Defective & Dangerous Products

• Faulty Heat Defibrillators Lead to Multipul Shocks

  Glenn Phillips | October 16, 2007 3:44 PM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  More than 250,000 whose hearts have an implanted defibrillator, a device that will shock the heart back to its normal rhythm if there's cardiac arrest. But doctors say about a year ago the devices began to malfunction."Several months ago we had a patient come to us who experienced multiple shocks," a Dr. Zho said.Those shocks should happen only when a patient's heart rhythm is off. Instead, they...

• Toy Recall

  Glenn Phillips | October 04, 2007 3:23 PM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  Toys and children's necklaces made in China were recalled September 27th. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said that more than 601,000 toys and children's jewelry contain high levels of lead in their surface paint, and the necklaces and jewelry sets contain excessive lead in some of their metal parts. Under current regulations, children's products found to have more than 0.06 percent lead...

• Microwave Popcorn May Lead to Lung Damage

  Glenn Phillips | September 20, 2007 9:15 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  This chemical has been linked to lung damage in workers inhaling its fumes in food manufacturing plants. Its been approved by Food and Drug Administration but, hundreds of workers have sued flavoring makers in recent years for lung damage. Popcorn lung, or bronchiolitis obliterans, results from exposure to Diacetyl, the chemical used in butter flavoring in microwave popcorn and other food...

• Kroger Recalls Potato Salad in E. Coli Scare

  Courtney Mills | September 04, 2007 10:45 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  The Ohio Department of Agriculture in conjunction with Kroger Co announced a recall on August 31 of Kroger Brand Mustard or Southern-Style potato salad with a "Best if used By" Date of September 5th. A sample of the potato salads tested positive for E. coli.No illnesses have been reported as yet as a result of the E. coli contamination, but consumers are advised to discard any Kroger Mustard or...

• More Toys Recalled Due to Excess Levels of Lead

  Jenny Albano | August 22, 2007 6:08 PM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  Today, August 22, four more toys have been recalled due to a risk of lead exposure. Exposure to lead has been shown to cause brain and kidney damage, especially in children. Lead poisoning symptoms include, among others, nausea, headaches, constipation, seizures, and coma.The CPSC announced that SpongeBob SquarePants Address Books and Journals, Thomas and Friends and Curious George Spinning...

• Avandia and Other Diabetes Drugs Get "Black Box" Warning

  Jenny Albano | August 14, 2007 8:18 PM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  The FDA has announced that some Type 2 diabetes drugs will be given a "black box" warning, which is the agency's strongest warning, about the risk of heart failure. The upgraded warning states that the drugs may cause or worsen heart failure in certain diabetic patients.After a review the FDA decided that the entire thiazolidinedione class of antidiabetic drugs needed the warning added to their...

• Zelnorm an IBS Drug Taken Off U.S. Market

  Glenn Phillips | July 19, 2007 3:38 PM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  On March 30, 2007, Novartis has announced that it has agreed with an FDA request to suspend the marketing of Zelnorm which is a popular drug prescribed for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.A recent analysis of clinical trial data identified a small imbalance that was statistically significant in the number of cardiovascular ischemic events in patients taking Zelnorm. These events included heart attack,...

• Toothpaste Tainted in China

  Glenn Phillips | July 17, 2007 9:54 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  Sold in discount stores, Federal Health Officials had found out last month that tainted Chinese toothpaste entered the United States and that it is most likely to be found in these type of stores. In fact, the toothpaste has been distributed much more widely. Roughly 900,000 tubes containing a poison used in some antifreeze products have turned up in hospitals for the mentally ill, prisons,...

• Consumers Not Informed About Homeowners Insurance

  Glenn Phillips | June 18, 2007 9:15 AM | 1 CommentEverett, WA

  In a resent survey done by the NAIC, they recovered that 33 percent of U.S. heads of household, that own their own home and that have their own homeowners insurance, mistakenly believe that flood damages would be covered by the original homeowners or property and liability policy. After in spite of a widespread of media coverage on Hurricane Katrina victims whose claims were denied because they...

• DeWalt Cut-Out Tool Recalled

  Christina Cole | December 30, 2006 8:40 PM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  DeWalt has recalled approximately 81,000 cut-out tools. The cord wire may be damaged internally which can pose a shock hazard to users.The DeWalt cut-out tools are yellow and black and the model number DW660 is written on their nameplate located on the body of the tool. The recalled tools were manufactured between Jan. 2006 and Sept. 2006 and have date codes that range 200601 to 2006439....