Carolina Accident Attorney Blog

The Connection Between Effexor and Miscarriage

Studies continue to point to a connection between Effexor and miscarriage. For example, one study showed that the risk of miscarriage increased by 68 percent for Effexor users. To learn more, read this blog.

Reglan Lawsuits on the Rise

Reglan is a potentially dangerous drug and 500 lawsuits have been filed alleging the medication caused severe neurological injuries. To learn more, read this article and then give our firm a call for a free, confidential consultation at 1-800-752-0042.

Charlotte, North Carolina Based Family Dollar Stores Recalled 1.8 M Toy Dart Guns

Emily Mapp Brannon, injury attorney, recently wrote a short article on her blog about a national recall made by Family Dollar stores in regards to a Chinese manufactured toy dart gun set that has caused at least two child deaths. Advised to be a choking hazard, all of these toys should be confiscated or taken back to the store for a full refund.

Is a Yaz/Yasmin Recall on the Horizon?

Yaz and Yasmin are birth control pills that have caused serious negative side effects in many women. This blog talks about a potential recall of these dangerous drugs. If you've suffered side effects like blood clots, stroke, or gallbladder problems, please give our law firm a call at 1-800-752-0042 so you can talk to a real lawyer for free.

MacLaren Baby Strollers Cut Off Fingers, One Million Strollers Recalled

There have been 12 reports of small children getting their fingers caught in MacLaren baby strollers resulting in the severing of their fingertips. In addition, there were three reports of finger lacerations. As a result, a major recall of one million strollers was issued by MacLaren, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The recall involves the single and double umbrella strollers that were sold at Babies R' Us, Target, and other retailers for the past 10 years. The models include the Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, Techno XLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

Here's a video discussing the MacLaren baby stroller recall...

MacLaren's solution is to send you a repair kit featuring a hinge cover that attempts to cover the problematic area. Personally, I'd recommend not using the stroller all together. Why? Because there's no guarantee that you'll be able to successfully apply the repair hinge properly.

Another risk is your child being able to remove the repair hinge and still having their little fingers exposed to serious injury. And if your child does suffer a serious injury like a severed finger, there will be large medical bills and years of physical and mental rehabilitation.

"You don't want this to happen to your child. It's already happened to 12 other children," said Patty Davis, a spokeswoman for the CPSC.

Cardiovascular Systems Inc. Recalls Catheter Sheath After Medical Device Breaks Inside Patient

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has requested Cardiovascular Systems Inc. to recall its ViperSheath catheter introducers made by Thomas Medical Products after receiving reports that the device had fractured inside a patient. This is the second medical recall of a catheter sheath. Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) Cordis Corp recalled is Crossover sheath introducers, also made by Thomas Medical Products, in October.

 

Sheath introduces are large, gradually tapered tubes that create an entry point in to arties and veins. The recalled catheter introducers fracture inside the patient’s body. The fractured pieces have the potential to become lodged inside blood vessels, causing distal ischemia or infarctions.

 

So far three patients have had to undergo surgery to have the broken pieces removed after their ViperSheath device fractured.

 

Cardiovascular Systems Inc. is asking customers to return the dangerous medical devices and the FDA is watching the recall through their MedWatch program.

 

If you recently underwent a medical surgery that required the use of a catheter introducer we urge you to contact the hospital that performed your surgery and find out if the ViperSheath or Crossover sheath were used in your surgery.

 

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling medical malpractice cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys have handled thousands of medical malpractice cases including surgical errors, misdiagnosis, and negligence. We would like to send you one of our FREE reports about medical malpractice, including our Top 10 Tips from a Medical Malpractice Insider and our special report on the top 5 surgical errors you need to know about. Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube .  In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

AC

Dangerous Product? Bug Bomb Kills Boy In South Carolina

After a mother set off a number of bug bombs over a month's time, her infant son died of cardiac arrest from exposure to the pesticides. The mother and her older son both suffered series breathing problems from inhaling the toxic chemicals.

Fairbank Farms Packaged Beef Recalled after E. Coli Outbreak and Two Deaths

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has linked at least two deaths back to beef packaged by Fairbank Farms of Ashville, New York (NY). In addition to the two deaths, the beef has also caused at least 26 other illnesses and likely dozens more that have gone unreported.

The beef was packaged and sold at BJ’s, Trader Joes, ACME, Price Chopper, Lancaster, Wild Harvest, Shaw's, Ford Brothers and Giant stores in North Carolina (NC) and several other states including Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania , Virginia, and New Hampshire. It is being sold in package form either as ground beef or pre-made meatloaf.   So far the US Department of Agriculture has linked the beef to E. Coli related illnesses in Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts.

Fairbank Farms issued a recall for the packaged beef that was sold between September 14^th through September 16^th and none of the affected meat should still be on store shelves. However, some of this meat may still be in consumer freezers. Consumers are urged to check all of their frozen meat and return any meat packaged by Fairbank Farms between these dates to the store it was purchased for a full refund.

