San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Infantino LLC of San Diego, today announced a voluntary recall of Troy the Activity Truck.

Approximately 40,500 trucks were distributed in the United States, and 1,900 trucks were distributed in Canada.

Hazard: The plastic beads on the activity truck's bead runs can detach ~ posing a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: Infantino has received 28 reports of the plastic beads
detaching from the bead runs on the activity trucks, including two reports of
young children gagging on the plastic beads.

Description: This safety recall involves "Troy the Activity Truck," which is blue, red, and yellow with plastic star, circle, and heart beads attached to the bead runs
on the back of the truck. The truck contains a face on the front. "Infantino" is printed on
the front of the toy truck. Model number 153-210, 206-110, or 506-110C is printed
underneath the truck. When the switch on the truck is turned on, the truck plays music and the back wheels spin.

Sellers: Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Meijer, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and other toy stores nationwide from September 2009 through February 2011 for about $15.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children
and contact Infantino to receive a free replacement toy.

For additional information, contact Infantino toll-free at (888) 808-3111 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at http://service.infantino.com.

Continue reading "Safety Recall ~ Infantino's Troy The Activity Truck" »

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Burlington Coat Factory recently announced a voluntary recall of its Bella Kitchen 5-quart programmable slow
cookers. The control panel may overheat and melt, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Units sold: Approximately 7,460

Retailer: Burlington Coat Factory of Burlington, New Jersey

Importer/Distributor: Lehrhoff ABL of Carlstadt, New JerseyThe manufacturer has received 60 reports of the control panels smoking, melting and sparking, and three reports of panels catching fire. Fourteen incidents resulted in minor damage to countertops. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The slow cookers are black with "Bella Kitchen" printed on the control
panel. Only slow cookers with model number WJ-5000DE and date codes 0907 or 0909
are included in the recall. The model number and the four-digit date code are
printed on a label on the underside of the slow cooker.

Sold at: Burlington Coat Factory stores from June 2010 through December 2010 for
$20.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the slow cooker immediately, unplug it, and
return it to Burlington Coat Factory for a full refund or store credit.

For more information, visit the firm's website at http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com.

Continue reading "Safety Recall Of Slow Cookers Due To Fire Hazard ~" »

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission & Rocking Horse Depot (of Buckeye, Arizona) recently announced a voluntary recall of rocking horses. Consumers should stop using the recalled product immediately.

Recalled Product: Rocking HorsesUnits Sold: Approximately 1,200

Hazard: The reins on the rocking horse bridle are long and may form a loop around a child's head and neck, posing a strangulation hazard.

Description: This recall involves Rocking Horse Depot's small, medium and large rocking horses with bridles. The rocking horse has a hardwood frame and is covered with synthetic hide. Each rocking horse has fluffy mane and tail, and a leather Rocking Horse Depot emblem on the right side of the saddle.Retailer: RockingHorseDepot.com (sold from November 2006 through December 2009 for between $105 and $185).

Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove or cut the reins off in order to eliminate the hazard. Consumers may also contact Rocking Horse Depot for instructions on how to remove the reins.

Consumer Contact: For more information, please contact Rocking Horse Depot collect at (623) 302-6313 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.rockinghorsedepot.com.

CPSC is interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please visit its website: https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

Continue reading "Nationwide Safety Recall Of Rocking Horses ~" »

Last month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) unanimously outlawed the manufacture, sale, and re-sale of drop-side cribs, due to the deaths of over thirty infants and toddlers in the past decade, and millions of crib recalls.

The drop-side cribs have a side rail which moves up and down, which allows parents to more easily lift their baby or toddler from the crib. However, babies can get caught and then suffocate or be strangled due to the dangerous "V"-like gap between the mattress and side rail.

The new standard requiring cribs to have fixed sides will take effect in June 2011. Hotels and childcare centers have one year to purchase new replacement cribs in order to be in compliance with the new regulation.

Around for decades, these 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, causing the "V"-like gap.

The new standard also mandates tougher safety testing of cribs, tests that more closely simulate a child in a crib. As children get older, they can apply more force to the crib by shaking on it, running around in it, and jumping up and down. The new tests will ensure that the cribs can withstand that kind of pressure.

