San Francisco personal injury lawyer -

In an effort to curb costs, officials with the Food and Drug Administration may soon allow patients to get certain types of medications without having to worry about obtaining a prescription.

The new over the counter distribution method being considered by officials will encompass such drugs as diabetes and high blood pressure medications.  The FDA is hoping that implementing this new method will make things easy for those on Medicare, as these persons would no longer have to fret over the expenses that a doctor’s visit might create.  However, it should be noted that many people would still feel some type of added cost, as many insurance companies don’t cover over the counter drugs.

The new system would work by letting a patient obtain certain drugs by filling out a questionnaire at their local pharmacy or online.  Kiosks could be used to diagnose such conditions as allergies, certain infections, asthma, and more.

Some question the safety of this move, saying that the FDA ought to prove that such a system would not hinder patient care by the patients administering medicine on their own.  Comments are due to the FDA by May 7, at which point officials will review what has been said and make a decision.  There is no time frame on that, however.

I’ll be following this story closely as a San Francisco personal injury lawyer.  This could have far reaching implications for the entire country, not just a personal injury attorney in Long Beach like me.  No matter what decision is reached, I just hope it makes the country a little safer.

A recall affecting a large portion of Europe and possibly other environs has been issued by Ikea.

The recall announcement was made by the Stockhom, Sweden-based furniture chain regarding their 365+ Sanda Track 70 and 114 track lighting systems.  These items came from supplier 21338.  Around 95,000 units were sold from September until March of this year.  The majority of these lighting systems were purchased in the countries of Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Italy.

At issue is a component known as an earth connection.  This part has a defect that could cause the user to experience an electric shock should he or she come into contact with it.  Consumers who believe they might have this product are being advised to cease using the lighting system and to dismantle it at once.  Users should unplug the unit before making contact with either the track or the lamps.

Once the product has been unplugged, consumers can bring it in to an Ikea store to receive a free replacement.  Thus far, Ikea has not received any reports of injury relating to this safety issue.

This happened far away from a San Francisco personal injury lawyer like myself, but that doesn’t make the recall any less important.  You never know when a unit from overseas could make its way into our own country, or when a similar defect could make some other product dangerous.  I urge everyone as a personal injury attorney in Riverside to pay attention to recalls from all around the globe.

An item that is supposed to keep batteries charged is being recalled due to a safety hazard.

The Edison, New Jersey-based Sakar International announced the recall of the Digital Concepts Compact Travel Charger today after it was discovered that the item can pose a shock hazard to consumers.  The casing of the item can come apart, exposing the interior portion of the product.  This occurs because the plastic that holds the item’s screws in place can break.

Thankfully, there have yet to be any reported instances of this defect occurring.  The recall covers a whopping 48,000 units, all of which were produced in China.  Customers can tell if they have the affected item by looking at the white label on the AA or AAA battery charger.  If this label has the item numbers CH-1600S or CH-1600-RS, then it is one of the recalled units.

These chargers were available across the country at Cobra Digital, Ocean State Jobbers, Lot-Less, and perhaps most notably, Radioshack.  Retailing for around $10, they were sold from January of last year until this past February.  Customers should contact Sakar about a free replacement and cease use in the meantime.

I find it quite disconcerting as a San Francisco personal injury lawyer that so many thousands of products could be recalled in one fell swoop.  Recalls of this size are troubling because so many people can be injured by the item.  I hope as a Bakersfield personal injury attorney that these chargers get returned before damage can be incurred by a consumer.

A potential botulism risk has caused the recall of a variety of fish products imported into Minnesota.

The recall specifically concerns croaker, barracuda, big eye, and red snapper, all smoked and all available in a 10 ounce cardboard box.  The items were imported from Guyana by Import Foods Wholesale Inc., a St. Paul-based company.

The possible contamination of clostridium botulinum spores, which is what causes botulism poisoning, was discovered by officials at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.  The fish were not eviscerated properly, and the sale of fish longer than five inches that haven’t been cleaned correctly is strictly prohibited, as the botulism-causing spores typically present themselves in a fish’s viscera.

