Toyota Recalls over 400,000 Vehicles over Steering Issues

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it was recalling more than 400,000 older-model vehicles sold in the United States, citing potential steering-related problems in both.

The Japanese automaker said the recall would affect 373,000 Toyota Avalon’s manufactured between 2000 to 2004. The company said the vehicle's steering lock bar could break under certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota also cited steering issues in its recall of some 39,000 Lexus LX 470 vehicles. The company said that if the vehicle experienced a severe impact to the front wheels, such as striking a pothole, the steering shaft could disengage over time. The recall only affects vehicles from model years 2003 to 2007.

The company said it was not aware of any accidents related to its Lexus LX 470.

The company said it would begin to send out notifications in mid-August to owners of the vehicles affected by Thursday's recall. Drivers will be able to bring their car to a local dealer to have the vehicle fixed at no charge.

For more information, please call 1877 MESSALAW.

30,000 Nap Nanny Baby Recliners Recalled after Baby Dies

Nap Nanny Baby recliners are being recalled after a 4 month-old Michigan girl was found dead in one. She was in the harness on the recliner but was found hanging over the side, stuck between a crib bumper and the Nap Nanny.

Baby Matters, who makes Nap Nanny, said over 30,000 of the recliners will be a part of the recall. The recliners were made in China and sold nationwide for about $130.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said that there has been over 21 other incidents involving the product that have been reported, mostly with infants younger than five months falling over the side.

Anyone with a Nap Nanny is asked to stop using it immediately.

1 Million Shades & Blinds Recalled

Smith + Noble has issued a recall for more than 1 million shades and blinds after a boy nearly strangled in Washington State.

The recall includes all custom Roman shades from the company as well as roller shades without a tension device on the cord. The shades were sold under the following brands:

Smith + Noble, Christopher Lowell, Jessit Gold, Shop Blinds, & Window Elements.

Tens of millions of shades have been recalled in the past year as a part of a major industry initiative to help prevent the strangulation deaths of children. Children can strangle in the cords on the back of the shades and in the loop of the roller shades.

Consumers are asked to stop using the shades until they obtain a repair kit which they can get by calling the Window Covering Safety Council at (800) 228-7638.

GSK Agrees to $460 Million Avandia Settlement

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) agreed to settle 10,000 lawsuits alleging that its popular diabetes drug Avandia injured patients.

The settlements come as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) begins two days of hearings into the safety of the drug. Earlier today, documents were released that suggested GSK hid data that showed Avandia increased the risk of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes.

For more information please contact 1877 MESSALAW.

Avandia Heart Risks Buried by Drug Company

The pharmacy company that makes the popular diabetes drug Avandia, SmithKline Beecham, knew for over a decade that the drug caused an increased risk of heart problems – but covered up the information according to a report published in the New York Times.

The Times report said that SmithKline did not post results of its drug trial findings on its website or submit them to federal regulators. This information was based on internal company documents it obtained.

According to a March 21, 2001 email the Times obtained, a company executive wrote about the study results:

“This was done for the U.S. business, way under radar. Per Sr. Mgmt request, these data should not see the light of day to anyone outside of GSK.” (GlaxoSmith Kline is the corporate successor to SmithKline)

Today, FDA panel will begin determining what to do about Avandia. More than half a million Americans have been prescribed Avandia, but the covered up studies issue that the drug have linked it to a raised risk of stroke, heart attack, and even death.

For more information please call 1877 MESSALAW.

BREAKING NEWS: Duck Boat Crash in Philadelphia

A duck boat packed with tourists crashed into a barge on the Delaware River this afternoon soon after it entered the water at Penns Landing, police said.

The collision, at about 2:40 p.m., sent a number of people into the river off Columbus Boulevard. About 40 people were on board the duck boat.

Rescue boats pulled individuals wearing life vests from the water.

Tourists board the boats at Independence Mall and after touring Old City they enter the river for a brief tour at a ramp just south of the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Please call 1877 MESSALAW for more information.

MRSA/SA Test Recalled Because of Rare False-Negative Results

A test to detect methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and S aureus (SA) has been recalled by the manufacturer based on an increasing number of complaints about false negatives for MRSA.

The voluntary recall of the Xpert MRSA/SA Blood Culture Assay covers all kits made and distributed from October 21, 2008 through June 21, 2010. The kit is manufactured by Cephid which is based in Sunnyvale, California. The product has been distributed to hospital laboratories worldwide.

Because the test has the rare potential to generate false-negative MRSA results, patients with MRSA infections may receive incorrect treatment or delayed care, according to an alert sent by MedWatch (the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the FDA's safety information and adverse event reporting program.

Customers can continue to use the product and report results of MRSA positive/SA positive - however, when customers receive a MRSA negative/SA positive result, the company recommends conducting further antimicrobial susceptibility testing using an FDA-cleared method for an accurate MRSA finding.

Customers with questions about the recall can contact the Cepheid Technical Support at 1-888-838-3222.