E. Coli is a form a food poisoning that affected hundreds of thousands of people in the United States each year. Typically, E. Coli shows up in a person’s system two to eight days after it was consumed. The bacteria make people extremely ill. The most common symptoms include nausea, fever, vomiting and dehydration. E. Coli can lead to death in some individuals.

 

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling wrongful death cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys have handled numerous wrongful death cases and we understand the difficult circumstances which accompany these types of cases. That’s why you need an experienced attorney to help you through the legal process. Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube .  In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

AC

Maclaren Recalls Over One Million Strollers After 12 Children are Severely Injured

As a parent you have enough to worry about regarding your child’s safety. You should not have to worry about the toys they play with, the clothes they wear, or the stroller you take to the park everyday. These items should be tested by the companies that make them, but what if they aren’t? What if that product you use everyday is putting your child at risk for serious injury?

 

At least twelve parents across the U.S. know what can happen when a product goes bad; that is, after their children had their fingers amputated by a Maclaren stroller.

 

Maclaren, a long trusted children’s brand, issued a recall for over a million strollers after 15 reports of injury to a child. According to the http://carolina.hsinjurylaw.com/blog/blair-expands-robe-recall-after-nine-deaths-were-reported.cfmrecall, children can get their fingers trapped in the mechanism that hinges the stroller closed, potentially causing those fingers to be amputated among other serious injuries. The effected models include; Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is asking any parent who owns a Maclaren stroller to discontinue use immediately until the stroller can be fixed.

 

Maclaren is offering a hinge cover for any model affected by the recall. The hinge cover can be installed fairly easily and is available both at their website and through their toll free number; (877) 688-2326.

 

If your child has already been injured by their stroller a personal injury attorney may be able to assist you in seeking damages for your child. Injuries such as amputation require extensive surgery, which can be difficult on a child and often very expensive. If your child has not yet been injured by the stroller, but you do own one from the brand, we urge you to discontinue use immediately and order a replacement part as soon as possible.

 

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling dangerous drugs and prescription drug errors. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube .  In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

AC

Blair Expands Robe Recall After Nine Deaths Were Reported

The clothing company, Blair, has expanded a voluntary recall on their chenille robes after learning about at least nine deaths resulting from burns sustained while wearing the robes.

Blair and the Consumer Product Safety Commission originally issued a voluntary recall for the robes in April after the company received reports of at least three robes catching on fire. One incident left the owner covered in second degree burns. The Consumer Product Safety Commission found the robes did not meet federal flammability requirements.

After the original recall was issued at least nine deaths were reported after owners caught fire while wearing the robes.

Blair expanded the recall to include additional chenille robes and three other chenille products. The robes were made from Janurary 2003 to March 2009. The robes are labeled with item numbers 3093111, 3093112, 3093113, 3093114, 3093115 or 3093116. They were all made by A-One Textile & Towel located in Karachi, Pakistan. The robes and other chenielle products listed on the recall were sold in Blair stores as well as their popular online website, http://www.blair.com.

If you own one of these robes Blair is offering a $50 gift card for the return of the item. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends any owner discontinue use immediately and return the product. The robes are extremely flammable and in several cases they have caught fire while the owner was cooking.

If you or someone you know has been burned or even killed by Blair chenille products contact a personal injury attorney. An attorney will be able to help you sort through the complicated recall process and seek damages for your pain and suffering.

 

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling wrongful death cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys have handled numerous wrongful death cases and we understand the difficult circumstances which accompany these types of cases. That’s why you need an experienced attorney to help you through the legal process. Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube .  In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

AC

Hundreds of Lawsuits Filed Against Makers of Yaz and Yasmin Birth Control Pills Due to Serious Injuries

So far, nearly 130 lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. in connection with the Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills. Women are suffering severe side effects such as blood clots, heart attacks, gallstones, stroke, symptoms of depression, a breast lump, sudden numbness, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance, chest pain, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, and sweating. There have even been cases filed claiming women died due to taking Yaz or Yasmin.

The number of claims filed against Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz and Yasmin, will probably continue to grow due to their initial popularity on the open market and ever-increasing evidence of a causal relation between the medications ingredients and horrendous side effects.

The popularity of these birth control pills has waned due to the revelation that Bayer made false proclamations in their Yaz and Yasmin television ads regarding the prescription drugs effectiveness in treating acne and PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). Bayer was forced to spend millions of dollars to clarify the misleading ads by the FDA.

Its pretty clear Yaz and Yasmin are dangerous drugs and more attention should have been paid to their effects on the female body.

Our injury firm has handled cases relating to dangerous drugs and we are outraged Bayer decided to aggressively promote and sell such risky medications to the general public.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling dangerous drugs and prescription drug errors. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right nowwe provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

YAZ Birth Control and Gall Stone Lawsuits

This article is designed to give additional information and the latest news for women who have suffered from gallstones and Yaz birth control. This highly marketed and well-noted contraceptive in the United States is promoting for its use in treating premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

 A serious Yaz side effect is Gallbladder disease. This health problem has been widely reported by women using this long used contraceptive. It should be noted that women are two times more likely than men to develop gallstones. In addition to Gallstone Disease, blood clots have also been linked to the Yaz birth control product.