The effects of botulism are many.  Vision can be compromised, reflexes become poorer,  a person can become weak, it becomes hard to swallow, and botulism has even been known to be fatal if it causes a respiratory paralysis.  Anyone undergoing one or more of these effects should seek medical attention immediately.  Thankfully, there have been no reported illnesses as of yet.

The fish mentioned above was available in various markets in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota.  Purchasers of the affected items should not only not eat it, but return it to the place where it was bought.

I’m sad to see yet another product recall as a San Francisco personal injury lawyer.  Every day brings some new impediment to public safety, and I just hope that no one with the affected product gets hurt.  As a Long Beach personal injury attorney, I advise everyone out there to keep tabs on potential recalls and contaminations with any food item they consume.

The Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers to stop eating Crispy Cookies and Rusk produced by TWI Foods of Ontario, Canada.  Both the cookies and the rusk, which is described as a crispy type of bread,  may contain eight common allergens, including milk and almonds.  The label on the product does not list these allergens.  As such, a recall has been announced.

Consumers with milk and almond allergies should stop consuming the product, as ingesting the item might cause a severe reaction that could lead to serious injury or even death.  Less severe reactions could include hives, vomiting, swelling, loss of blood pressure, and respiratory difficulties.  Buyers are urged to contact their health care provider if experiencing any reaction.

The specific cookies included within the purview of this recall are pistachio, almond, and coconut.  The rusk was of the almond cake variety.  Although the items were produced in Canada, they were nevertheless distributed throughout 15 different states in America, including California.

Thankfully, there haven’t been any illnesses reported in conjunction with this recall.

As a San Francisco personal injury lawyer, it seems like every day sees a recall because of an improperly labeled product.  Such labeling undermines a consumer’s ability to keep themselves healthy, and it’s my hope as a Ventura personal injury attorney that such issues do not arise very often, if at all.

West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma Incorporated, of San Francisco, California, has issued a voluntary recall for approximately 10,000 of its folding chairs because they pose a falling risk. Chairs affected by this recall are fully assembled West Elm solid wood folding chairs sold at West Elm retail outlets across the United States, through the West Elm catalog and website from September 2011 to January 2012 for between $20 and $40 and available in chocolate, white, or red model colors, and purchased in packages of two and four as well as individually. When unfolded, the chairs measure 31-inches high by 19-inches deep by 17-inches wide. A label affixed to the seat’s underside reads “West Elm.”

The company has received at least 14 consumer complaints of chairs collapsing, breaking or cracking during normal use. Two users reported sustaining minor injuries incurred in a fall due to a collapsed chair. Owners of affected chairs should discontinue their use immediately. The product manufacturer is offering consumers of these recalled chairs a full refund of their purchase price.

As a licensed San Francisco personal injury lawyer, I hope information about this recall is spread effectively to decrease the risk that anyone else will be injured by this defective product. If you or someone you love has been hurt by a malfunctioning product, please consider seeking the legal counsel of an experienced Bakersfield personal injury attorney.

I have another recall announcement to share with you this afternoon.

Public Bikes Inc., based right out of our city of San Francisco, has announced a recall of 4,100 2010, 2011, and 2012 bicycles.  The bikes were available at a number of Public Bikes dealers across the country, including the company’s home city and 16 other states.  They were also sold online.  The bicycles in question were sold between April 2010 and January of this year, and they retailed anywhere from $500 to $1,250.

The problem has to do with the bikes’ pedals, which were imported from Taiwan-based Wellgo Pedals Corporation.  Cracks can form in the pedals, and if they break, the rider is in danger of falling from the bike.  Already, 24 cracking incidents have been reported to the company, although thankfully, there have been no injuries as of yet.

