Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog

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.