Also required - better labeling on crib pieces. This measure aims to cut down on the misassembly problems that some parents have encountered - problems that can lead to the death of a child.

For those parents who lost their children in drop-side cribs, last month's ban couldn't have come soon enough.

For more information, visit www.

Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission

Continue reading "Safety Recall Of Drop-Side Baby Cribs ~" »

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has voted unanimously to approve new mandatory standards for full-size and non-full-size baby cribs as mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). The federal crib standards hadn't been updated in almost 30 years, so the new rules are expected to help create a safer generation of cribs.

Effective June 2011, cribs manufactured, sold, or leased in the United States must comply with the new federal standards. Effective 24 months after the rule is published, child care facilities, such as family child care homes and infant Head Start centers, and places of public accommodation, such as hotels and motels, must have compliant cribs in their facilities.

Once effective, the mandatory crib standards will: (1) stop the manufacture and sale of dangerous, traditional drop-side cribs; (2) make crib hardware more durable; (3) make mattress supports stronger; and (4) make safety testing more rigorous.

The CPSC has recalled more than 11 million dangerous cribs since 2007. The detaching drop-side rails were associated with at least 32 infant suffocation and strangulation deaths since 2000. Additional deaths were caused by faulty or defective hardware. The new standards aim to keep babies safe and prevent tragedy.

For more information on crib safety and safe sleep environments for babies, visit the CPSC's crib information center at: www.cpsc.gov/info/cribs/index.html.

Continue reading "CPSC Approves New Crib Safety Standards To Ensure A Safe Sleep For Babies & Toddlers ~" »

L.L. Bean and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have just announced a voluntary recall of folding camp rockers (which have a fabric cover and a steel frame). Consumers are urged to stop using the rockers, because the plastic anchors attaching the fabric seat back to the frame can break, posing a fall hazard.Rocker chairs with the number RNR113 and RNR114 listed on the white tag under the seat are included in the recall. However, folding camp rockers with fabric anchors are not included in this recall.

The chairs were sold exclusively at L.L.Bean stores nationwide, llbean.com, and through the L.L.Bean catalog from April 2009 through July 2010 for about $50.

Remedy

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled rockers with plastic anchors and contact L.L.Bean to receive a free replacement rocker. For additional information, contact L.L.Bean at (800) 555-9717 or visit the firm's website at www.llbean.com/recall.

Continue reading "L.L. Bean Recall ~ Folding Camp Rockers" »

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently joined three child safety organizations at NewYork Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital to release "Safe Sleep for Babies" ~ a new crib safety video aimed at helping all new parents to avoid their babies' being suffocated, strangled, and/or and entrapped in their sleep environment. The CPSC also announced three new recalls of dangerous drop-side cribs.

The CPSC is collaborating with Keeping Babies Safe (KBS), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), New York Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, and renowned journalist and mom, Joan Lunden, to educate new and expectant parents and caregivers on crib safety while they are at the hospital or visiting their pediatrician's office. The new video demonstrates how to keep babies safe and sound in bassinets, cribs, and play yards.

In addition to this education effort, CPSC's Safe Sleep Initiative includes the development of new crib standards, warnings about drop-side cribs, infant slings, and sleep positioners, and the recall of millions of cribs in the past five years.

According to statistics, cribs are a leading cause of nursery product-related deaths. About one-third of the deaths result from structural failures of the crib from missing, loose, or detached hardware. Additionally, the majority of deaths in cribs are attributed to the presence of extra bedding in the crib, i.e., pillows and comforters.

In order to create a safe sleep environment for your baby, the video urges parents and caregivers to follow the crib safety tips below:

Please visit the CPSC's Crib Information Center for more information on Crib Safety & Recalls.

Continue reading "Crib Safety For New & Expectant Parents ~" »

Toyota has announced another recall of 1.53 million cars globally. Of these, 740,000 are located in the U.S. The Lexus, Avalon, and other models are being recalled due to brake fluid and fuel pump problems. This recall is the latest in a string of "quality lapses" for the world's number one auto maker.

Toyota Motor Corporation is recalling about 740,000 cars in the U.S. and 599,000 in Japan. The remainder are in Europe and other markets around the world.