18 models of bike are affected by the recall, encompassing both men’s and women’s units.  The chain guard or rear fender should say “Public” or “publicbikes.com,” and the pedals should say “Wellgo” on the top and bottom.  If you own the bike, it is advisable to stop usage at once and contact a dealer to receive a free pedal replacement.

I’m sorry to see yet another recall as San Francisco personal injury lawyer, especially from a company that’s based this close to home.  People rely on these items to convey them safely to and fro, and as a San Francisco car accident attorney, I know how dangerous a defect can be if it occurs while the biker is positioned along a busy roadway.  Stay safe out there, people.

The Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to ensure that consumers are safe from drugs that may have been stolen from pharmaceutical companies.

It’s an issue that the general public probably isn’t all that aware of, and the FDA aims to change that.  They have instituted new standard operating procedures that pharmaceutical companies are required to follow in the event of a theft.  This includes a full report on the name of the drug, dates of expiration and manufacture, lot numbers, and storage instructions.  If a company fails to properly report missing drugs, then the FDA is now within their rights to issue a press release and a possible health alert through their Cargo Theft Response Team.

These measures are being taken to protect public health.  The FDA is concerned that stolen drugs will likely not be adequately stored and protected from safety defects, and if these items make their way to the public, the risk to safety could be great.  Reporting such theft helps to keep the public informed.

Last year, eight shipments of drugs were stolen, adding up to millions of dollars in damages.  This is actually down from 2009, in which 15 shipments were taken for an even greater damage amount.

As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I’m glad to see steps taken to preserve public safety.  Pharmaceutical drug theft is an issue many Americans likely don’t consider on a regular basis, and I hope that perception gets fixed.  I understand as a San Francisco personal injury lawyer how these issues affect the country.

Even as studies continue to be carried out and hypotheses tested, the Food and Drug Administration has come out and said that they can find no evidence that BPA would pose a danger to humans.

This issue has risen to the fore in recent months and years, with consumer advocates pointing to animal studies that they say showed an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and reproductive issues when animals were exposed to Bisphenol A.  The FDA, however, has said that after reviewing studies, they can find nothing that would suggest this damage would carry over to people.

BPA has been used to make plastics and small levels of it may be found in cans and plastic bottles.  As a result, trace amounts of BPA can be transferred to food and drink.  Hundreds of studies have been conducted testing whether this could be dangerous, but the FDA has said they have looked into these studies and concluded that a diet with these trace amounts of BPA would not pose a risk.

The FDA goes even further than that, as a matter of fact, taking to task a previous claim that infants are exposed through an inordinate amount of BPA in their foods.  They have instead said that in babies and adults alike, BPA gets metabolized and ejected from the body.

As a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, I’ve seen numerous people affected by dangerous chemicals.  No matter what the decision is on BPA, I will be paying attention as a San Francisco personal injury lawyer to examinations of all chemicals by the FDA and consumer advocates.

The Food and Drug Administration might soon be imposing stiffer rules on a certain medical device.

It was announced today that the FDA would meet on June 27 and 28 to consider whether or not they should require metal on metal hip implants to face additional testing if such devices aim to gain approval by the organization.  This comes on the heels of numerous complaints regarding the devices.

Many people have endured the failure of such devices over the past few years, leaving the implants with a reputation of having a higher than acceptable rate of failure.  Devices made from other materials have not broken at the same rate.In fact, the National Joint Registry of England and Wales initiated a study which showed that 6% of recipients of a metal on metal implant device needed corrective surgery, compared with the more commonly accepted 2% that is normal with ceramics or plastics.

Last May, the FDA ruled that manufacturers needed to provide more data on these devices to demonstrate their safety.  Studies have also shown that metal devices can increase the level of metal ions in the blood, which could pose a danger.  The FDA wants more information about this scenario as well.

As a San Francisco personal injury lawyer, it grieves me to see an entire product line possibly do harm to the very people it was meant to help.  I hope the FDA makes the right decision in their June meeting, but whatever their choice, the impact will most certainly affect many people, including a Long Beach personal injury lawyer like me.