Pennsylvania Personal Injury Blog

A Western Pennsylvania family from Cranberry is seeking compensation from Target after their female toddler suffered a critical brain injury from a toy bin that the company had authorized for distribution. The Associated Press says the covering of the bin, made of wicker, had suddenly landed onto the two-year-old and obstructed her oxygen flow. She endured suffocation that allegedly left her comatose with severe brain damage.

Following the family’s injury claims, Target stopped selling the toy chest as well as a few comparable products. The Cranberry, Pennsylvania parents argue that the hard wicker product should have had a caution tag with age provisions or child friendly lid reinforcements. The family’s lawsuit cites recuperation costs and punitive charges. The suit was filed Monday, March 8, 2010 in an Allegheny County judicial circuit.

According to the Brain Injury Association for America, Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, is the result of a heavy blow to the cranium or a skull-breaking injury that interrupts brain function. Nineteen percent of all TBIs are the result of a non-penetrating strike to the head, and the demographic at very high risk of TBI is children age 0 to 4. Additionally, an impaired respiratory system can cause severe brain damage by depriving the brain of oxygen. The consequences of a brain injury can be as mild as a concussion that needs no rehabilitation or as severe as paralysis that incurs life-long damage, and over 50,000 victims of brain injury will die each year.

Continue reading "Daughter of Pennsylvania Family Suffers Brain Injury" »

The government warned that baby slings can be dangerous, even deadly for little ones. According to this Associated Press article, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said it investigated at least 13 deaths associated with sling-style infant carriers over the last 20 years, including three deaths last year. One other case involving a fatality is still being investigated. Twelve of the deaths involved babies younger than four months of age.

The CPSC said that slings can pose a suffocation hazard in two different ways. A sling’s fabric can press against a baby’s nose and mouth, blocking the baby’s breathing and suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Also if the baby is cradled in a curved or “C-like” position, nestling the baby below mom’s chest or near her belly, it can cause a baby who doesn't have strong neck control to flop its head forward, chin-to-chest, restricting the infant's ability to breathe.
They are advising parents and caregivers to be cautious when using infant slings for babies younger than four months. Many of the babies who died in slings were a low birth weight twin, were born prematurely, or had a cold.

In 2008, Consumer Reports raised concerns about slings and some two dozen serious injuries, such as skull fractures, mostly when a child fell out of the carrier.

The “SlingRider” by Infantino has been singled out for criticism because of the curved position that the baby can fall into while inside the sling.

The SlingRider was recalled in 2007 for problems with the plastic sliders on the sling’s strap. There have been no recalls because of a suffocation risk.

Continue reading "Infant Deaths Prompt Government Warning on Slings" »

Parents of newborns should take special heed of the following story about faulty baby crib products. The Associated Press reported that government officials have ordered a second recall of two crib models from LaJobi Inc., a company based in Cranbury, New Jersey.

The first recall was issued back in 2001 because of potential entrapment and strangulation hazards. Officials at the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that they had received a report of a one year old Mississippi girl lodging her head between the decorative cutouts on the headboard, causing her death. The accident took place in 2003 but officials declined to specify when they were made aware of this sad accident.

CPSC reports that the cribs were manufactured back in the year 2001 which could make it particularly difficult to inform parents as they probably have given or sold the crib to another individual or it may be being offered at second hand stores. The LaJobi models were made in Italy and are called Molly and Betsy Style. If you believe that you possess one of these cribs LaJobi urges you to contact them by phone for replacement panels at 1-800-266-2848.
Parents expect that their children will be completely secure in a crib, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. There are a number of ways in which the crib you choose could potentially harm your child. Although baby products are highly regulated to prevent injuries, some manufacturing problems and other mistakes can hurt your infant.

Continue reading "Crib Models "Betsy" and "Molly" Recalled" »

On December 18, a baby product manufacturer recalled about 447,000 of its infant car seat carriers, including some branded with Eddie Bauer and Disney logos, after dozens of reports of the carrier’s handle coming loose.

According to an Associated Press article on Philly.com, there have been at least three injuries to babies, including bumps, bruises, and a head injury. There have been 77 reports of the child restraint handle fully or partially coming off the products.

The government told consumers to immediately stop using the seat’s carrying handle. The bolts that attach the handle to the seat can loosen, causing the handle to possibly separate and create a fall hazard for babies.

