Kansas City Personal Injury Lawyer - Defective & Dangerous Products

Massive Crib Recall: 2.1 Million Stork Craft Drop-Side Cribs Recalled

Brett Emison — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:29:16 GMT

USA Today has reported that Stork Craft Manufacturing is involved in the largest crib recall in U.S. History after at least 15 infants have become trapped in the cribs and at least four have suffocated to death.

In the largest crib recall in U.S. history, more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing are being voluntarily withdrawn because hardware failures have trapped 15 children and suffocated four.

Nearly 150,000 cribs carry the Fisher-Price logo.

The crib sides slide up and down to make it easier to lift infants. Hardware can break, deform or get lost over the years. Some cribs failed because parents did not assemble them properly.

The cribs were sold from January 1993 through last month at major retailers including BJ's Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Meijer, Sears, USA Baby and Walmart stores, and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com. More than 1.2 million cribs were sold in the United States and almost 1 million in Canada, where Stork Craft is based.

You can find additional information regarding this recall at the Consumer Product Safety Commission's web site. You can contact Stork Craft Manufacturing about the recall at (877) 274-0277 or call the CPSC's recall hotline at (800) 638-2772.

According to the CPSC, the cribs' drop-side plastic hardware can break or deform leading the side to detach or come free in one or more corners. This safety defect has caused more than 100 incidents including a number of infant entrapments and deaths.

The cribs’ drop-side plastic hardware can break, deform, or parts can become missing. In addition, the drop-side can be installed upside-down, which can result in broken or disengaged plastic parts. All of these problems can cause the drop-side to detach in one or more corners. When the drop-side detaches, it creates space between the drop-side and the crib mattress. The bodies of infants and toddlers can become entrapped in the space which can lead to suffocation. Complete detachment of drop-sides can lead to falls from the crib.

CPSC, Health Canada, and Stork Craft are aware of 110 incidents of drop-side detachment; 67 incidents occurred in the United States and 43 in Canada. The incidents include 15 entrapments; 12 in the U.S. and three in Canada. Four of the entrapments resulted in suffocation: a 7-month-old in Gouverneur, N.Y.; a 7-month-old in New Iberia, La.; a 6-month-old in Summersville, W.Va.; and a 9-month-old in Bronx, N.Y. Included in these incidents are 20 falls from cribs; 12 in the U.S. and eight in Canada. Fall injuries ranged from concussion to bumps and bruises. The cribs involved in these incidents had plastic drop-side hardware that had broken, missing, or deformed claws, connectors, tracks, or flexible tab stops; loose or missing metal spring clips; stripped screws; and/or drop-sides installed upside-down.

The Stark Craft recall comes only a year after 600,000 cribs manufactured by a different company were recalled for the same reason.

What To Do If You Have A Recalled Crib

(1) Stop using the crib immediately

(2) Do not attempt to repair or fix the crib yourself

(3) Contact the Stork Craft Manufacturing recall hotline at (877) 274-0277 or the Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall hotline at (800) 638-2772.

(4) Order a repair kit from Stork Craft at its web site www.storkcraft.com

(5) If your child has been injured or killed due to one of the recalled cribs, you should contact an attorney immediately. Claims against the company are time-limited based on the statute of limitations imposed state-by-state.

You can learn more about dangerous products and how to protect yourself at our safety blog.

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Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Kansas City Construction Accident Under Investigation

Brett Emison — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:39 GMT

Tuesday's fatal construction accident at the construction site for the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is under investigation according to the Kansas City Star.

Authorities spent Wednesday investigating an aerial lift accident that killed one local construction worker and seriously injured another at the future Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

The man who died was 35-year-old Ryan Goodman of Lee’s Summit, Kansas City police said. The second worker, 30-year-old Shane Wagener of Grain Valley, remained in serious but stable condition.

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Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators are researching what caused the lift to tip over. Euston said the investigation would include inspecting the lift and reviewing whether safety procedures were followed.

