Kansas Personal Injury Blog

Remaining Heparin Sodium Vial Products Recalled by Baxter

Jenny Albano — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:26:51 GMT

Baxter International Inc., in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling all remaining lots and doses of heparin sodium vial products, including all multi-dose, single-dose vials and HEP-LOCK heparin flush products. The company recently recalled nine lots of the heparin sodium injection multi-dose vials as a precaution due to more than normal reports of adverse reactions from the product. Production was suspended earlier in February.

Given the widespread use of this blood thinner and the impact a product shortage would have on operating rooms, dialysis centers and other critical care areas, the FDA and Baxter concluded that removing additional lots and doses of Baxter's heparin from the market earlier would have created more risk to patients requiring heparin therapy than the increased potential for experiencing an adverse reaction. Accordingly, the FDA and Baxter decided not to recall all Baxter heparin vial products at that time. The FDA has now concluded that there is sufficient capacity on the part of other suppliers that Baxter's recall will not jeopardize access to this drug, and has told Baxter that the company can now proceed with recalling its remaining heparin sodium injection and heparin flush products.

Even though most consumers who experienced adverse side effects took the multi-dose products, Baxter wants to make sure that consumers are safe and is now recalling all remaining heparin sodium injection and heparin flush products that are still being sold.

In addition to the 100 units/mL, 10 mL, and 30 mL multi-dose vials that were already recalled, the company is adding the following:
the remaining lots of those products and heparin sodium injection 5000 units/mL 10mL multi-dose vials, heparin sodium injection 10,000 units/mL 4mL multi-dose vials, heparin sodium injection 1000 USP units/mL, 5000 USP units/mL, and 10,000 USP units/mL single-dose vials, and all HEP-LOCK and HEP-LOCK U/P, 10 USP units/mL and 100 USP units/mL vials, both preserved and preservative-free.

This recall does not involve Baxter's heparin pre-mix IV solutions in bags: heparin sodium in 5% dextrose injection and heparin sodium in 0.9% sodium chloride injection.

Almost all adverse side effects reported by consumers have involved three specific areas of the product's use - renal dialysis, invasive cardiovascular procedures and apheresis procedures. To see a list of adverse side effects click here. Consumers have been advised to stop using these recalled products and segregate the product for the rest of its inventory.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Harry and David is Recalling Their Giant Cashews Because of Undeclared Peanuts and Other Nuts

Jenny Albano — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:33:01 GMT

Harry and David, in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling around 2130 boxes of their 4.oz Harry and David Giant Cashews because because they may contain mixed nuts. Consumers who have an allergy to these nuts (peanuts, almonds, pecans and/or Brazil nuts) may have a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

Harry and David is recalling all 4 oz. boxes of Giant Cashews with lot codes 2507 MSL 15:00 through 2507 MSL 18:00 and a use by date of 6/28/08. The lot code and use by date are ink jetted on the bottom of the box. Affected boxes also can be recognized by the price sticker on the bottom, or lower portion of the back, of the box. The price sticker states "Nuts Mixed Nuts Box 4oz". These products are packaged in 4 oz. paperboard boxes with bags of metalized film containing nuts inside. The boxes are olive green with a pale green design in the background.

The recalled product was sold nationwide in Harry and David Stores beginning November 16, 2007. So far the company has not received any reports of illness.

The problem happened when there was a product changeover. When the cashews were being packaged, some of the mixed nuts, which were packaged right before the cashews, got mixed in with 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

Lawsuit Over Lead in Thomas Toys Settled for $30 Million

Jenny Albano — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:14:23 GMT

RC2 Corp., the maker of Thomas & Friends Wooden Railways toys, has settled a class-action suit about last year's recalls because of lead paint for $30 million. The settlement, which received preliminary approval in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., calls for reimbursements for all its consumers and improved safety.

Consumers can be reimbursed in cash for the recalled toys or they can receive a replacement and bonus toy. Customers who do not have the recalled toys and proof of purchase can receive $15 coupons.

The Thomas recall -- covering 1.5 million toys in June followed by 200,000 in September -- was the first to raise global concerns about excessive levels of lead paint in toys made in China. In the 12 months ended Sept. 30, 19 of 61 U.S. toy recalls were because of lead paint, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says.

