Product Liability

Honda Recalls CR-Vs for Potential Fire Hazard

Published on: October 7, 2012 | O'Connor Law

On the heels of last week’s recall of over 500,000 Accords for a potential engine fire risk, Honda is now recalling about 268,000 CR-V SUVs because of a problem with the power window master switch that could cause a fire.

In a statement from Honda, the company explained that in severe conditions, rain water that might enter the driver’s side window can enter the master power switch. This exposure to water can cause an electrical resistance in the switch, which could cause it to overheat, smoke, and start a fire. Four switch fires have been reported, but no crashes or injuries.

According to an article on CNN.com, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the recall affects model years 2002 to 2006.

Pennsylvania Among CDC’s List of 23 States That Received Products from Drug Company Linked to Meningitis

Published on: October 5, 2012 | O'Connor Law

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have reported that patients in 23 states could have been exposed to medications that may be tainted with a fungal form of meningitis.

It is reported that 35 people in six states have a non-contagious, fungal form of meningitis. What is common among all the patients is that each had been injected with a steroid called methylprednisolone acetate, which is made by New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Massachusetts.

Officials say that approximately 75 medical facilities in those states have received products by the NECC. Pennsylvania is one of those states.

Honda Recalls Over 500,000 Accords

Published on: October 2, 2012 | O'Connor Law

According to an article on CNN.com, Honda has recalled about 572,000 Accord V6 models from 2003-2007 due to a potential engine fire risk.

The power steering hoses in these cars are at risk for leaking, creating smoke, and possibly sparking engire fires. No crashes or injuries have been reported so far. Only one engine fire has been documented.

Honda is also expanding on an earlier recall of over 50,000 Acura TL’s from 2007 and 2008 for the same problem.

American Academy of Pediatrics Warns Parents about Trampolines

Published on: September 25, 2012 | O'Connor Law

This week, the journal Pediatrics published an updated policy statement saying that although injuries from trampolines have been decreasing steadily over the past few years, there were 98,000 trampoline-related injuries in 2009, resulting in 3,100 hospitalizations.

In an article in CNN.com, Dr. Michele Labotz, a sports medicine physician and lead author of the statement, said that parents think, “Because the trampoline has this soft mat, kids can’t feel the impact. But they do.”

Common trampoline injuries include bruises, sprains, and strains. More serious injuries occur to the head and spine. And most accidents happen when a group of people are jumping together.

National Child Passenger Safety Week is Sept. 16-22

Published on: September 14, 2012 | O'Connor Law

Next week is National Child Passenger Safety Week. Both the state police and PennDOT are encouraging drivers to participate in free child passenger safety seat checkups throughout the state.

There will be 141 fitting stations across Pennsylvania where parents can learn proper installation and use of child safety seats.

In a press release from PennDOT, Secretary Barry J. Schoch said, “Only about one in every four child safety seats are installed correctly, so we’re urging those transporting our smallest passengers to get their seats checked.”

Baby Floor Seats Recalled after Reports of Skull Fractures

Published on: August 17, 2012 | O'Connor Law

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has reported that nearly 4 million Bumbo Baby Seats are being recalled because of close to two dozen reports of infant skull fractures if a baby wiggles out of the seat.

About one million of the seats were recalled in October 2007 to add warning labels against placing teh seats on raised surfaces, such as tables or counters.

Since the 2007 recall, the CPSC and Bumbo International of South Africa have received reports of at least 50 incidents in which babies fell from Bumbo seats while on raised surfaces. Another 34 babies fell from the seats when they were being used on the floor. There have been a total of 21 reports of infant skull fractures.

Dishwashers Recalled for Fire Hazard

Published on: August 12, 2012 | O'Connor Law

According to an article on CNN.com, more than 1 million GE and Hotpoint dishwashers are being recalled after a series of fires.

The dishwashers were sold from March 2006 to August 2009 for between $350 and $850. All models have front controls and a plastic tub.

A heating element failure led to fire and smoke damage beyond the unit in seven cases that were reported. Three of the fires caused extensive property damage, but no one was injured.

Magentic Toy Maker Sued by Consumer Product Safety Commission for Continuing to Sell Product

Published on: August 6, 2012 | O'Connor Law

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has sued Maxfield & Oberton for continuing to sell their high-powered magentic “desk toys” called Buckyballs and Buckycubes, after reports that children have swallowed the magnets. Accidental ingestion of the magnets have caused multiple surgeries and lengthy hospitalizations for some children as the magnets can pierce holes in the intestines.

An article on CNN.com reports that although the CPSC is doing this to keep children safe, the makers of the magnet desk toys feel they have provided enough warning labels on their product, noting that the toys are marketed to “adults age 14 and above.”

Andrew Frank, a spokesman for Maxfield & Oberton, is quoted in the article as saying, “There are a half a billion magnets out there, and unfortunately there are some people who have misused the product.” Instruction that accompany the products include warnings to keep the magnets away from children, adn the company’s website has warnings posted next to the images of the products.

Over 220,000 Hyundai Sante Fe SUVs and Sonata Sedans Recalled

Published on: July 29, 2012 | O'Connor Law

On the heels of the Ford Escape recall, Hyundai has announced a recall of nearly 220,000 Sante Fe SUVs and Sonata sedans due to a potential problem with their air bags.

According to an article on CNN.com, the car manufacturer has recalled almost 200,000 of their 2007-2009 model year Sante Fe SUVs. In the event of a crash, the front passenger airbags may not deploy because of a possible problem with the occupant classification system. This is the system that determines if the air bag should be deployed based on the size of the passenger. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the system may need to be recalibrated to detect “small statured adults.”

The recall also includes more than 22,000 Sonata sedans from the model year 2012-2013. According to the administration, the curtain side airbags may inflate for no apparent reason because of a manufacturing error.