Articles Posted in Product Liability

The reports of fungal meningitis linked to a steroid methylprednisolone acetate injected into back pain patients continue to increase.

It now appears that some 47 patients in seven states have contracted the disease but it is almost certain that the number infected patients will increase.  The public health officials of some 23 states have recovered potentially tainted steroid vials and are in the process of notifying patients that they may have received contaminated steroids.  Seventy-five different facilities were shipped the steroid solution.

To date, the deaths of five people have been linked to the substance.

The fungal meningitis outbreak first discovered in Tennessee has been traced to a specialized compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts.

The New England Compounding Center produced the injections that are linked to at least 26 cases of fungal meningitis in five states – Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Florida.  

New England Compounding Center is one of  approximately 3000 compounding pharmacies in the United States.  These pharmacies blend, liquefy or combine medications and supply them to hospitals or hospital clinics.

The fungal meningitis outbreak has expanded to 26 people in five states, each of whom received steroid injections.  Four people have died, including two Tennesseans.

Tennessee has the most victims (18) followed by Virginia (3), Maryland (2), Florida (2) and North Carolina (1).  In addition to the two deaths in Tennessee one person died in Virginia and another died in Maryland.

Meningitis is a infection of the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal court. Media reports indicate that Aspergillus, a mold commonly found outdoors, is the infectious organism impacting these patients. This type of meningitis is not spread by person-to-person contact.

BF Goodrich and Uniroyal, part of the Michelin North America tire company, have recalled more than 800,000 tires because of the risk of tire tread belt separation.

The voluntary safety recall occurred after quality-control workers noticed a report in problems with the tire  – some 150 tires were reported to have problems.  The tires were produced between April 2010 and the end of July 2012.

The tires being recalled are BR Goodrich commercial tires LT235/85 and LT245/75 and Uniroyal Laredo tires LT235/56 and LT245/75.  The tires are typically used in commercial light trucks and full-sized heavy duty vans.

Are you in the market for a new vehicle?  Are you interested in knowing the safest vehicles on the road?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released its list of the safest vehicles.   The IIHS ranks crashworthiness as "good," "acceptable," "marginal" or "poor" based on "performance in high-speed front and side crash tests and  a rollover test.  The group also evaluates  seat-head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts.  To achieve the Top Safety Pick designation, the vehicle must achieve the highest possible rank of "good" in all four tests.

Here is the list for 2012.

The Tennessee General Assembly has passed a law mandating that all rental campers and motor homes include a functioning carbon monoxide detector.  The failure to do so gives rise to an action for damages, including the recovery of attorney’s fees.

The law was sponsored by Senator Tim Barnes of Clarksville, Tennessee.  Clarksville was the site of a horrific incident on September 18, 2011 where five people died of carbon monoxide poisoning.  The victims were attending a function held by Bikers Who Care and thus the new law is called the "The BWC 5 Act" in honor of those who died.  The recreational vehicles involved did not have functioning carbon monoxide detectors. 

Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas.  Because it is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, the gas is very difficult to detect.  It is a product of gasoline-powered tools, heaters, generators and cooking equipment.  Carbon monoxide detectors are used to identify and warn about the presence of this toxic gas.

 Davol, Inc. produced the Kugel mesh patch to be used to repair abdominal hernias.  The patch, consisting of two layers of synthetic mesh surrounded by a flexible plastic “memory-recoil ring," is implanted at the site of a hernia. The ring then springs into place, allowing the hernia to heal and regrow around the flattened patch.

Unfortunately, there was a problem with the rings, and the product became the subject of recalls by the FDA in 2005, 2006, and 2007.  

Now, there is a problem with the mesh component of the product eroding into the organs of the patients and causing additional physical problems.