Before the recalls RC2 had some quality controls but relied on what Chinese manufacturers told it. According to the settlement RC2 must improve testing and auditing of materials, better communication, and make sure contract manufacturers meet their standards.

Since the recall, RC2 has dropped the Chinese manufacturer. The company previously did random testing quarterly or twice a year, like many other companies do. RC2 has now increased testing of materials and toys, set stricter standards for manufacturers and paint suppliers, and increased random inspections and audits. The company also now requires lab test results for every batch of wet paint.

Final court approval of the RC2 settlement is expected in May.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Medical Couple May Have Contributed to 56 Overdose Deaths

Jenny Albano — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 15:52:11 GMT

A doctor and his wife are thought to have caused the overdose deaths of at least four patients by prosecutors. The couple will remain in jail because they are a flight risk, a federal magistrate ruled Friday.

Dr. Stephen J. Schneider and his wife, nurse Linda K. Schneider, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court to counts including conspiracy, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, health care fraud, illegal monetary transactions and money laundering.

The couple has not been charged with killing any of their patients but they are still being held in prison because they pose a danger to the community. U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Bostwick stated that even if Schneider was ordered to not practice medicine there was no way the court could police that stipulation.

The clinic that the Schneider's work in has been under investigation for a few years by the feds and in September was raided. Prosecutors claim that the couple continued to commit fraud while they knew their clinic was being investigated.

According to the indictment, 56 of the doctor's patients have died from accidental prescription drug overdoses in the past five years. However, the indictment alleges that only four of the deaths were directly caused by drugs prescribed by Schneider's clinic in Haysville, south of Wichita.

According to Linda's sister there are five doctors at the clinic that treat patients and insurance companies frequently put Schneider's name on the patient records even if he did not treat them and they were not his patients.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

RC2 Recalls Children's Feeding Seats Due to Fall Hazard

Jenny Albano — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:04:05 GMT

The RC2 Corp., in conjunction with the CPSC, is recalling about 100,000 The First Years Newborn-to-Toddler Reclining Feeding Seats because the restraining straps can pull out of the waist strap slots, which poses a fall hazard to young children and toddlers.

The First Years Newborn-to-Toddler Reclining Feeding Seat can be adjusted between reclining and upright positions. The seat includes a tray, reversible cushion and a three-point safety belt. One side of the seat cushion has a sewn-in label at the top which says "the first years by Learning Curve." This recall includes all feeding seats except those with an "R" stamped inside a raised circle located on the far left and right of the back of the seatback or those with waist strap slots that are nine inches apart.

So far the company has received 38 reports of the straps of the chair pulling out or nearly pulling out of the waist strap slots and there have been 12 reports of young children falling out of their First Years Newborn-to-Toddler Reclining Feeding Seats.

The product was available in retail stores across the U.S. from October 2006 to November 2007. The chairs were manufactured in the United States.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Worker Dies At Kansas Steel Plant

Matthew Bergmann — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:45:34 GMT

A man from Osage City, Kansas, died Wednesday afternoon after a work accident at a steel plant. Today, investigators began looking into the details of the accident and how the fatality occured.

The man killed has been identifed as Johnnie Dorsey, 50. Dorsey served as a production assistant at Schuff Steel in Ottawa, Kansas, and had been on the job approximately one month. Little is known, at this time, about how the accident occured, but Dorsey was taken to a local hospital where he later died.

The Kansas office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is currently invesigating the matter, but additional information regarding the accidnet or Dorseyhas not been released. Inital reports indicate that police officers were summoned to the plant about 1 p.m. on Wednesday. However, officers did not investigate because an industrial accident had occured, not a crime.

Schuff Steel fabricates structural steel for sports stadiums, skyscrapers and other larger construction projects. The plant is closed today and Friday so that officials can continue to invesigate Dorsey's death.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Workplace Injuries and Workers Compensation

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Matthew Bergmann

Many Halloween Toy Recalls Question CPSC's Ability

Jenny Albano — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:48:20 GMT

In the past month the CPSC has recalled numerous Halloween toy products saying they are unsafe for children. Now the government is saying the the recalls aren't enough to secure consumer safety, they want new measures to protect people from foreign imported products.