If you have suffered from Yaz birth control gallbladder problems which include gallbladder removal side effects, then you may be entitled to file a Yaz gallbladder lawsuit against the manufacturer. An attorney with experience in birth control litigation can help evaluate your claim. 

 About the Editors:  Shapiro, Cooper,Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles  car, truck, railroad, and medical negligence cases  and more.  Our lawyers proudly edit the  Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.  Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

 

BM

Food and Drug Administration Says the Herbal Supplement Hydroxycut Causes Liver Damage

The FDA issued a strong warning to consumers using the dietary supplement Hydroxycut. This warning comes after at least one death related to the supplement was reported.

The Food and Drug Administration has been unable to determine which specific ingredient is causing the liver damage as several Hydrocut products contain overlapping ingredients and herbal supplements. However, the FDA is positive that the dietary supplement has caused liver damage in at least 23 reported cases. The FDA issued a strong word of caution to any user of the supplement to discontinue use and seek medical attention immediately if they start experiencing symptoms of liver failure.

Professor Macary Marciniak of the University of North Carolina (NC) School of Pharmacy applauds the FDA for their response to the problem. According to Marciniak, “I think the FDA's taking the appropriate steps, using strong language to make sure that consumers know not to use these products because we're concerned with these report of liver injury and even one death with the use of Hydroxycut products.”

 The UNC professor isn’t the only one taking notice. After the warning was issued the makers of Hydroxycut; Iovate Health Sciences Inc. issued a recall for forteen of their products. These products include: Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets, Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets, Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets, Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets, Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix), Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Liquid Shots, Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink), Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed, Hydroxycut 24, Hydroxycut Carb Control and Hydroxycut Natural.

 If you are currently taking Hydroxycut or have taken the dietary supplement in the past and are experiencing any of the following symptoms please seek medical attention immediately; nausea, vomiting, light colored urine, stomach pain or itching.

 

Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), with an office also in Elizabeth City, in Northeast North Carolina (NC), practicing primarily in the southeastern U.S. and handles only injury law, including car, truck, railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our Carolina injury law website is: http://carolina.hsinjurylaw.com, the firm edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, as well as the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard and also hosts a YouTube injury law video library covering many FAQ’s on personal injury subjects. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

AC

Hydroxycut is Dangerous and Recall was Warranted

Many people have an on-going battle with "the bulge." 

We've witnessed fluctuations in our weight (and waste lines) as we get older. In an effort to decrease body fat and get those movie-worthy six pack abs, people sometimes take weight loss supplements.

Unfortunately, a myriad of companies take advantage of people's desire to look good and produce shoddy, dangerous products that do nothing to help reduce body fat. In fact, certain supplements cause horrendous side effects, and even death.

One supplement in the headlines is Hydroxycut, a very popular weight loss supplement in the United States. Unfortunately, popularity doesn't translate to quality. 14 of Hydroxycut's products were taken off the shelf. The reason: a high risk of liver failure and other terrible side effects.

These charlatans swindled people out of their hard-earned money and sold products that not only failed to work, but killed people. A 19-year-old boy was killed in 2007 after using Hydroxycut.

Think about that; a kid, probably just graduating from high school on his way to college, is now dead because of Hydroxycut. I have children and would be devastated if they were seriously injured or killed from some supposed fat burning pill.

Here's an experience from a former female bodybuilder who took two Hydroxycut pills and suffered severe side effects...

"I was in and out of sleep for around 7 hours and then opened my eyes and abruptly sat up in bed. My heart rate had sky-rocketed once again but I felt that this time it was more severe. I felt cold and sweaty, my mouth was extremely dry, I was jittery and when I stood up, I felt as if my legs would give way beneath me. Something was not right and I felt like my heart was going to suddenly stop because it was beating so fast. I woke my husband (it was 4am) and asked him to drive me to the hospital quickly because I felt like I was dying. Once we got there, they rushed me into a room right away and monitored my heart rate, gave me a blood test and put me on IV and injected me with drugs to slow my heart down and to calm me down. My husband explained to the doctors what I had taken and they said that they had a few cases of people being hospitalized because of the same thing."

Clearly, Hydroxycut is an extremely dangerous drug and I'm glad it was removed from the market. One of the most ominous and serious side effects is liver failure, which I've written about in previous posts.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

 

PA

 

 

Ignoring a Recent Government–Backed Study the FDA Still Wants To Keep Your Kids On Ritalin

My law partner Jim Lewis wrote an article on the Northeast North Carolina InjuryBoard blog about a controversial stance made by the FDA in regards to attention deficit disorder drugs like Ritalin. To read the full article about why the FDA still encourages your children to take these drugs despite a recent government sponsored research report stating they might be harmful for your child, please click here.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal My injury law firm (VA-NC law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, as well as the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY, who handle car, truck, railroad, and medical negligence cases and more.