Defective & Dangerous Products | InjuryBoard Milwaukee

The Chinese government has recently taken some radical steps to shore up the reputation of its exports, including the execution of its chief food and drug regulator and the shutting down of three companies linked to putting poisonous ingredients in medicine and pet food. The Chinese government's actions may prompt some change there, but they do little for an injured consumer here, which led...

The continued presence of dangerous Magnetix toys on store shelves despite two recalls has led to serious injuries to children, and lawsuits against MEGA Brands, Rose Arts and toy store retailers carrying Magnetix toys, a New York Times story reports today. Bowel perforation injuries from magnet ingestion have often occurred because the symptoms are nonspecific and not recognized until the...

Millions of Americans enjoyed fireworks displays yesterday. But I suspect that some families today are struggling with the aftermath of injuries from fireworks. It's not just those foolish enough to buy and use these products themselves. It's the danger of fireworks to bystanders that gives cause for concern. Bystanders are more often injured by fireworks than operators themselves. A...

The widely used drugs Avandia and Avandamet significantly increase the heart attack risk for type II diabetes patients according to an alarming report published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The maker of Avandia (also known as rosiglitazone) is GlaxoSmithKline. The firm's own study found a 30 percent increased risk of heart attack, and turned the results of it study over to the U.S....

The Associated Press has published a startling report about brain injury and death of schoolchildren due to pesticide spraying near schools. The report focuses on California, one of eight states that require a buffer zone around schools to protect children from "pesticide drift". There there were 590 pesticide-related illnesses at schools from 1996 to 2005, according to state records obtained...

The Consumer Product Safety Commision and Evenflo, Inc. have announced the recall of the Evenflo Embrace Infant Car Seat Carriers. The recall comes in the wake numerous reports of the handle on the car seat/carriers unexpectedly releasing, resulting in 160 injuries to children, including a skull fracture, concussions, cuts, scrapes and bruises.The recalled units are described as follows:The...

The Bush administration's nomination of Michael Baroody to head the Consumer Products Safety Commission is up for hearing before the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance and Automotive Safety.Baroody's nomination is being opposed by a coalition of eight consumer groups,including Consumers Union and Public Citizen. Public Citzen President Joan Claybrook explains the...

Academic studies have shown a strong connection between the food flavoring diacetyl and the rare but life threatening disease bronchiolitis obliterans that has disproportionately hit workers who handle diacetyl in the manufacture of microwave popcorn and food flavorings. In fact, bronchiolitis obliterans has has been nick-named "popcorn workers" disease. Flavoring manufacturers have already...

I wrote last November about a recall of Polly Pocket magnetic toys, which were being swallowed and injuring children. Now, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a stronger warning to parents about children swallowing magnetic toys in the wake of reports of hundreds of emergency room visits by children, many requriing surgery, and one death caused by ingestion of parts from these...

Nail guns are easy to use, but not necessarily easy to use safely. Today's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report issued by the Center for Disease Control reveals that over the five year period between 2001 - 2005, emergency departments saw 37,000 patients annually for nail gun injuries. This represents a remarkable surge in the occurrence of nail gun injuries, particularly in the consumer...

It was revealed today that the recalled pet food is contaminated with rat poison. the specific substance is known as aminopterin, a drug once used to fight cancer and to induce abortions. No explanation has been provided for how the substance got into the pet food manufactured by Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada. Whatever its source, the contamination has resulted in the deaths of at least 18...

It was revealed today that the recalled pet food is contaminated with rat poison. the specific substance is known as aminopterin, a drug once used to fight cancer and to induce abortions. No explanation has been provided for how the substance got into the pet food manufactured by Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada. Whatever its source, the contamination has resulted in the deaths of at least 18...

The recall of salmonella contaminated peanut butter has been expanded to products manufactured since December 2005. Also, ConAgra has disclosed that it sent bulk peanut butter to another plant where it was mixed into other products.The FDA has issued the following notice warning about contaminated peanut butter ingredients in the following products:Consumers who have any of the products listed...

A federal court jury in Louisville, Kentucky awarded $10.4 million to a 25 year old Florida woman and her family for injuries sustained when their SUV pulling a U-Haul International, Inc. tow dolly jackknifed and overturned, rendering the woman paraplegic.The Burke family was moving from Indianapolis to Florida to start a new life and was driving though Kentucky pulling a 1999 Ford Contour on a...

Peanut butter contaminated with Salmonella has sickened at least six Wisconsin consumers according to the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. The six reported cases took place between September 5, 2006 and January 28, 2007, and sickened consumers in several Wisconsin counties, including Dane, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Washington and Winnebago. ConAgra Food's peanut butter...