Articles Posted in Product Liability

On Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that 24 cases of E. coli O121 have been reported in 15 states, including Pennsylvania, with one case linked to the Farm Rich brand of frozen foods. Although no deaths have occurred, one third of the cases have required hospitalization.

According to an article on CNN.com, illnesses related to this particular strain have been reported in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Of those who are sick, 78% are under the age of 22.

The New York State Department of Health was able to identify the strain of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O121 (STEC) in an open package of frozen chicken quesadillas that were in an ill person’s home. As a result, Rich Products Corporation has recalled over 196,000 pounds of Farm Rich Mini Quesadillas, Philly Cheese Steaks, Mini Pizza Slices and Mozzarella Bites produced from November 12-19, 2012.

This week, Subaru recalled 47,419 of its Legacy, Outback, Impreza, and models because they could start themselves without human intervention.

An article on CNN.com reports that if the key fob with remove engine start is dropped, it could malfunction and send a message to the engine to start on its own, without pressing the remote start button.

The recall includes Legacy, Outback and Impreza models produced from 2010 to 2013 and also includes Crosstrek models from 2013.

A new survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that the number of people going to the emergency room for treatment after consuming energy drinks has doubled nationwide during the past four years.

According to an article on NBCNews.com, from 2007 to 2011 emergency room visits involving energy drinks has gone from approximately 10,000 to more than 20,000. This is the same period of time when the drinks have received a surge in popularity in stores, bars, and on college campuses. Most cases involve teens or young adults.

Although the report does not say what symptoms brought people to the ER, it does mention that the drinks can cause insomnia, nervousness, headache, fast heartbeat, and seizures. The article says several emergency physicians have seen patients with irregular heartbeats, anxiety, and heart attacks after taking the energy drinks.

According to an article on CNNMoney.com, Subaru of America is recalling over 630,000 vehicles because water could get into lights on the side mirrors, possibly leading to a risk of fire.

The cars in the recall have “puddle lights,” or lights that shine down from underneath the doors to illuminate the ground at night when an occupant is entering or exiting the vehicle. But if the lights are exposed to “electrolytic moisture source”, most likely from water spray that contains road salts, the lights can short circuit, causing smoke or fire.

Models involved in the recall include certain 2009 to 2012 Subaru Forester SUVs, the 2010 to 2011 Legacy sedan, the 2010 to 2011 Outback wagon, and the 2006 to 2012 Tribeca SUV.

According to an article on CNNMoney.com, a popular baby recliner is being recalled by major U.S. stores after five infant deaths have been reported.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has said that the recliners have defects in the design that “pose a substantial risk of injury and death to infants.”

The recalled models include the Nap Nanny Generations One and Two and the Chill model.

The Associated Press has reported that Toyota Motor Corp. has reached a settlement with Toyota owners involving the acceleration problem in some vehicles. The settlement is worth over $1 billion, the largest settlement in U.S. history involving automobile defects.

Those receiving payments will include Toyota owners who said the value of their cars and trucks declined after a number of recalls involving claims that Toyota vehicles accelerated unintentionally.

The proposed deal has been filed and must be approved by a U.S. District Judge. The review should take place Friday.

This week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled approximately 95,000 of a small toy that absorbs water and can expand to nearly 400 times its original size after a report that a baby swallowed one and needed surgery to remove it.

The marble-sized toys are Water Balz (round shape), Growing Skulls (skull shape), H2O Orbs “Despicable Me” (round shape), and Fabulous Flowers (flower shape). They were sold in stores in the United States and Canada between 2010 and November 2012. They were sold in packages of six in green, yellow, red, blue, and black.

According to an article on CNN.com, if swallowed, the toy can expand and cause a blockage in the small intestine. To complicate matters, the toys do not show up on an x-ray. Surgery is required to remove the toy if ingested.

This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it is investigating reports of five deaths that could be associated with Monster Energy Drink.

In an article on ChicagoTribune.com, an FDA spokeswoman said the agency had received reports of five deaths and one heart attack that happened between 2009 through June 2012 that may be associated with Monster Beverage Corp’s energy drinks. The FDA said it investigates any report of injury or death that it receives.

Late last week, the family of a 14-year-old girl who died after drinking two cans of Monster Energy drink filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming that Monster failed to warn about the product’s dangers. The lawsuit says that after drinking two 24-ounce cans of Monster Energy in a 24-hour period, the teen went into cardia arrest. She died days later due to “cardia arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity” that complicated a heart disorder she already had.