Pool Safety for the Summer

Already this year, 118 pool and spa incidents in 29 states and territories have already been reported by the media.  As even more pools open across the country in celebration of Memorial Day this weekend, Messa & Associates reminds you to use caution in and around water with these ten safety tips.

• Always supervise children while they are swimming or near water.
• Have safety equipment, such as rings or float, available and easily accessible.
• Avoid entrapment by keeping children away from drain covers, pipes or other openings.
• Cover your pool when not in use, especially if you have small children or animals.
• Use pool alarms for increased security.
• Make sure your pool drain cover has been properly certified.  A recent investigation by the Consumer Product Safety Commission has lead to over 1 million drain covers being recalled.  Click here to read an earlier Messa & Associates blog about this.
• Learn CPR or update your skills in the event you need to respond to an emergency.
• If your child is missing, check the pool first.
• Install a four-foot fence around your pool and use self-closing and self-latching gates.
• Teach your child to swim.

Messa & Associates wishes you a happy and safe summer season.  For more information about water safety or to speak with one of our experienced attorneys about a case involving serious injury or death as a result of a water-related incident, please contact us at 1-877-MessaLaw.

1 Million Pool Drain Covers Recalled

Yesterday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission initiated a recall of nearly 1 million pool drain covers because they have inaccurate flow ratings.  The commission urged public pools using the recalled covers to close immediately until the covers can be replaced, adding that private pool owners should contact the maker of their drain cover immediately.

Drain covers are meant to keep swimmers, especially children, from becoming trapped underwater because suction forces in a pool can turn drains into a supercharged vacuum that traps a swimmer underwater with hundreds of pounds of force causing serious injury or death.

A 2008 law mandated drain covers in effort to prevent accidents involving swimmers, but an investigation earlier this year found that many of those drain covers were certified by labs using flawed standards.

The manufacturers of the recalled drain covers are: A&A Manufacturing of Phoenix; AquaStar Pool Products of San Diego; Color Match Pool Fittings of Surprise, Ariz.; Custom Molded Products of Tyrone, Ga.; Hayward Pool Products of Elizabeth, N.J.; Pentair Water Pool and Spa of Sanford N.C.; Rising Dragon USA of Sweetwater, Tenn.; and Waterway Plastics of Oxnard, Calif.

For more information about the CPSC’s drain cover investigation, click here to read an earlier Messa & Associates blog post.

The attorneys at Messa & Associates have pursued many cases involving injuries as a result of products with manufacturing and design defects.  We combine our years of experience, thorough research, and the knowledge of highly regarded experts to prepare these cases.  If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or death as a result of one of the recalled pool drain covers, please contact us at 1-877-MessaLaw.

Zoloft Could Pose Risk to Newborns

Zoloft, an antidepressant marketed by Pfizer for the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety, is being investigated as a potential cause birth defects or malformations.  Studies have shown Zoloft side effects may increase the risk of birth defects when used as early as the first trimester of pregnancy, a time when many women do not even know they are pregnant.

Over the last few years, research has suggested that use of Zoloft during pregnancy may increase the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening health problems for babies, including persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN), heart defects, lung defects, abdominal defects, cranial defects and other malformations.

In 2007, Zoloft was the most prescribed antidepressant in the United States with nearly 30 million prescriptions.  Zoloft is among other drugs that have been linked to birth defects and malformations when used during pregnancy, including the antidepressants Paxil, Lexapro and Prozac, as well as the anti-seizure medication Topamax, which has been linked to a risk of cleft palate and cleft lip.

The attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling cases involving pharmaceutical and drug product injuries.  Our extremely skilled team of attorneys and medical experts are dedicated to ensuring your family receives proper compensation to care for the child in the future.  If you believe your child may have suffered birth defects as a result of the drug Zoloft, please contact us at 1-877-MessaLaw.

Dream on Me Recalls Drop-Side Cribs

Dream on Me, Inc. has issued a recall of 22,000 full-size and portable drop-side cribs due to entrapment, suffocation, laceration and fall hazards.  There have been 69 reports of incidents involving these cribs, including a 1-year-old boy sustained a scratch to the nose when he became trapped between the mattress support and side rail of his portable crib.  Another child, an 8-month-old girl, suffered an injury on her head from exposed plastic hardware inside the portable crib.

In the full-size cribs, the drop-side rail hardware can break or fail, allowing the drop side to detach from the crib creating a space between the drop side and the crib mattress.  An infant or toddler's body can become entrapped in the space, which can lead to strangulation and/or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib.  With the portable cribs, the drop-side rail hardware can break or fail, allowing the drop side to detach from the crib or fall unexpectedly.  Additionally, the portable crib mattress support hardware and the drop-side release latch can break easily, and the slats can loosen or break and detach from the crib.  Children can also cut themselves on exposed hardware inside the cribs.

The cribs are drop-side wooden cribs, painted or stained in black, cherry, dark brown, natural, white, and pink.  They were sold at Toys R Us, Wal-Mart and Target stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com.  The full-size cribs were sold from January 2006 to December 2009 for about $200 and the portable cribs were sold from September 2007 to December 2009 for about $150. 

Consumers should immediately stop using these cribs.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reminds parents not to use any crib with missing, broken or loose parts.  Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy.  When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving part operates smoothly.  Always check all sides and corners of the crib for parts separating that can create a gap and entrap a child.  In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib.  Babies have died in cribs where repairs were attempted by caregivers.  Crib age is a factor in safety.  At a minimum, CPSC staff recommends that you do not use a crib that is older than 10 years old.

Messa & Associates is experienced in handling cases involving injuries to children as a result of products with manufacturing and design defects.  In addition to their research and knowledge, our attorneys work with highly regarded experts to prepare every case.  If your child has been seriously injured by one of the recalled Dream on me drop-side cribs, please contact us at 1-877-MessaLaw.