There are still many questions unresolved in this case. The equipment that failed has been described as a crane, a boom lift or an aerial lift. This type of equipment often suffers from design defects that permit the boom to be extended even if the stabilizers or outriggers are not engaged and locked in place and even if the crane or lift is positioned on uneven ground.

Crane and lift manufacturers owe it to their users to incorporate all necessary safety features. You can learn more about dangerous and defect products -- including cranes and lifts -- at our safety blog or at our web site.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Maclaren Stroller Recall: Are Other Brands Dangerous, Too?

Brett Emison — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:34:24 GMT

Following the massive Maclaren recall of every umbrella stroller the company sold over the last decade because of the risk of finger amputation, ABC News has reported that other manufactures and stroller companies may be next.

The million-stroller recall by British manufacturer Maclaren following reports of finger amputation has prompted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to take another look at all "umbrella" strollers that use similar hinges.

Maclaren's recall, announced Monday, includes every umbrella stroller the company has sold over the past decade.

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Maclaren invented the umbrella stroller 40 years ago and other stroller makers use similar hinge mechanisms.

Maclaren said the safety of umbrella stroller hinges is an issue common to all folding strollers. And the Consumer Product Safety Commission acknowledged that there have been incident reports about other stroller brands, but with lesser injuries involved. The CPSC will look into whether further standards or recalls are needed for stroller hinges.

Meanwhile, the Maclaren stroller recall has thousands of parents angry and in disbelief. The New York Times documented the backlash at Maclaren from angry parents:

In announcing a recall of about 1 million strollers yesterday, the Maclaren stroller company has illustrated yet again that it’s not nice to mishandle parents online.

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As reporter Sean Gregory wrote last evening on time.com: “The recall is a nightmare for Maclaren. Prior to Monday, its strollers had a reputation for dependability. Now they’re the ones that could cut kids’ fingers off.”

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The search terms “Maclaren fingertip amputation” pulled up more than 5,000 results on Google. The parent blogs are buzzing. One, Daddy Types, has dubbed the affair Macopalypse 2009. Another, called Mother Load, wrote the post “MacLaren recall: is there nothing safe?” The author wrote, “Fingertip amputation? And they had to get to TWELVE cases before they issued a recall?”

It is remarkable that it took this company more than a decade to fix this dangerous defect and only after too many young children were injured and maimed. This recall is a reminder to parents to always be on guard and to take all recall notices seriously.

You can learn more about how to protect yourself from dangerous products at our safety blog or by visiting our web site.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Maclaren Stroller Recall: Kids Lose Fingertips In Hinges

Brett Emison — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:26:02 GMT

Fox News reported today that high end stroller manufacturer, Maclaren, will recall 1 million umbrella strollers over a dangerous safety defect. The recall includes strollers sold over the last decade after several reports of children placing their finger in the stroller's hinge mechanism, resulting in a number of fingertip amputations.

High-end stroller maker Maclaren, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is voluntarily recalling about 1 million umbrella strollers sold in the United States since 1999.

The move comes after 15 reports of children placing their finger in the stroller’s hinge mechanism, resulting in 12 reports of fingertip amputations in the United States. The agency said consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

The affected models included Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

Prices for the strollers ranged from $100 to $360. The strollers were manufactured in China and distributed by Maclaren USA Inc of South Norwalk, Conn.

Maclaren, which dubs itself as "a premier British parenting lifestyle company that produces the world's most safe, durable, innovative and stylish baby buggies and strollers," is planning to provide a free kit to cover the stroller's hinge mechanism.

In a press release, the company said: "Safety is our first priority and through this voluntary effort we urge consumers to contact us immediately to obtain the kit which consists of hinge covers designed specifically to fit all Maclaren strollers."

