, due to a violation in the paint lead standard. The recall is voluntary, although consumers are being asked to stop using the recalled products immediately unless instructed otherwise. The fifteen thousand affected toy wagons, manufactured in China, were sold for thirty dollars at...

• Toxins in Fish Sicken Many in U.S.

  Jenny Albano | February 06, 2008 4:26 PM | 0 CommentsPortland, OR

  The FDA has announced that there have been at least 28 reports of consumers getting sick from ciguatera fish poisoning. The fish that were eaten were harvested in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The first reproted case was in November and outbreaks of the illness were confirmed in Washington D.C. and St. Louis.Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include nausea, vomiting, vertigo and joint pain. In...

• Olivier brand Parmesan & Asiago Dip with Garlic & Basil Recalled Due to Contamination

  Jenny Albano | February 05, 2008 8:50 PM | 0 CommentsColumbia, SC

  Olivier Oil Products, Inc., in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling Olivier brand Parmesan & Asiago Dip with Garlic & Basil because it may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Symptoms of botulism include: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty...

• Baby Lotions, Shampoos, and Powder Can Expose Children to Chemicals

  Jenny Albano | February 05, 2008 7:24 PM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  According to a study, baby shampoos, lotions and powders may expose young children to chemicals that are linked with potential reproductive problems. The chemicals are called phthalates and can be found in numerous products such as cosmetics, toys, vinyl flooring and medical supplies. Phthalates are for stabilizing fragrances and making plastics flexible. The study found higher than normal...

• FDA: Anti-Smoking Drug May Pose Serious Neuropsychiatric Risks to Users

  Shehnaz Bhujwala | February 04, 2008 5:50 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  The Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory last Friday to alert health care providers, patients, and caregivers to new safety warnings concerning Chantix (varenicline), a prescription medication used to help patients stop smoking. Government regulators believe the connection between Pfizer's anti-smoking drug Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric problems is "increasingly...