Alcohol Swabs, Swabsticks, Prep Pads Recalled

All lots of alcohol swabs, alcohol swabsticks and alcohol prep pads manufactured by Triad Group are being recalled.  The products may have been contaminated with an organism, Becillus cereus, which can cause life-threatening skin infections.  The infections are especially dangerous in at risk populations, including immune suppressed and surgical patients.

The products were distributed nationwide to retail pharmacies as well as sold to hospitals.  It includes those products marked as sterile and non-sterile.  Various different names are used on the packaging including Cardinal Health, PSS Select, VersaPro, Boca/Ultilet, Moore Medical, Walgreens, CVS and Conzellin.   

Customers should call Triad Group Customer Service for instructions on how to return the products.  They should not use the products or return them to the store where they were purchased.

So far, there has been one report of a skin infection.  If you or a loved one has contracted a skin infection or other injury as a result of this product, please contact us at 1-877-MessaLaw.

Chrysler Recalls Trucks and SUVs

Chrysler has issued a recall for its Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 trucks from years 2008-2011 as well as their Dodge Ram 1500 trucks model year 2011.  In addition, the automaker is recalling more than 65,000 of their 2009 Dodge Journey vehicles.

The vehicles have various problems including steering issues, faulty rear axles and electrical trouble with side airbags, which may result in serious injury or death.  Steering defects can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles and crash without warning.  Axle problems may result in wheels locking up causing a loss of vehicle mobility and stability.  Malfunctioning airbags can deploy unexpectedly without any crash, or not deploy at all after collision.  

More than 144,000 automobiles are included in the recall.  Owners affected by the recall can call their dealer to schedule an appointment to have the vehicle parts with the problem replaced at no charge.

 
The attorneys at Messa and Associates have successfully represented many victims of defective automobiles.  If you or a loved one has been injured by one of the recalled vehicles, please contact us at 1-877-MessaLaw.

The Ritedose Corporation Recalls Nebulizer Medication

A recall of 0.083% Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Solution was issued by The Ritedose Corporation.  The products affected are 3 mL in 25, 30 and 60 single dose vials.  Dosages listed on the foil overwrap pouches and shelf cartons are correct, but the amounts printed on the vials are not.  The vials are labeled as 0.5 mg/3 mL but contain 2.5 mg/3 mL doses.  Improper dosing of the medication can lead to many health effects, ranging from temporary and treatable to death.  The products were distributed nationwide and in Puerto Rico.

Lot numbers manufactured by the Ritedose Corporation under NDC: 0591-3797-83, 0591-3797-30 and 0591-3797-60 are included in the recall: 0N81, 0N82, 0N83, 0N84, 0NE7, 0NE8, 0NE9, 0NF0, 0P12, 0P13, 0P46, 0P47, 0PF0, and 0S15.  Individuals with the affected vials should return them to the location they were obtained (i.e. physician’s office, pharmacy, etc.).

Special concern is being paid to hospitals where medication is often separate from its packaging.  Health care professionals in that setting could increase normal dosage due to the incorrect information on the vial administering about five times the necessary amount.  Significant overdosing could cause albuterol toxicity.  Signs and symptoms of albuterol toxicity include dizziness, headache, seizures, high blood pressure, tremors, low potassium levels, angina and rapid heart rates.

 
Messa & Associates has successfully litigated cases for plaintiffs dealing with albuterol injuries in the past.  If you or a loved one has suffered injuries as a result of albuterol toxicity, please contact us at 1-877-MessaLaw.

Class Certification Granted in Antitrust Case Where Messa & Associates Represents Plaintiffs

Netflix Inc. is facing a class-action lawsuit after a federal judge deemed its subscribers’ cases were “united by common and overlapping issues of fact and law” last week.  The DVD rental giant, along with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. allegedly put an agreement in place to dominate the DVD market.  Messa & Associates will argue that consumers absorbed much higher costs for their movie rentals and purchases as a result of this.

 
The trial is set for January 2012.  Wal-Mart agreed to a preliminary settlement with the plaintiffs of an estimated $40 million last month.  For more information about this case, please contact us at 1-877-MessaLaw.

Drop-Side Cribs Outlawed After Multiple Deaths

After millions of recalls and more than 30 infant and toddler deaths, the government outlawed drop-side cribs yesterday.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously to ban the manufacture, sale and resale of the cribs, which have a side rail that moves up and down, allowing parents to more easily lift their child from the crib.
The new standard requiring cribs to have fixed sides would take effect in June. The move by CPSC would also prohibit hotels and childcare centers from using drop-sides, though those facilities would have a year to purchase new cribs.
CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said, "I believe these new standards will markedly reduce crib-related hazards and help to ensure that young children sleep more safely in their cribs."
Around for decades, drop-side cribs have come under scrutiny in recent years because of malfunctioning hardware, sometimes cheaper plastics, or assembly problems that can lead to the drop-side rail partially detaching from the crib. When that happens, it can create a dangerous "V"-like gap between the mattress and side rail where a baby can get caught and suffocate or strangle.

Toyota Recalls 2011 Sienna

Toyota’s list of recalls continues to grow. The automaker is voluntarily recalling 94,000 2011 Toyota Sienna minivans. The affected vehicles were produced before early November 2010.

“The recall is a result of a Stop Lamp Switch Bracket placed near the parking brake,” Autoblog explains. “When the parking brake is fully applied it may deform the switch bracket. This could result in the brake lights remaining lit or even partial engagement of the brakes resulting in a reduction of brake effectiveness over time.”

While this recall adds to the millions of vehicles Toyota red flagged in the past year, there is some good news. No accidents, injuries or deaths had resulted from the faulty bracket.

Toyota explains that Sienna owners “will receive an interim notification advising them of this recall by first class mail beginning in mid-January 2011, along with instructions for what to do if they experience this condition and how to minimize the possibility of inadvertently contacting the stop lamp switch bracket while operating the parking brake. Toyota will also post this information on its website.”


Owners will get another notification in February in mid-January 2011. At that time, they can make an appointment at any Toyota dealer to remedy the problem free of charge.

Joseph Messa Nominated to ABF

Joseph Messa has been nominated to become a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF). It is an honor to be chosen, as less than one third of one percent of US lawyers are members. ABF members support ground breaking research in law and social science and participate in educational programs at the American Bar Association's (ABA) Midyear and Annual Meetings.
Founded in 1952 by the ABA, the ABF is recognized as the premier institute for social science research on law in America. Among its research faculty is 2000 Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences, James Heckman. Other notables include John Hagan (awarded the 2009 Stockholm Prize in Criminology) and Steven Levitt (author of the bestseller Superfreakonomics).