Defective products are not limited to vehicles, drugs or medical devices. Defective products can arise anywhere and are particularly troubling when the defect involves children. According to the FoxNews report, it took Maclaren a decade to recall these dangerous products and Maclaren did so only after at least 12 children lost fingers because of Maclaren's dangerous design.

Safety regulators and the public need to do more to hold companies accountable when they design dangerous products -- especially when those dangerous or defective products harm children.

You can learn more about product dangers at our web site.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Toyota Has More Troubles Than Just Sudden Acceleration

Brett Emison — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:34:47 GMT

The Safety Record is reporting about Toyota's mounting troubles that go beyond the sudden acceleration problem that is potentially caused by floor mats interacting with the accelerator pedal.

Last month, Toyota launched its largest recall in the company's history for all-weather floor mats that may entrap the accelerator pedals after four died in a Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA) crash in California; the company is currently under investigation for a severe rust problem with Tundras; and litigants are clamoring for what's in those four boxes of documents that former corporate attorney Dimitrios P. Biller -- who has accused Toyota of destroying evidence in rollover cases -- dropped off at a federal courthouse in Texas.

Toyota has recalled the floormats of 3.8 million vehicles -- including the Camry, Lexus, Avalon, Prius, Tacoma and Tundra. This massive recall was in response to the tragic California sudden acceleration crash that killed a California Highway Patrolman, Mark Saylor, along with his wife, daughter and brother-in-law.

... [T]he National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ["NHTSA"] has tied the fatal crash to the one outstanding Toyota SUA investigation still open at the Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA has been investigating SUA complaints in Camry, Tacoma, Sienna and Lexus vehicles since 2003. Ten of those investigations were closed after a finding of accelerator pedal interference -- from an unsecured accessory floor mat or an interior trim panel -- or closed with no conclusion.

Not all Toyota owners believe the sudden acceleration problem is tied to the floor mats. At least one Toyota owner, Jeffrey Pepski, experienced a sudden acceleration problem without the all weather floor mats and was able to pull the accelerator up with his foot, yet the Toyota continued to accelerate out of control.

"I was trapped in a runaway vehicle," Pepski recalled. "I was able to push down on the accelerator as well as push up the accelerator with my foot. If the floor mat had been the cause, I would have dislodged it and the acceleration I was experiencing would have gone away and that didn't happen."

How can you protect yourself if your Toyota vehicle is running out of control? If you have a push button start/stop, you must press and hold the stop/start button for three seconds. After three seconds the engine should shut down. However, many Toyota and Lexus owners are not aware of the additional time needed to shut down the engine in an emergency situation.

You could also shift the vehicle into neutral. However, the "gated shifter", which has a series of detents to separate the gears can make it difficult to find the neutral position in an emergency. Other manufacturers -- such as BMW and Audi -- have safety programming that will automatically shift the vehicle into neutral if the car detects the driver attempting to accelerate and brake at the same time. However, Toyota and Lexus have chosen not to implement such a safety feature.

Lacking the return-to-idle featured, braking a Toyota or Lexus requires much more force and can result in significant brake fade or loss, particularly during long duration SUA events.

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"Toyota has already hinted that it is looking into more substantive fixes beyond the floor mats," says Safety Research & Strategies President Sean E. Kane. "I suspect that when Toyota does implement a fix it will likely include software updates to address the on/off ignition delay and the brake-to-idle issue."

In addition to the sudden acceleration problem, Toyota is facing issues concerning a rust/corrosion issue in Toyota Tundras, deaths caused by relay rod failures in Toyota trucks and literally boxes of documents dropped at the courthouse steps in Texas by Toyota's former in-house counsel.

Toyota owners must be aware of these potential safety problems and take extra precautions with their vehicles. If you own a Toyota or Lexus, contact your dealer or representative to stay updated on recalls and other safety information.