The recalls include 142,000 purple witch buckets because of excess lead in the surface paint, 55,000 candy-filled skull pails because of the lead problem, 120,000 "Creepy Cape" costumes, 97,000 Mr. Potato Head "Make a Monster Pumpkin" due to a choke hazard, 63,000 Frankenstein cups, and today's new recall- "Ugly Teeth" which were recalled due to excess lead.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other members of Congress have called for the resignation of the acting chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nancy Nord, and are proposing legislation that will, among other things, make it illegal to knowingly sell products that could be subject to a recall.

Those who want to change the regulations of the CPSC say that since trade has opened with foreign countries, regulations on imports have become much more lax and funding has been cut. Also, other countries may not have the same standards when it comes to safety practices for manufacturing. These problems make it hard to know items are safe to use.

The problem with recalls has become so widespread that some parents have been buying lead-testing kits at hardware stores and completing their own analyses of their children's toys at home.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Toy Rakes Recalled for Lead Hazard

Chrissie Cole — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 23:30:51 GMT

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores announced a toy recall of children's toy rakes, made in China. The surface paint on the handles can contain excessive levels of lead paint, a violation of federal lead paint standards.

The recalled toys have a tag attached to the handle that says "Robbie Ducky Garden Collection Rake."

Consumers are advised to take the recalled toys away from children immediately and return them to Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Jo-Ann Stores Inc. toll-free at (888) 739-4120, option 7, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email them at guest.services@jo-annstores.com, or visit the firm's Web site at www.joann.com.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Wichita Woman Injured In Car Accident

Tom Warner — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:40:18 GMT

A Wichita woman was injured in a car accident last week when the van she was driving collided with a pickup truck. The crash occurred on highway 254 when the driver of the pickup attempted to pass the van.

The pickup was driven by a 16-year-old from Benton.
The driver of the van, Elaine Hauser, 62, of Wichita, then lost control, causing the van to roll two full turns before coming to rest in the field beside the highway.
Hauser was taken to St. Francis Hospital in serious condition, with facial cuts and cuts to the head. The driver of the pick-up was not injured.

Authorities said the wreck happened around 11:45 in the eastbound lane of 254 between El Dorado and Wichita.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Tom Warner

Two Workers Killed On Kansas Highways

Matthew Bergmann — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:42:26 GMT

A hit-and-run crash south of Lawrence, Kansas killed two road workers and injured another early Tuesday morning.

The incident occured as road crews worked approximatley five miles south of Lawrence on US-59. Shortly after the crash, authorities were able to apprehend two suspects after a 12 mile chase along US-56 in Osage County. Two women from Washington State are currently being held in custody for their alleged involvement in the workers' deaths.

The Kansas Department of Transportation confirmed the two individuals killed were Tyrone T. Korte, 30, of Seneca, and Rolland Griffith, 24, of El Dorado. Korte worked for KDOT as an engineering technician and Griffith was an employee of Towanda-based Dustrol Inc., a firm that contracted with the state to do repavement work on US-59. Amanda Hopper, 21, of El Dorado, was listed as the injured worker. She was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where she was treated, then released.

The two women who were arrested were identified as Ramona I. Morgan, 48, and Sabrina J. Morgan, 26, both of Chewelah, Wash. The elder Morgan was the truck's driver, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported.

The crash occurred at 9:40 a.m. near the Pleasant Hill ridge in an area where resurfacing work was being done. Officials said that a pickup truck was traveling south on US-59 when it struck the pedestrian flagger. The truck then continued into the construction zone, ignoring traffic control, and struck the two fatality victims. The truck then exited the construction zone and fled, the patrol said.

Approximatley 1/2 hour later, a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper, who was responding to the fatality crash, spotted a pickup truck with front-end damage traveling west-bound near Overbrook, Kansas. After attempts to pull over the truck were unsuccessful, a chase ensued and spike strips were ultimately by authorities to disable the vehicle. Morgan and Morgan where then taken into custody and booked into the Osage County Jail.

A preliminary appearance for Morgan and Morgan is scheduled for this week in Osage County District Court.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Worksite Injuries and Workers Compensation.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Matthew Bergmann