Defective & Dangerous Products

• Getting The Lead Out Of Gift Shops

  Bob Carroll | December 13, 2006 6:04 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  A visit to Washington, D.C., could be hazardous to the health of your children, especially if you are feeling generous.Lead in Jewelry and Other Products Sold in Capitol Gift ShopsFrom press release: "Rep. Waxman and Sen. Obama today released a report finding that products from the Capitol gift shop contain dangerous amounts of lead. Jewelry and other inexpensive children's gifts sold in the...

• Don't Expose Children To Secondhand Smoke

  Bob Carroll | December 09, 2006 4:45 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  If you don't care enough about your own health to stop smoking at least stop smoking around others, especially children. Exposing children to secondhand smoke (environmental tobacco smoke) should be considered child abuse.Environmental Tobacco SmokeHere are some common questions and answers about secondhand smoke also known as environmental tobacco smoke. Take action now to reduce your risks.Q:...

• Power Rear Liftgates on Toyota Minivans Causing Injuries

  Bob Carroll | December 08, 2006 6:30 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  For many consumers a power rear liftgate on a minivan is a necessity. It turns out some of the liftgates are defective and cause injuries.Toyota, NHTSA Investigate 360,000 Sienna VansThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Toyota Motor Corp.'s 2004 and 2005 Sienna minivans with power rear liftgates after reports of 14 injuries when the liftgates unexpectedly...

• FDA Asks Right Question Regarding Stents But To Wrong Experts

  Bob Carroll | December 05, 2006 5:00 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Let's see if this makes sense. Six physicians with financial ties to Johnson & Johnson and other heart-device makers will be advising U.S. regulators whether to restrict the use of some products because of potentially lethal side effects. FDA waives rules for expert panel on stents The doctors will serve this week on a FDA panel of experts in Washington reviewing blood clots linked to stents....

• Big Tobacco In Big Denial

  Bob Carroll | November 29, 2006 7:09 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Shirl Kennedy, at Docuticker, has excerpted a paragraph about Big Tobacco that hits the nail on the head.Tobacco manufacturers' defence against plaintiffs' claims of cancer causation: throwing mud at the wall and hoping some of it will stick Source: Tobacco Control"Despite the vast body of literature showing that cigarette smoking causes cancer, and despite tobacco companies' recent admissions...

• All I Can Say Is Fabuloso!

  Bob Carroll | November 29, 2006 6:08 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  There are times when the system works. Fabuloso's better bottle - thanks to youIn March 2006, after being alerted by a Consumer Reports reader, we reported on all-purpose cleaners whose packaging may entice children to drink them. The vivid-colored, sweet and fruity-smelling bottled cleaners also lacked child-resistant caps, which federal law does not require, since their labels described the...

• Silicone Breast Implants - Defective Medical Devices?

  Bob Carroll | November 20, 2006 6:11 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Silicone gel breast implants are back in the news. Should they ever be placed in your body?Most defective medical device ever OK'd by FDA?Dr. Sidney Wolfe, Director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, criticizes the FDA's approval of silicone gel breast implants, calling them "the most defective medical device ever approved by the FDA."Wolfe, in a statement on the Public Citizen website,...

• Taser-Related Deaths

  Bob Carroll | November 19, 2006 4:03 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  I wonder if medpundit will be taking any evening walks in the park this week. In an article reporting on a lawsuit by Taser International, Inc., some opinions expressed by medpundit could bring on a late night zapping to demonstrate the safety of a Taser.Taser Fights BackTaser, the makers of stun-guns, is suing our local medical examiner because she listed Tasers as a cause of death on two...

• Tobacco Cravings For Justice And Compensation

  Bob Carroll | November 15, 2006 6:52 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  It appears many Floridians will fail to seek compensation for smoking-related diseases and conditions despite the creation of an individual legal right by the Florida Supreme Court. I can make this statement because the statute of limitations for smokers (and the relatives of deceased smokers) is approaching and many significantly injured or deceased smoker claims will likely not seek a timely...

• Rollovers Cause One Third Of Highway Deaths

  Bob Carroll | November 10, 2006 6:11 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  My fellow InjuryBoard.com blogger, Ed Smith in Sacramento, California, has posted on the risks of rollover accidents. Having experienced a rollover in my own SUV, a Ford Explorer, you might say I have an inside perspective on these frightening and life-threatening events. Ed's FAQ is just as helpful for us in Florida as it is for the folks in California. Take a short trip to his post to get...