Los Angeles personal injury lawyer -

Defects can occur in just about any product, and as you’ll soon see, even the very chair you’re sitting on might be deemed unsafe.

Salt Lake City-based Intercon has announced a recall of their Sonoma Valley Swivel Top Bar Stools due to a potential danger these items could pose to users.  Manufactured in China by Gaomi Yatai Wooden Wooden Ware and then imported by Intercon, around 2,350 stools in total are affected.

There are two models encompassed by the recall:  a 24” model and a 30” model.  Each of these models are wooden with a cream-colored cushion.  Although the stools have separate model numbers, neither type has the number displayed anywhere on the chair.

The problem has to do with the bolts holding the legs to the stool.  These bolts can loosen, posing a fall hazard due to the seat suddenly being dislodged from the legs.  One report of bolt loosening has been brought to the attention of Havertys Furniture Company, the exclusive retailer of this stool, but in that instance, no one was injured.

The items were sold between October 2010 and this past March for either $270 or $300.  Consumers can expect to receive a repair kit and free installation of the new bolts.

I know firsthand as a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer how many seemingly safe household items can be hiding a potentially devastating defect.  This is why I urge as a personal injury attorney in Long Beach that everyone out there pay close attention to recall announcements.

Another item is being recalled because of the hazard it poses to children.

The product in question is known as the Whoozit Starry Time Rattle, and it was imported from China by the Minneapolis-based Manhattan Group LLC.  These items pose a danger because the ends contain clear spheres that have a propensity to break off from the rattle.  Unfortunately, these spheres also contain tiny parts that a small child could choke on.  3,150 were distributed throughout North America, with all but 150 shipping to the United States.

The firm has received two reports of the rattle breaking, but thankfully those incidents did not result in an injury.  Concerned consumers can find the name of the product on the rattle’s hang tag.  They were sold at a variety of children’s product stores through the United States and Canada, where they retailed for around $15.  They were also sold at manhattantoy.com.  Affected rattles were available for purchase between September and March.

Concerned guardians are being advised to remove the rattle from a child’s presence as soon as possible.  The item can be taken back to where it was bought from by consumers in order to get a complete refund.

Recalls are always disappointing to a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer like me, but those that involve children’s products are particularly alarming.  Parents rely on the fact that what they give their children is going to be safe, as these youngsters aren’t able to look out for themselves the way an adult can.  I hope as a personal injury attorney in San Francisco that these items all get returned before a child gets hurt.

I have another recall to share with you this afternoon, this time concerning a clothing product that poses a hazard to the child wearing it.

The item being recalled is the Puma USA V-Konstruct Training Jacket with Pockets.  Manufactured in either Vietnam, China, or Malaysia, the jackets were imported by the Westford, Massachusetts-based Puma North America.  Around 5,000 jackets are affected by this particular recall.

Because these jackets have a toggled drawstring in the waist area, and this item is not stitched to the jacket’s back, the clothing is in conflict with a Consumer Product Safety Commission regulation issued in 2011 that governs drawstrings in children’s wear.  The drawstring in this product could get stuck in an enclosed space, thus creating an entanglement hazard for its child user.

Affected persons are being advised to look at the white care label to spot the recalled model numbers, which all have 6511020 as their first seven digits and 1 through 5 as the eighth.  The items were sold at clothing stores across the country between January 2007 and 2012.  They retailed from $12 to $55.

There have been no injuries reported as yet, and purchasers can return the items to the clothing retailer they were bought from to receive a refund.

As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I know this might not seem like much of a hazard, but the threat of entanglement must not be underestimated.  The CPSC issued their guidance for a reason, and I hope as a personal injury attorney in Bakersfield that everyone out there take this recall seriously.

You know you’re living in an era of widespread technological innovation when the Food and Drug Administration is instituting new rules regarding the advancement of nanotechnology.