You can also learn more about vehicle defects and safety at our web site.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Warning About Pot Pies With Salmonella

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:40:40 GMT

Banquet is warning consumers about turkey and chicken pot pies that may have possible contamination with salmonella. The contaminated pot pies are made in a plant in Missouri. Salmonella can cause food poisoning.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a health alert Tuesday to warn about the possible link between the pot pies and the salmonella cases.
The USDA is advising consumers to discard the pies, said Amanda Eamich, of the agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service. ConAgra is not recalling the pies but is offering mail-in refunds and store returns.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracking reported salmonella cases since last Wednesday.

There have been 139 reported cases of salmonella around the country from people that have eaten the pot pies. The company maintains the pies are safe if cooked according to the directions.

If you would like to read more about defective products, please visit InjuryBoard's Defective Products Information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Barbie Toys Included in Latest Mattel Recall

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 10:56:56 GMT

Mattel has issued another toy recall for toys with lead based paint. This is the third recall in a month by Mattel. The toys were all found to have an excessive amount of lead. The toys were made in China.

The company is recalling 675,000 Barbie accessories, including Barbie Dream Puppy House, in which lead paint was found on the dog, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recall also includes 8,900 Big Big World 6-in-1 Bongo Band toys and about 90,000 Geo Trax locomotive toys. The products were sold from September 2006 to last month.

Parents are asked to take the recalled toys away from their children. Mattel expects more toy recalls as they do testing on all of their toys. Some members of Congress are calling for a great oversight into the safety of products imported into this country.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Spinach Tainted with Salmonella

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:30:32 GMT

A large spinach recall is underway for 34 tons of bagged spinach that may be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can cause food poisoning if ingested. It is unknown how the spinach was contaminated. The distributor of the spinach is Metz Fresh of California.

The current recall involves a batch of spinach that was packed on Aug. 22 and distributed late last week to retail and food-service customers, such as restaurants or institutional kitchens, in the United States and Canada.
The salmonella was found during testing at a packing plant that was operating under contract with Metz Fresh, said Greg Larsen, a company spokesman.
In a statement, Metz Fresh said the salmonella was detected in a single sample of spinach at the processing plant. The company said it decided to recall spinach from three processing lines at the plant as a precaution, since all three lines were handling produce from the same field.

The company believes that 90 percent of the spinach never reached consumers. This is not the first time that spinach has been recalled. Last summer there was a large recall of spinach due to contamination by E. coli.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Toys R Us Baby Bibs Contain Lead

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:04:41 GMT

Baby bibs sold at Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores across the country contain lead and may be potentially harmful to children. The defective bibs have not been recalled and the company says they are in compliance with safety standards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission tested the bibs.

But their own recent tests of baby bibs on the market in the United States found that the lead, when present, was at levels low enough that a child chewing on or rubbing the bib would not get an unhealthy dose.
As a result, the agency urges parents to discard vinyl bibs only if they are ripped or otherwise deteriorated.
"There is a potential risk of lead exposure from babies swallowing pieces of cracked vinyl on used bibs," the agency said in a statement, after being presented with the test results on the Toys "R" Us bibs.

The baby bibs are made out of vinyl and sold under the Especially for Baby and Koala Baby labels. The bibs were made in China which has been the source of many product recalls this year.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Mattel Recalls Almost One Million Toys Due to Lead

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:04:46 GMT

A large recall has been issued by Mattel for almost one millions toys that have lead based paint on them. The toys were manufactured in China. Mattel was able to stop about 60 percent of the recalled toys from reaching consumers.

The recall, the second biggest this year involving toys, covers 83 products made from April 19 to July 6. Many of them feature Sesame Street and Nickelodeon characters -- including the Elmo Tub Sub, the Dora the Explorer Backpack, and the Giggle Gabber, a toy shaped like Elmo or Cookie Monster that toddlers shake to hear giggles and funny noises.

The recall involves toys with a product code of 109-7LF to 187-7LF that should be stamped on the toy or the package. The toys should not be played with as they pose a health hazard.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann