Graco & Simplicity Crib Recall

Simplicity cribs are once again being recalled after the death of a child. Simplicity cribs are being targeted by the CPSC as a danger.

A Massachusetts toddler suffocated in 2008 after getting stuck between the mattress and the frame. Another 13 incidents have been reported involving the tubular metal framed cribs bending or coming apart.

The cribs recalled include 217,000 Graco drop-side cribs made by LaJobi and fixed-side and drop-side cribs from Simplicity.

Simplicity full-size cribs with tubular metal mattress-support frames for both fixed-side and drop-side cribs pose a risk of serious injury or death due to entrapment, strangulation, suffocation, and fall hazards to infants and toddlers.

The frame can bend or detach causing the mattress to collapse, putting the child in danger.
The CPSC is urging anyone with one of these cribs to stop using them and find another place for their infant or toddler to sleep.

The safety agency said it does not know how many of these metal-framed cribs were sold. The China-made cribs were sold at chain stores nationwide including Walmart and Target for $150-$300.

Consumers can return these cribs to the store where they were purchased for a refund, credit or replacement crib. For more information please contact 1 877 MESSALAW.

AstraZeneca to pay $520 million over Seroquel

AstraZeneca will pay $520 million to settle claims it improperly marketed its anti-psychotic drug Seroquel, the Department of Justice said Tuesday. Under the settlement, the federal government will get $301.9 million from the civil settlement, and the state Medicaid programs will get up to $218.1 million.

AstraZeneca was charged with promoting Seroquel for such unapproved uses as anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and bipolar maintenance, and for unapproved populations such as children and the elderly, according to the Justice Department.

Toyota halts Lexus SUV Sales After Consumer Reports Warnings

Toyota Motor is halting sales of its recently introduced Lexus GX 460 sports utility vehicle after road tests by a leading consumer magazine showed the vehicle be susceptible to rolling over in accident-avoidance maneuvers.

On Tuesday, Consumer Reports said its engineers encountered handling problems at its test track that they believe could lead to real-world rollover accidents. Among the 95 SUVs in CR's current ratings, no other slid as far as the GX 460, CR said.

"We are taking the situation with the GX 460 very seriously and are determined to identify and correct the issue Consumer Reports identified," said Mark Templin, Lexus Group general manager, in the statement. Toyota said it will provide customers who have purchased the model and are concerned about driving their vehicle a loaner car until a remedy is available.

When subjected to a standard track test involving driving the vehicle through a turn as the driver lifts his foot off the accelerator, the rear of the GX 460 slid out until it was almost sideways before the electronic stability control system was able to regain control, the magazine said.

Toyota has suffered from revelations about several quality and safety issues since it recalled millions of vehicles last fall for acceleration problems believed to be associated with bulky rubber floor mats. Other recalls followed, including one for sticky gas pedals which led to the NHTSA fining Toyota a maximum $16.4 million for failing to act quickly enough in notifying the agency of the problem. Toyota has until Monday to accept or contest the penalty.

It remains to be seen how this latest issue will affect sales of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The world's largest auto maker saw its sales rise some 40% in March thanks to generous incentives, including zero-interest loans and cheap leases.

For more information, please call 1-877 MESSALAW

9/11 Still Wreaking Havoc on Firefighters' Health

Many rescue workers who spent months inside the cloud surrounding the ruins of the World Trade Center after 9/11 still suffer diminished lung capacity and might never recover from the damage their bodies sustained. 

Those are the results of a seven-year research project to track the lung health of FDNY rescue workers, published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings are a stark reminder of the toll that 9/11 continues to take on those who helped save lives and clean up the wreckage.

Researchers, tested the lung capacity of 12,781 firefighters and EMS workers -- 92 percent of all FDNY rescue workers at ground zero -- at regular intervals over the past seven years. All the study participants had arrived at ground zero between Sept. 11 and Sept. 24, 2001.

The team used spirometry testing -- an evaluation of how much air an individual can expel in a single breath -- as a gauge of lung function. By the end of the study, 13 percent of firefighters and 22 percent of EMS workers who had never smoked suffered from below-normal lung function.

While lung function dropped sharply immediately after 9/11, the new research indicates that it often continued to deteriorate. Even worse, there's no sign of recovery. Symptoms of diminished lung function can differ between individuals, but day-to-day problems can include difficulty inhaling and a chronic cough. Exercise is often out of the question.

And while firefighters are inevitably exposed to contaminated air and smoke, the lung capacity of ground zero workers is much worse than that of other veteran firefighters. Several studies of urban and woodland firefighters concluded that despite short-term lung damage they sustain, recovery usually occurs "within a matter of days."

FDNY has been running an ongoing medical monitoring and treatment program since shortly after 9/11, which includes free testing and medications for several ailments, including respiratory problems. Without the initiative, which is financed by millions in federal funds, "it's safe to say that the results could have been much much more serious," Aldrich said


For more information, Please call 1-877 MESSALAW

Continental and Nokia Collaborating on New Technology

Continental and Nokia are collaborating on a new concept that will enable drivers and passengers to seamlessly connect, display and control mobile phone applications via an in-vehicle dashboard display. The companies are working together to integrate a new technology, called Terminal Mode, into the automotive and consumer electronics industries. The collaboration between Continental and Nokia is designed to significantly improve the usability of services such as telephony, navigation, social networking and music in an automotive environment while keeping drivers focused on the primary driving task.

"With more than 100 years of experience delivering information to drivers and passengers, Continental is working with Nokia to identify ways to better integrate mobile devices and content into the car while keeping drivers focused on the road," said Kieran O'Sullivan, executive vice president of Continental's Connectivity and Infotainment Business Unit

Nokia is integrating the Terminal Mode ( TM ) protocol, which is in the final stages of standardization and co-created with CE4A, into future mobile devices. Continental also has identified a variety of approaches that would enable it to integrate Terminal Mode technology into its in-vehicle infotainment products.

Once Terminal Mode technology is embedded into a mobile phone and an automobile, a consumer will be able to connect their mobile device easily to the car using a high-speed USB 2.0 connection. When the device is connected, content that is visible on the mobile phone screen will be replicated, visible and can be controlled via the in-vehicle display or steering wheel controls.

Continental, Nokia and NAVTEQ are committed to providing better connectivity and services to the automotive industry and vehicle owners.

For more information, please call 1-877 MESSALAW

UPDATE, Baby Sling Recall

Lisa Cochran filed a lawsuit in January, asking for millions of dollars in damages and alleging that Infantino was negligent and liable for her son's May 7, 2009, death. Infantino, was a recommended company for their baby sling products, but unfortunately this was not the case for the young family.  “The death certificate cited compression asphyxia/suffocation as Derrik's cause of death”, Cochran said.

Infantino issued a recall on two of their two baby slings, the "SlingRider" and the "Wendy Bellissimo," offering customers replacement slings. The company said consumers should stop using the recalled slings immediately but did not take responsibility for any deaths. President Jack Vresics said in a statement, "All of our products go through rigorous testing and we work closely with governmental agencies as well as other third-party testing organizations continually to ensure the safety of our products."

In March, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning about the use of certain baby slings, saying it had identified 14 deaths with sling-style carriers, most of them in children younger than 4 months. Recently, Health Canada issued a joint statement with the agency, saying three of the deaths appeared to occur in one of Infantino's slings.

About 1 million of the slings were recalled in the United States, and about 15,000 were affected in Canada, according to the joint release. Around 14,000 of the slings have been recalled in Europe.

For more information, please call 1-877 MESSALAW