Today, the FDA has issued draft guidance meant to govern how cosmetics companies and food producers implement nanotech.  Nanotechnology, for those that are unaware, is a fabricated material that is so tiny so as to be immeasurable by a common microscope.  Measured in nanometers, scientists can potentially create and further manipulate such materials in order to alter food packaging or cosmetic viability.

The first draft guidance issued is entitled “Guidance for Industry:  Safety of Nanomaterials in Cosmetic Products.”  It emphasizes the fact that nanomaterials don’t preclude the legal requirements already in place to make sure that cosmetics are safe.  It also goes further by saying that new or altered safety tests might need to be instituted in order to guarantee nanomaterial product safety.

The other draft guidance concerns food.  It tasks manufacturers with carefully consideing how nanotechnology could change the production process and affect the safety, identity, and regulatory status of the food product in question.  The FDA is also requesting that both food and cosmetic manufacturers consult with them before bringing nanotech items to market.

This is a brave new world for a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer.  As technology progresses, so must safety.  The constant outgrowth of product regulation is the only way to keep consumers safe, and I’ll be closely paying attention as a San Diego personal injury attorney to any breakthroughs made in this exciting new field.

Barbeque almonds are the latest item to get the recall treatment.

The product in question is Harry & David Premium Kansas Style Barbeque Almonds.  The items, which come in two ounce bags, may contain peanuts, an allergen that could cause allergic persons to have a severe reaction if they consume the product.  205 bags are affected by this recall.

The items were sold in ten states across the country, including right here in California.  They were available for purchase starting March 29 of this year, and their use by date is September 28.

Personnel discovered the peanut presence last Tuesday.  A third party supplier had shipped bulk product to Harry & David, and this bulk product contained peanuts.  The bags in question actually have the words “May contain trace amounts of allergens not listed in the ingredients.”  However, the company is being cautious and issuing the recall anyway due to the increased risk to allergic persons associated with the peanuts’ presence in the almond product.

Concerned consumers are being advised to subsist from consuming the almonds and instead to bring the bag back to a Harry & David retailer.  Harry & David will provide a complete refund on the product.

Allergens are a very serious threat to those who suffer a reaction from such ingredients, and as a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I hate to see an item compromised.  This recall shows that even a warning label isn’t always enough to protect consumers, which is enough to shock even a personal injury lawyer in San Diego like myself.

A long standing rule that forced motorcycle riders in the state of Michigan to always wear a helmet when on their bikes has been brought to an end.

Today, the governor of that state signed Senate Bill 291, which gives riders who are over 21 the choice of whether or not they want to wear a helmet.  If they decide that they do not want to wear a helmet while on a motorcycle, they must first meet a handful of criteria.  First is the aforementioned age limit.  The, they must also have more insurance than a rider with a helmet, and they must either have two years of licensed riding under their belt or pass a safety course.

30 other states have made riding with a helmet optional.  The helmet requirement has been on the books in Michigan since 1967, when the United States Department of Transportation provided additional federal funds to the state on the condition that such a law was in place.

The governor has said that he hopes that all riders make an informed decision when it comes to their protection.  A group called American Bikers Aiming Toward Education supports the new bill.  They pointed to statisticss which they say show no correlation between optional helmet laws and rising insurance premiums.

As a personal injury attorney in Long Beach, I find it important to keep track of what other parts of our country are doing to promote safety.  Whether wearing a helmet or not, I just hope as a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer that riders drive as safely as possible.

The Food and Drug Administration is doing what it can to prevent animals from becoming resistant to antibiotics that ought to help stave off infections.

For years now, various livestock producers have been using antibiotics to make animals such as cattle grow larger so as to improve food output, or else to improve feed efficiency.  The problem with this practice is that those animals can begin to develop a resistance to the very antibiotics meant to make animals healthier and heartier.  Therefore, when an animal actually does get sick, those same antibiotics are much less effective at curing the illness.

To combat this, the FDA today announced three documents that are going to be laying out new guidelines for livestock producers to follow in order to ensure the health of so-called food producing animals.