Over the past year, more than 10 million cars and trucks worldwide for a variety of problems ~ from braking problems in its Prius hybrid to faulty gas pedals and floor mats that can trap accelerators. In August, Toyota recalled 1.33 million Corolla sedans and Matrix hatchbacks in the U.S. and Canada because of the potential for their engines to stall.

This most recent recall involves a problem with the brake master cylinder which could lead to weaker braking power. Some models in Japan and elsewhere - but not in North America - have an electrical problem with the fuel pump which could cause the engine to stall. As of yet, no accidents have been reported from the two defects.

The recall decision was made under Toyota's new quality control regime which was implemented during the last several months in response to criticism that the company was slow in handling the onslaught of safety problems earlier this year.

Continue reading "Another Toyota Safety Recall Announced ~" »

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission & Munchkin, Inc. of North Hills, California, have announced today a voluntary recall of the "Bathtub Sub" children's submarine toy. Consumers should stop using this recalled product immediately.

Hazard Involved

The intake valve located on the bottom of the submarine toy can pull a child's skin away from his/her body and into the suction valve, posing a laceration hazard.

Incidents/Injuries

The CPSC and Munchkin, Inc. are aware of nineteen incidents of lacerations to boys' genital area while bathing.

Remedy

Consumers should contact Munchkin for instructions on how to return the product for a free
replacement toy: http://www.munchkin.com.

Continue reading "Bathtub Toys Recalled By Munchkin Due To Injury Risk ~" »

KTLA News reports that an investigation has been launched into the Thursday night roller coaster accident at Knott's Berry Farm. Ten people were injured after the Pony Express horseback-style launch coaster failed to make it up an incline and rolled back into the loading station, slamming into another train waiting to depart.

Paramedics transported the injured roller coaster riders to a local hospital for treatment. Fortunately, only minor injuries were reported and all of the riders were released on Friday.

State inspectors and the ride's manufacturer plan to visit the theme park this week to determine what went wrong.

The rollercoaster trains collided in the station around 8:15 p.m. where park guests board the ride. A train leaving the station didn't make it over the first hill and rolled back into another train, according to investigators. One person who was getting into a waiting train and nine others on the train that rolled back were injured. The park guests were hospitalized with minor injuries. Three of the riders were twelve years old, and the others were adults.

Roller Coaster Crash Liability

Officials will investigate the cause of the incident to determine what went wrong. Were adequate safety measures in place? Was the roller coaster in question properly maintained? These are questions that the injured riders will want answers to when/if they decide to retain legal representation for their potential claims.

Continue reading "Knott's Berry Farm Roller Coaster Accident Injures 10 ~" »

Tike Tech Ltd. and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission just announced a voluntary recall of 800 Tike Tech Single City X3 and X3 Sport Jogging Strollers. The hazard posed by the jogging strollers is an opening between the grab bar and seat bottom of the stroller, which can allow an infant's body to pass through and become entrapped at the neck by the grab bar. When an infant or young child is not harnessed, this poses a strangulation hazard.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to always secure children by using the safety harness in the stroller, and never leave the children unattended. Additionally, consumers should immediately remove the grab bar from the stroller and contact Tike Tech to receive a free replacement grab bar.The recall includes the grab bar on Tike Tech Single City X3 and X3 Sport strollers. "Tike Tech" is printed on the footrest and on the back of the stroller on the right and left sides. The ID codes can be found on the interior left side frame.The following ID codes are included in this recall:

ID-Codes: TT-18-01
TT-18-02
TT-18-03
TT-18-04
TT-18-05
TT-18-06
TT-18-07

The strollers were sold at Juvenile product stores nationwide, as well as on web sites including www.amazon.com from October 2009 through February 2010 for approximately $300.00.

For further information, please contact Tike Tech at (800) 296-4602 between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or e-mail the company: recall@tiketech.com.

Continue reading "Safety Recall Of Jogging Strollers Due To Strangulation Hazard~" »

Today it has been reported that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are warning consumers to stop using infant sleep positioners. Over the past 13 years, both agencies have received twelve reports of infant deaths (between the ages of one to four month and 4 four months). The infants reportedly died from suffocation while sleeping in sleep positioners, or they became trapped and suffocated between a sleep positioner and the side of a crib or bassinet.

Most of the infants suffocated after rolling from a side to stomach position. In addition to the above-reported deaths, CPSC has also received dozens of reports about infants who were placed on their backs or sides in sleep positioners, only to be found later in potentially hazardous positions within or next to the sleep positioners.
Parents and caregivers are urged to stop using the sleep positioners, due to the dangerous situations and possible death that may result from using them.

The two main types of infant sleep positioners are flat mats with side bolsters or inclined (wedge) mats with side bolsters (see photos below).

Consumers are urged to do the following:

STOP using sleep positioners, because using a positioner to hold an infant on his or her back or side for sleep is dangerous and unnecessary;

NEVER put pillows, infant sleep positioners, comforters, or quilts under a baby or in a crib; and

ALWAYS place an infant on his or her back at night and during nap time.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reducing the risk of SIDS by placing infants on their backs (and not their sides) to sleep. Howe

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not support the use of any sleep positioner to prevent SIDS.

CPSC is interested in receiving incident or injury reports related to these products. To file a report, please visit https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

Continue reading "Safety Recall Of Infant Sleep Positioners ~" »

You've probably seen in the news that Toyota Motor Corporation has settled a lawsuit brought by the relatives of the four family members killed in a high-speed crash in San Diego County that focused attention on the safety flaws of Toyotas, leading to the recall of millions of vehicles.

The L.A. Times reported the settlement last Friday evening, and the Associated Press reported that on Saturday, a Toyota spokesman confirmed the settlement in an e-mailed statement. The settlement terms were disclosed to the judge presiding over the case this past Monday in motions filed with the court. Attorney Tim Pestotnik, an attorney representing the parents of the three adult victims, declined to comment to the L.A. Times.

Co-defendant Bob Baker Lexus in San Diego, the dealer that loaned the family the car, was not part of the recent settlement.

Soon after the crash, Toyota recalled millions of cars to replace floor mats that it said might cause the accelerator to jam. Toyota later recalled millions more vehicles to replace gas pedals that could potentially stick.

The San Diego case was considered the strongest of the hundreds of lawsuits filed over claims stemming from sudden acceleration in several of the Toyota models, as well as brake glitches with the company's Prius hybrid vehicle.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, 10news.com

Continue reading "Recent Settlement Of San Diego's Toyota Crash Lawsuit Announced ~" »

Bloomberg News reports that plaintiffs from six U.S. states have sued the two Iowa egg farms involved in the massive salmonella outbreak, accusing them of failing to prevent an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. The Federal Centers For Disease Control And Prevention has said that as many as 1,519 diagnosed cases have been reported since May 1st, which may be linked to eggs from the Wright County Egg Farm in Galt, Iowa and Hillandale Farms Of Iowa located in New Hampton, Iowa.

The plaintiffs are residents of Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York, & Mississippi. They seek: (1) class-action (or group) status on behalf of those who purchased or were harmed by the tainted eggs; (2) reimbursement for the purchases; and (3) payment for medical testing and monitoring.

The case is entitled Dwyer v. Quality Egg LLC, Case No. 10-cv-05847, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Chicago).

Kenneth Moll, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, said at a Thursday press conference: "Self-policing doesn't work ... the farms failed to follow U.S. regulations to prevent contamination" while announcing the filing of the class action lawsuit in federal court in Chicago.

Recall Information

Wright (which is the trade name for Quality Egg LLC) and Hillandale have recalled 550 million eggs since the detection of the outbreak, which is the largest occurrence of salmonella poisoning since the Atlanta-based CDC began tracking cases over 30 years ago.

Symptoms

Salmonella can cause abdominal cramps, fever, and severe diarrhea, and can also lead to fatal complications in infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.

Sources: www.bloomberg.com

Continue reading "Salmonella Outbreak Causing Extensive Egg Recall Now In Litigation ~" »

Portola Elementary School was evacuated today due to parents reporting the smell of a strong natural gas odor. The school is located approximately one mile from the site of last week's deadly explosion.

The Chronicle reports that as parents were dropping off students this morning around 8:35 a.m., they reported smelling the natural gas odor. Fire officials found a small leak at the school; therefore, 270 students were evacuated.

Last Thursday's explosion and fire killed at least four people and destroyed 37 homes. Three people remain missing.

State and federal officials are investigating the deadly blast.

Continue reading "San Bruno Elementary School Evacuated Due To Gas Leak ~" »