Washington Personal Injury Blog - Defective & Dangerous Products

Diving Equipment Recalled Due to Drowning Hazard

Chrissie Cole — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:16:00 GMT

More than 20,000 sets of diving gear are being voluntarily recalled by Halcyon Manufacturing.

The over pressure valves (OPVs) in the diving equipment could fail allowing the buoyancy compensator devices (BCDs) and the diver lift inflatable devices to leak, posing a drowning.

To this date, there have been no injuries reported.

The recall includes the following: The Halcyon Explorer, Eclipse, CCR35, Evolve and Pioneer Buoyancy Compensator Devices (BCDs) and Halcyon Surface Marker Buoys (SMBs), Lift Bags, Diver Alert Markers (DAMs) Surf Shuttle and Diver Lift Raft Inflatable Devices.

The recalled diving equipment should be returned to an authorized Halcyon distributor or dealer for a free inspection and if necessary a free replacement of the affected part. In the meantime, the equipment should not be used.

Consumer Contact: Call Halcyon at (800) 425-2966 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, visit the company’s Web site at www.halcyon.net/opv-recall, or email the firm at techservices@halcyon.net

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Riding Mowers Recalled Due to Fire Hazard

Chrissie Cole — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:48:00 GMT

Kubota Manufacturing of America Corp., in conjunction with the CPSC, is recalling Kubota Zero Turn Riding Mowers because the carburetor can fail causing a fuel leak which can pose a fire hazard.

So far there have not been any reports of injury reported to the company or the CPSC.

Consumers are advised to stop using the mowers and to contact the company to schedule an inspection by an authorized dealer who can install a free replacement part.

The recalled riding mowers are propelled by gasoline V-twin engines and have 48-inch, 54-inch or 60-inch wide mower decks.

The following model numbers are included in the recall:

ZG222 (serial numbers 10002 through 13673)

ZG227 (serial numbers 10002 through 12957)

ZG327 (serial numbers 10004 through 13318)

Consumer Contact: For further information, contact Kubota Tractor at (800) 752-0290 anytime Monday through Friday.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Toro Company Recalls Electric Blowers

Chrissie Cole — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:29:00 GMT

The Toro Company, in cooperation with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced a voluntary recall of 900,000 Toro Power Sweep Electric Blowers and advises consumers to stop using the recalled blowers immediately.

The blower’s impeller, which is a rotating component on the blower, can break, resulting in pieces of plastic flying out of the blower. This poses a risk of serious injury to the user or a bystander.

To date, the company has received 162 reports of broken impellers, 28 of which include reports of minor cuts and bruises resulting from projected impeller pieces.

Included in the recall are Toro Power Sweep electric blowers - model number 51586 and serial numbers that range between 000055100 and 220255609.

Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the recalled products and to contact the company to receive a free replacement.

Toro Consumer Contact: (888) 279-3191 between 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday. Consumers can also visit the Toro web site at www.toro.com. The Toro Company has notified registered owners directly.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

BMW recalls over 200,000 cars

Don Jacobs — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:34:00 GMT

Because of a concern the front passenger airbag won’t operate properly in a crash, BMW instituted a recall of the 2006 3 Series, the 2004-2006 5 Series and the 2004-2006 X3 compact sport utility vehicle. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, small cracks can form in the seat detection mat and end up deactivating the front seat passenger airbags. According to the NHTSA, the air bag warning light and the passenger airbag on-off lamp would still remain on. If the seat detection mat fails to sense a person is sitting in the front passenger seat, it deactivates the airbag. BMW has alerted owners and is repairing the problem at no cost. Vehicle owners can contact BMW at (800) 525-7417.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Don Jacobs

Lotte Margaret Brand Korean Cracker Recalled Due to Undeclared Ingredients

Jenny Albano — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:00:16 GMT

Wang Globalnet, in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling all 19 gram packages of Lotte Margaret Brand Korean Cracker because they contain undeclared ingredients. The ingredients that were not listed on the label are eggs, peanuts, and milk allergens. People who are allergic or sensitive to these foods run the risk of experiencing serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.

The product comes in a 19 gram cardboard box marked with item#: 00438 on the top and a code date of 08.08.06.B2 stamped on the side. The recalled packages of Lotte Margaret Brand Korean Cracker were distributed nationwide in retail stores.

The product was discovered after the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors had the crackers analyzed by the Food Laboratory. The analysis revealed the presence of eggs, traces of sliced peanuts, and milk powder that were not included on the label.