The first is meant to act as guidance in how producers can phase out the usage of such antibiotics.  It calls for veterinarians to be brought in to supervise the application of antibiotics in instances where animals really are sick.  The second document will advise drug companies on how they ought to remove from their labels statements touting their usage in food production, putting in its place information about veterinarian-assisted illness treatment.  The third is a proposal for how vets can determine how to efficiently permit antibiotic usage among animals.

I’ll be paying attention to this story as a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer.  This is a step that many activists have been trying to get the FDA to enact for some time, and no matter what happens, I just hope as a Fresno personal injury lawyer that it keeps humans and animals alike safe.

As part of a concentrated effort to reduce the number of injuries and fatal accidents occurring on area roadways, police officers in Santa Monica plan to make the enforcement of motorcycle safety laws a top priority in the near future.

Intersections where motorcycle collisions frequently occur and areas with higher concentrations of motorcycle traffic will be patrolled by a larger than average number of police officers, according to a representative of the Santa Monica police department. In addition to an increased focus on spotting and citing motorcyclists in violation of traffic safety regulations, police officers will also be on the lookout for motorists participating in behavior that might lead to a collision with a motorcyclist. The leading causes of collisions involving motorcycles are traveling at an unsafe speed, risky behavior when turning or changing lanes, and operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to law enforcement officials.

Between the years of 1998 and 2008, California’s motorcycle collision deaths increased from 204 fatalities to 560 fatalities, an increase of 175 percent. Since then the number of fatal motorcycle collisions per year decreased to 394 in 2009 and 352 in 2010.

As a Los Angeles car accident attorney, I hope the roads can be made safer for motorists and motorcyclists alike. If you or someone you love has been injured in a motorcycle or automobile collision, please consider contacting a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer.

I’ve already reported one bicycle-related recall to you today, and I’m sad to say that I have to now report another one.

This recall concerns 40,000 Topeak Babyseat II Bicycle Carrier Seats imported from Taiwan by a Massachusetts company called Todson, Inc.  The item in question was sold at various bicycle dealers all across the country as well as REI’s website.  Available between January 2009 until this month, the seats retailed from $140 to $180.

At issue is the hinge mechanism in the grab bar of the seat.  The mechanism has an opening that is wide enough for a child to put his or her finger into it.  If the adult taking care of the child fails to see that the kid has placed a finger into this opening, then the digit can get caught in the mechanism when the adult goes to lift the seat.  This could lacerate or totally sever the child’s finger.

Sadly, two reports have already arisen in which babies needed to get stitches and/or suffered a crushed finger injury.

To determine if your baby seat has been affected, check the model number on the packaging.  If it says TCS2100, TCS2101, or TCS2102, then cease usage immediately.  Todson will provide a free retrofit kit if you contact them.

As a personal injury attorney in Fresno, I find defects affecting children’s products to be heartbreaking.  Manufacturers need to be taking steps to keep children healthy, and if they don’t, then chances are they will soon be contending with a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer like me.

Darker colors such as black and navy blue are popular car colors that many consumers think will guarantee a good resale value, but safety experts say white is the best bet for avoiding an accident down the road.

When the outside light is dim, white cars are less likely to be involved in an auto collision, according to tests administered Germany’s Tuev-Nord agency.

International car crash statistics reveal the greater danger inherent in darker color choices.

Even in broad daylight black cars are the most difficult to see, and popular color choices such as charcoal and gray are not much more visible.

Lighter colors such as white and yellow more effectively reflect the ambient light, making them easier to spot in all conditions.

Pink cars are involved in the least number of collisions, according to a Swedish safety study. Research compiled by the Accident Unit at the Monash University in Australia, indicates that when compared to the average rates for white cars, black cars are 12 percent likely to be involved in a traffic accident, and gray and silver cars are not much safer.

As a Los Angeles car accident attorney, I hope that everyone will take every safety precaution possible behind the wheel, but some accidents cannot be avoided. If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto collision, please consider contacting a Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer.