Defective & Dangerous Products

• FDA Holds Hearing on Safety of Drug Coated Heart Stents

  Paul Kiesel | December 11, 2006 12:03 AM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  FDA reviews dangers of heart stents. Drug coated heart stents under review by governmental agency.Last week the FDA brought together a distinguished group of scientific experts for two days of hearings on the safety of drug coated heart stents. These small mesh tubes are designed to prop open diseased arteries which have been clogged by deadly plaque build up.Since the introduction of drug...

• Punitive Damages Remain the Most Effective Deterrent to Corporate Malice

  Patrick DeBlase | November 02, 2006 4:51 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  There's a lot of talk going on right now about the subject of punitive damages following an Oregon jury's verdict and the U.S. Supreme Court's pending review of a $79 million punitive damage award to the widow of a man who died of lung cancer caused by cigarette smoking. $79 million is a lot of money. At first blush it would seem like someone just one the litigation lottery. However, the...

• Bayer admits failure to discolose Trasylol risks

  Paul Kiesel | October 01, 2006 3:28 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  German drug manufacturer Bayer failed to notify the FDA of increase risks of death, serious kidney damage, congestive heart failure and strokes associated with taking the drug Trasylol.In yet another example of the Pharmaceutical industry's failure to provide complete information, Bayer acknowledged, this week, it "mistakenly" failed to notify the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) about...

• Scientific Panel Concludes Food & Drug Administration Needs Reform

  Helen Zukin | September 25, 2006 4:00 AM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  Blue ribbon panel criticizes FDA and calls for reform of agency. Drug safety monitoring needs complete overhaul. A blue ribbon panel of scientists issued a highly critical report on Friday, on the health of the FDA. The report, requested by the FDA after VIOXX, a much used painkiller, was linked to heart attacks, concluded that the FDA has a number of serious problems which need immediate...

• E. coli-infected Spinach Causes Deaths, Illness

  Elaine Mandel | September 19, 2006 4:05 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  Fresh spinach containing E. coli bacteria has caused sickness and death in 21 states. Over 100 people have gotten sick, and one has died. Now farmers, whose business has taken a hit, are upset that the FDA is warning the public not to eat fresh spinach.California farmers are protesting the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recommendation that people stay away from fresh spinach after one person...

• Crash Testing

  Paul Kiesel | September 17, 2006 8:30 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  Car Crash testing is critical to selecting a new car to purchase or lease. The moto "big car walks away" is often times true but an educated consumer can avoid serious personal injuries in a car crash.I have always been a fan of the moto, "Big cars walks away." As a personal injury attorney I see all to often smaller cars taking the "short" end of most car crashes. While there is certainly no...

• E. Coli Outbreak Linked to California Spinach Grower

  Michael Eyerly | September 16, 2006 1:36 AM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  Natural Selection Foods of San Juan Bautista, California issued a voluntary recall of all its packaged products containing fresh greens. The company, which also operates under the name Earthbound Farm issued the recall just one day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended against eating any fresh bagged spinach due to an E. coli outbreak that has so far caused one death and...

• Big Auto to Include Anti-Rollover Technology in Upcoming Models

  Patrick DeBlase | September 14, 2006 4:49 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  Today, the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that beginning with the 2009 model year, all vehicles must be equipped with "electronic stability control" (ESC). This feature drastically reduces the potential for vehicle rollovers. Auto makers typically do not chomp at the bit to introduce safety features in the vehicles they sell to consumers. Rather, it is governmental...

• Merck Releases Self-Serving Report about Vioxx

  Elaine Mandel | September 12, 2006 11:59 AM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  In response to the 30,000 lawsuits filed against Merck by people injured after taking Vioxx, drug maker Merck spent $21 million dollars to hire a law firm to do an "investigation" that found Merck did nothing wrong in connection with its testing, distributing and marketing of Vioxx. In 2004 drug maker Merck took its hugely popular anti-inflammatory medicine Vioxx off the market after clinical...

• Product Recall Issued for Children's Toy - The Learn-Around Playground

  Michael Eyerly | September 08, 2006 3:15 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls children's toy that poses risk of injury. A voluntary recall issued for the Learn-Around Playground Activity Center. Yesterday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall for the Learn-Around Playground Activity Center. The Learn-Around Playground is a multi-colored, plastic musical activity center geared to...