So far there have not been any reports of illness or allergic reactions reported to the company or the FDA.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Cordis Balloon Catheters Recalled

Glenn Phillips — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:16:08 GMT

The Cordis unit was recalled Friday after the Food and Drug Administration determined the product could lead to a heart attack, surgery or death.

The Class 1 recall, the most serious type of recall, affects Cordis' Dura Star RX PTCA and Fire Star RX balloon catheters. The products were manufactured in Mexico from February 2007 to December 2007 and distributed worldwide from March 26, 2007, through Jan. 8, 2008. The FDA issued a notice on its Web site Friday.

'The product has a potential for slow deflation or no deflation of the angioplasty balloon when inserted into the artery or other blood vessels,' This may potentially result in a total blockage of the artery or blood vessels, resulting in a change in the heart rate or heart rhythm, injury to the heart artery, a heart attack, need for a surgical procedure or death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Glenn Phillips

Birth Control Patch Gets Updated Label

Jenny Albano — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:29:48 GMT

The FDA approved new changes to Ortho Evra Contraceptive Transdermal Patch's label on Friday, January 18. The label will include the results of a study that found that users who use the birth control patch are at a higher risk of developing blood clots, or known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), than for women who use birth control pills.

The study was conducted on women from 15-44 and illustrated the same results as previous studies.

In September 2006, FDA revised the label for Ortho Evra to warn women of the risk of VTE based on two epidemiology studies. One study, conducted by i3 Ingenix, showed that some women using the patch were at a two-fold greater risk of developing VTE. The other study, conducted by BCDSP, showed they were not at increased risk compared to women using birth control pills containing 30-35 micrograms of estrogen and the progestin norgestimate.

Ortho Evra is a prescription patch that releases an estrogen hormone and a progestin hormone through the skin into the blood stream. Women using this product will be exposed to around 60% more estrogen than those who use regular birth control pills containing 35 micrograms of estrogen. Increased levels of estrogen can increase the risk of side effects such as VTE. The FDA believes that Ortho Evra is safe and effective when used according to the labeling, which states that women with concerns or risk factors for blood clots should talk with their doctor about using Ortho Evra.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on FDA and Prescription Drugs.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Bodee LLC, Inc. Recalls Encore Tabs Due to Harmful Undeclared Ingredients

Jenny Albano — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:27:00 GMT

Bodee LLC, Inc., in conjunction with the CPSC, is recalling its dietary supplement product sold under the name Encore Tabs.

The drug was recalled after the FDA found that one lot of Encore Tabs contained a potentially harmful undeclared ingredient called aminotadala. Aminotadala is an analog of tadalafil, which is the main ingredient in Erectile Dysfunction (ED) drugs.

FDA maintains Aminotadalafil is close in structure to tadalafil and is expected to possess a similar pharmacological and adverse event profile. This undeclared chemical poses a threat to consumers because it may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin) and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.

Consumers who have health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. or heart disease generally take medicines that contain nitrates. The people often have problems with ED and may be more likely to take these supplements.

The recalled product was available in health food stores, on the Internet and through mail order in the U.S. and in Canada. The pills came in a 2-capsule blister pack in a large booklet with five individual booklets in a box. The FDA recommends that anyone using this product should stop taking it immediately and contact a doctor if they have experienced any adverse health effects.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Aqua Dots Recalled With Signs Of GHB

Glenn Phillips — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 09:30:24 GMT

Millions of Chinese-made toys for children have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found they contain a chemical that converts into a powerful date rape drug when ingested. Two children in the U.S. and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the Aqua Dots beads. With only seven weeks until Christmas, the recall is yet another blow to toy industry - already bruised by a slew of recalls this past summer.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Glenn Phillips

Bumbo Baby Seats Recall

Glenn Phillips — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:52:23 GMT

Some 1 million foam baby seats sold by Target Corp, Wal-Mart Stores Inc and other large retailers are being recalled because of reports of young children falling out of the seats. The safety agency said it received 28 reports of young children falling out of the seats, including three who suffered skull fractures because the seats had been placed atop tables. Consumers should contact Bumbo to obtain new warning label stickers and instructions for the recalled baby seats and should never use the infant seat on a table, counter top, chair or other elevated surface, the agency said. On its Web site, Bumbo said it temporarily stopped selling the baby seat until safety packaging can be updated.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Glenn Phillips