Articles Posted in Defective Products

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Deployed driver's airbag subject of Do Not Drive warningAbout 10 years ago, U.S. drivers were hit with the largest automotive recall in this country’s history over defective Takata airbags. Today, those who ignored that recall notice are receiving a “Do Not Drive” warning for certain popular Honda and Acura models.

The warning, which affects millions of vehicles, states that the airbags in certain older model cars, including Honda’s popular CR-V and Civic models, can explode when deployed after long-term exposure to high temperatures and humidity. The inflators in these airbags are at least 20 years old and have a 50-50 chance of erupting in even minor collisions causing serious injury and/or death. To learn more and to see if your car is among the models affected, read “’Do Not Drive’ Recall on 2 of NJ’s Most Popular Vehicles.”

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Stroller recall; baby in strollerParents and caregivers who have purchased a Mockingbird stroller between March 2020 and September of this year can expect to receive a letter from the manufacturer announcing a recall due to the risk of injury certain of these strollers pose to young children.

It was reported recently that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission had received numerous reports of the frames of certain of these strollers cracking, causing children to fall inside the strollers and risking injury. Parents are urged to stop using these strollers immediately. To learn if your stroller is one of the affected ones read, “Stroller recall: Nearly 150K strollers recalled sue to this hazard.”

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Beverage-recall-PI-blog-300x200Before you put the finishing touches on your menus for the upcoming holidays, check recent recall notices to make sure everything you’ve included is safe for you and your guests to consume.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a voluntary recall of several popular beverage products distributed under the Minute Maid and Coca-Cola brands. The recall affects eight eastern states, including New Jersey, and was issued after these products were found to contain metal fragments. Exposure to the contaminated products could result in temporary medical problems. To see a list of the affected products, read “Metal Found In These Drinks Forces FDA Recall in CT, NY, NJ, PA.”

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Pain-Suffering-PI-blog-300x200When a person is injured as the result of another person’s negligence, their recourse is to seek damages for pain and suffering through a personal injury claim. However, “pain and suffering’ is subjective and difficult to quantify so, how are personal injury settlements calculated?

Determining a fair compensation requires looking at a number of factors, including the extent of medical bills incurred, the length of the expected recovery period, potential loss wages during that recovery period, and the emotional toll such injuries may take. While many of these factors will vary on a case-by-case basis, there are formulas that can help you gauge whether the settlement being offered is a fair one. To learn more read, “How To Determine The value of Pain and Suffering for Personal Injury Claims.”

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Quality Control stamp signifies a product has been tested for safety before being sold to consumersMost consumers assume that before a product hits the store’s shelf it has been tested and has met established safety standards. Not necessarily.

According to a recent Consumer Reports article, the Consumer Protection Safety Commission oversees some 15,000 product categories; however, only about 70 of those categories are required to meet a mandatory safety standard, meaning they must comply with federally established safety requirements. The rest of the product categories are subject to voluntary, rather than mandatory, safety standards. Manufacturers of these products sometimes comply with the voluntary standards and sometimes they do not.

One way consumers can protect themselves against purchasing hazardous protects is to read the product label, although the references on these labels may not be clear. For explanations of some of the more common references and other ways you can tell if a product has been vetted, read “Is This Safe to Buy? How Dangerous Products Get—and Stay—on the Market.”

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baby_food_contaminiation_AdobeStock_84134860-300x214Parents take the responsibility for protecting their children seriously in everything they do from baby-proofing their homes to carefully choosing age-appropriate clothes and toys. But what about when it comes to food? Most parents today rely, at least in part, on prepackaged baby foods and may be surprised to learn that, in addition to pureed carrots, peas, applesauce and the like, some baby foods on the market today also contain toxic elements like arsenic and lead.

A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee report recently revealed the existence of surprisingly high levels of heavy metals like arsenic and lead in some baby foods made and sold by various baby food manufacturers. This report prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a statement announcing its plans to limit the levels of heavy metals contained in baby foods and reminding baby food companies of their responsibility to consider the health dangers these elements pose. Some people are asking if the FDA’s actions are enough. Read “FDA Pledges to Take Action on Heavy Metals in Baby Food” to learn more.

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hand_sanitizer_AdobeStock_327266102-300x169Frequent and thorough handwashing is one of the activities said to be an important step in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19. And when you don’t have access to soap and water, using a hand sanitizer is the next best thing — or is it?

While hand sanitizers may help stop the spread of germs, it has been reported that certain hand sanitizers contain potentially life-threatening chemicals which can be harmful when ingested or absorbed through the skin. Initially, consumers were warned to avoid hand sanitizers containing methanol. More recently, that list was expanded to also include those that contained 1-propanol.

For more details on what to look for – or avoid – when shopping for your hand sanitizers, read “FDA warns about new hand sanitizer ingredient, expands list of dangerous products to 149.”

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infant-sleeper-recall-400-06394336d-300x214A recall of inclined infant sleepers earlier this year illustrates the need for parents to not only heed the recall warnings themselves, but also to make sure their children’s caretakers are doing likewise.

In early April, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall affecting some 5 million Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleepers and another approximately 700,000 similar inclined sleepers from Kids II after the products had been linked to more than 50 infant deaths. Yet, despite the recall, some daycare centers were found to still be using these sleepers.

The recall system in this country puts the burden on consumers to make sure they receive alerts about recalls and product defects. Registering the products upon purchase will ensure receipt of recall information, but this doesn’t help consumers or daycare centers that use secondhand equipment. Until the method for issuing recall notices is revised, parents are urged to keep the lines of communication with their children’s caregivers open. For more information regarding this issue read, “Dangerous Fisher-Price and Kids II Infant Sleepers Still Used in Day Care Centers.”

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cosmetics-warning-400-06517381d-300x200Do you know what’s in the cosmetics you or your children are using? Many people probably don’t take the time to investigate the ingredients in their cosmetics unless they experience some kind of reaction to a particular product. Even if you don’t have a visible reaction, though, your cosmetics could contain unsafe ingredients that could cause injury or illness over the long-term.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has urged Congress to update rules regarding cosmetics safety after issuing an alert advising consumers against using three cosmetics products sold through Claire’s Stores Inc. after tests showed these products contained asbestos, a recognized cancer-causing agent. The accessories company has disputed these claims. To learn more read, “FDA Warns of Asbestos in Claire’s Cosmetics; Company Disputes Claim.”

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toy-car-recall-400-05686527d-200x300Children love playing with cars, especially ones they can “drive” themselves. Toy vehicles present children with a great introduction to the rules of the road and the importance of mechanical upkeep. As adult drivers, we’re familiar with vehicle recalls for everything from airbags to tires and any number of other mechanical defects that could lead to injury. While some defects are more serious than others, adult drivers know the best response to a recall is to get the vehicle to the dealer or mechanic as soon as possible for repairs. That’s another lesson children can learn from one of the most recent recalls currently making the news.

Fisher-Price recently recalled thousands of one of its Barbie trademarked vehicles due to a faulty pedal. According to reports, the car continues to run even after the gas pedal has been released. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported as of yet due to this defect, but the toy manufacturer is urging parents to take the car away from their children until repairs can be made. For more details and information on how to have your child’s Barbie car repaired, read “Fisher-Price recalls 44,000 Barbie toy electric cars over faulty pedal.”

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