The recall involves Safety 1st, Cosco, Eddie Bauer, and Disney branded infant car seat carriers with certain model numbers. They were sold at department and children’s product stores nationwide from January 2008 through this month.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Dorel Juvenile Group announced the recall.

Consumers should not use the handle until a repair kit has been installed.

Continue reading "Baby Car Seat Carriers Recalled" »

Two infant deaths led to the recall of about 24,000 Amby Baby Motion Beds, hammock-like beds. The beds were marketed to parents of fussy babies with colic or reflux.

According to an Associated Press article that appeared on Philly.com, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said that the side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause an infant to roll and become trapped or wedged against the hammock’s fabric or mattress pad, posing a suffocation risk to babies.

Two infants suffocated this past summer. One was a four-month old in Georgia and one a 5-month-old in Oregon.

The beds look similar to a baby swing and are recommended for babies ranging from newborn to 9 months old, but have mesh and fabric sides, resembling a hammock. The bed hangs from a spring and every time the baby moves or stirs in his sleep, the bed gently moves up and down, back and forth, or side to side. The idea is to mimic the motion of a baby in the womb.

The beds have been sold online through Ambybaby.com and other Internet retailers since 2003.

The CPSC urged consumers to immediately stop using the motion beds and find a safe place for baby to sleep.

Continue reading "2 Deaths Lead to Hammock Recall" »

On November 24, the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) promised swift action to get dangerous products off the market. According to an Associated Press article that appeared on Philly.com, the CPSC chairman acknowledged that her agency did not move quickly enough on a record recall of 2.1 million cribs linked to four infant suffocations.

The recall involves drop-side cribs made by Stork Craft Manufacturing of Canada, affecting 1.2 million cribs in the United States and almost one million in Canada. Sales of the affected cribs date back to 1993.

Stork Craft has insisted that its cribs were safe if used properly. Their chief executive claimed the deaths were found to be a result of improper use and that parents should install a free kit from the company that converts the drop-side to an immovable side.

Drop-side cribs have one side that moves up and down to allow parents, especially shorter adults, to lift children from the cribs more easily. The CPSCS said that there have been 110 incidents of the drop-side detaching from the Stork Craft cribs.

More than five million drop-side cribs have been recalled in the last two years — recalls associated with the deaths of a dozen children.

Continue reading "Crib Design Standards May Become More Strict" »

On November 9, about a million Maclaren strollers sold by Target and Babies “R” Us were recalled after 12 reports of children having their fingertips amputated by a hinge mechanism.
According to an Associated Press article, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall includes all nine models of single and double umbrella Maclaren strollers (Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller).

The amputation risk occurs when a child’s finger is placed in the hinge mechanism of a stroller while it is being unfolded. When the opened stroller locks into place, it can cut off the tip of the child’s finger.

The company is offering free hinge covers to prevent future incidents. The covers should not be removed unless the stroller is being cleaned, according to the CPSC.

Continue reading "Stroller Recall Over Fingertip Amputation Danger" »

The Little Tikes Co. is recalling about 1.6 million toy workshops and trucks, after an 11-month-old boy got a plastic nail lodged in his throat. According to an article, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says the boy from Goose Creek, S.C., recovered after being hospitalized.

The recall includes a variety of toys manufactured by Little Tikes of Hudson, Ohio, in both the United States and China. They were sold with red or blue plastic toy nails that are about 3 1/4 inches long.

The recalled toys were sold on the Little Tikes Web site and by retailers around the country, including Toys ‘R’ Us, between March 1994 and June 2009.

Dangerous toys and defective child products can cause serious injuries, even death. Products may be dangerous because of design defects, manufacturer defects, incomplete instructions, and failure to provide danger warnings.

Continue reading "Children Products Recall Alert: Little Tikes Toy Workshops and Trucks" »

Because the number of Simplicity drop-side crib recalls has now reached two million, government safety regulators said that parents should discard drop-side Simplicity cribs sold mostly through Wal-Mart and other mass retailers. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, ten infant deaths in recent years have been blamed on Simplicity cribs' defective products.

A spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned, “You should not put your baby to bed tonight in a Simplicity drop-side crib.”The agency said its warning did not apply to cribs on which parents had installed special hardware.

The agency recalled an additional 400,000 Simplicity cribs earlier this month, which brought the total number of recalled Simplicity cribs to two million in the last two years. The cribs recalled on July 2 were sold at discount stores between January 2005 and last month.

The Simplicity cribs’ hardware can break or deform, allowing the drop side to detach and create a gap between the mattress and the side of the crib where a small child could be trapped and suffocate.

Continue reading "400,000 More Recalls of Simplicity Cribs" »

On June 16, federal health regulators said consumers should stop using Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel and related products because they can permanently damage the sense of smell. According to this article by the Associated Press, scientists said the zinc in these over-the-counter products might damage nerves in the nose needed for smell. The FDA said about 130 consumers have reported a loss of smell after using Matrixx Initiatives’ Zicam products since 1999.

Other products affected by the FDA’s announcement are adult and kid-size Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs.

Loss of the sense of smell is potentially life threatening because people without the sense of smell may not be able to detect life dangerous situations, such as gas leaks or something burning in the house.

The article stated that Zicam Cold Remedy was never formally approved because it is part of a small group of remedies that are not required to undergo federal review before launching.

Known as homeopathic products, the formulations often contain herbs, minerals, and flowers.

The FDA issued a warning letter to Matrixx asking the company to stop marketing its zinc-based products. The agency did not issue a formal recall.

According to federal regulators, Matrixx would have to submit safety and effectiveness data on the drug. And, if they wish to continue marketing Zicam intranasal zinc products, they need to seek FDA approval.

Continue reading "Zicam Nasal Spray Linked to Loss of Smell" »

According to the article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, this week there have been several recalls due to defective products in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation.

Baby Necessities pacifiers, manufactured in China and imported by OKK Trading of Los Angeles, Calif. were recalled because they failed federal safety tests. The pacifiers can separate from the base and pose a choking hazard. The recalled pacifiers were sold between August 2007 and January 2009.

About 24,000 3-in-1 high chairs, imported by Fisher-Price of East Aurora, N.Y. and manufactured in Mexico were recalled because the seat can fall backward from the frame if the release is unlatched while a child is inside. The seat back can also detach if not snapped fully into place. The company has received one report of a detached seat back that resulted in a fractured skull.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recalled one lot of Propafenone HCL 225 milligram tablets, a prescribed drug used to treat cardiac arrhythmia, sold in 100 count bottles in the United States. Some of the tablets may contain higher levels of the active ingredient than specified, causing serious drug injury in Philadelphia and in any other states where the drug is used. Some patients who are particularly sensitive to small variations in dose might experience serious side effects, including irregular heartbeat or low blood pressure.

Torres Hillsdale Country Cheese LLC is recalling Asadero and Oaxaca soft Mexican-style cheeses due to possible listeria contamination. Eating food contaminated with listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a potentially fatal disease.

Continue reading "Defective Product Recalls Update: Pacifiers, High Chairs, Heart Drug" »

Cribs, baby garments, blinds, and stools recalled

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a Stork Craft baby crib recall was initiated, recalling some 535,000 cribs in the U.S. The cribs, made in Canada, China, and Indonesia by Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. were recalled because the metal mattress-support brackets can crack and break. A child could get trapped or suffocate if the mattress were to collapse.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is aware of 10 incidents of support brackets that broke. In one incident a child was trapped between the mattress and the side rail with no injuries.

Also, recalled Taggies Sleep’n Play baby garments, made in China and imported by Rashti & Rashti were potentially dangerous as the snaps on the garments can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. No incidents or injuries have been reported. In July 2008, the company recalled two Taggies Sleep’n Play style baby garments, including the Butterfly Applique and the Fun Dog Print. The recall has been expanded to include the Dinosaur Applique and the Pink Toss Print styles. The garments are one-piece coveralls with snaps down the front.

Continue reading "Defective Product Recalls Include Children's Products, Blinds and Stools" »

Johnson & Johnson-Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co recalled about 12,000 units of Mylicon drops to relieve gas for infants. According to this article, certain bottles of nonstaining Mylicon gas-relief dye-free drops were recalled because some bottles could include pieces of metal. The recalled children's product was sold in 1-ounce plastic bottles that were distributed to stores and pharmacies after Oct. 5. They were sold over the counter.

The recalled bottles are from lot numbers SMF007 and SMF008, which are printed on the bottom of the box and on the lower-left side of the sticker on each bottle.

The companies said that some bottles could include metal fragments that were generated during the manufacturing process.

Continue reading "Child Product Recall Issued For Infant Gas Medicine" »