Tampa Bay Personal Injury Lawyer

Young Boy Struck By Car At Bus Stop in Valrico

Joe Saunders — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:23:12 GMT

Christian Gonzalez, a 10-year old 4th grader from Valrico Elementary School, was struck and seriously injured by a vehicle driven by 65 year old Carlos Garcia. It is still not known whether the driver of the vehicle will face criminal charges. Garcia was driving a 2001 PT Cruiser at the time of the accident. Christian Gonzalez was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital. The boy was struck in front of Town and Country Mobile Home Park, 1221 Valrico Road north of Dockside Drive, at about 7:45 a.m.

This type of tragedy is every parents' worst nightmare. Now that school has re-opened in the Tampa Bay area, all drivers need to take extra time and precaution when approaching and driving through a school zone. A young life may be at stake and the few minutes you might save by speeding won't be worth it if one of our young children is maimed as a result of careless or thoughtless driving.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Jalepeno Now Salmonella Focus, Florida Tomato Growers Lose Millions

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:02:06 GMT

FDA investigator finally found salmonella in one of the thousands of samples it had tested following a huge nationwide outbreak. It was not found on a tomato however, the initial focus of the investigation. Instead it was found on a jalepeno pepper that was processed in a Texas plant and came from Mexico. Florida's tomato growers have suffered a huge loss to this growing season as their tomatoes were under the heaviest suspicion.

The wholesaler that processed the contaminated pepper, Agricola Zaragoza in McAllen, Texas, has recalled all its pepper shipments as a result of the FDA's findings. And restaurants, grocery stores and other food services have been notified of the FDA's stepped-up warning against the fresh peppers as well as fresh salsa or sauces that use jalapenos as ingredients.

The FDA has issued an advisory against eating raw jalepenos. Those that have been cooked or pickled should be fine. The rare Saintpaul stain of salmonella has sickened more than 1,000 people around the country. Many people that fell ill at the beginning reported that they had eaten something with raw tomatoes.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Two Die in Inverness Motorcycle Accident

Shannon Weidemann — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:57:34 GMT

Two people died from their injuries after being involved in a motorcycle accident in Inverness on Sunday night. A 19-year-old Marine on leave from Iraq was taking his 16-year-old friend for a motorcycle ride.

The two crashed into a pick up truck pulling a trailer at North Croft Avenue and East Dawson Drive.

Both riders were ejected from the motorcycle and were taken to Citrus Memorial Hospital. Neither was wearing a helmet when they crashed.

According to Florida law anyone under the age of 18 must wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. The driver and passenger in the pick-up truck were not hurt in the accident. A police officer was attempting to pull over the motorcycle prior to the accident. The officer reported that the motorcycle was going 80 mph.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Local Mental Health Facility Shut Down Due to Bed Bugs

Joe Saunders — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:37:15 GMT

PEMHS, a local St. Petersburg mental health facility, has been temporarily shut down due to an infestation of bed bugs. State and local agencies are monitoring the clean-up and removal of the bed bugs. PEMHS will re-open once the bed bugs are removed from the facility.

Bed bugs are small insects that feed off the blood of humans. They are nocturnal creatures that thrive in warm climates. Adult bedbugs are a reddish brown, flattened, oval, and wingless, with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance. A common misconception is that they are not visible to the naked eye. Adults grow to 4 to 5 mm (one-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch) in length and do not move quickly enough to escape the notice of an attentive observer. Newly hatched nymphs are translucent, lighter in color and continue to become browner and moult as they reach maturity . When it comes to size, they are often compared to lentils or appleseeds

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

BPA Free Bottles Gain Popularity

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:53:24 GMT

For a long time now bisphenol-A (BPA) has been used in plastic to make it hard and clear. New studies are now making people question its safety especially when used in baby bottles, sippy cups, and the lining of formula cans. Retailers such as Babies R Us and Toys R Us are offering a BPA bottle exchange.

The National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health, released a draft report in April that concluded there may be some health concerns associated with products containing BPA, which is also present in the lining of canned foods and drinks.

The possibility that BPA may alter human development could not be dismissed, researchers said.

Canada has banned the sale of items containing BPA. Exposure has been linked to breast cancer, testicular cancer, early onset of puberty, autism, and hyperactivity. For now parents are following the old adage of better safe than sorry and exchanging their bottles for BPA-free ones. Glass bottles are making a comeback as well.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Salmonella Cases Not Slowing Down

Shannon Weidemann — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:08:28 GMT

Investigators from the FDA and CDC continue to test tomotoes from across the country in order to find the source of the salmonella outbreak. 810 cases in 36 states have been reported from the Saintpaul strain of salmonella. This is a rare strain that usually contributes to less than 400 cases a year. One of the issues in finding the source is the practice of repacking tomatoes.

Distributors frequently repack tomatoes to meet the needs of commercial customers, such as restaurant chains, that demand that each box contain vegetables of similar size and ripeness.

Not only does repacking make it harder to figure out where a bad tomato may have been grown, it raises the prospect that consumers who think they are buying produce from one of the many designated "safe" states - California is one of them - may be getting tomatoes comingled with produce from other regions.

It was originally believed that the source was tomatoes from Mexico or Florida. The harvests in those areas is over and the number of salmonella cases continue to rise. Investigators are starting to look into other sources of the contamination rather than tomatoes. It is still a strong common denominator in all of the reported cases though. Salmonella can cause vomitting, diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Motorcycle Driver Killed in Tampa Accident

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:20:35 GMT

A 54-year-old man driving his motorcycle in Tampa was killed when he was hit by a car. The motorcycle accident happened last night.

The victim

of North Edison Street was westbound on West Waters Avenue on his Harley Davidson motorcycle when an eastbound Mercedes pulled in front of him to turn onto Ola Avenue.

The victim was hit head on and died on the scene. The driver of the Mercedes has had other traffic violations and the Tampa Police Department called him a Habitual Traffic Offender. He has been charged with driving while license suspended involving death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Xiadafil VIP Tabs Recall Requested

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:01:50 GMT

A dietary supplement that is labeled as being a sexual enhancer and treatment for erectile dysfunction is under a request by the FDA to be recalled. SEI Pharmaceuticals of Florida manufactures Xiadafil VIP Tabs. According to the FDA the recalled supplement contains an analog of the active ingredient in Viagra. The over the counter supplement could cause harmful drug interactions.

"Because these products are labeled as 'all natural dietary supplements,' consumers may assume that they are harmless and pose no health risk," said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "But an unsuspecting consumer with underlying medical issues may take these products without knowing that they can cause serious side effects and interact in dangerous ways with drugs that a consumer is already taking."

The FDA has not approved Xiadafil VIP Tabs for ED or any other drug use, and the safety and effectiveness of this product is unknown. The product is promoted and sold over the Internet, was given away as free samples at trade shows, and is sold in health food stores nationwide. The product may be packaged in bottles of eight tablets or blister cards of two tablets.

The state of Florida has already issued a "stop sale" to keep the company from distributing or selling the product. The FDA advises that consumers should stop using the supplement immediately. The product may react with prescription medication that contains nitrates and lower a person's blood pressure to unhealthy levels.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Ford Recalls Pickup Trucks

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:29:14 GMT

A brake hose problem is forcing the recall of Ford F-150 pickup trucks as well as the Lincoln Mark LT truck. The truck recall involves 650,000 2005 and 2006 trucks.

Ford trucks covered by the recall are equipped with 5.4-liter engines. The brake hose on those trucks can detach from an intake manifold, causing the driver to lose the "assist" function that provides additional power to the brakes, according to the safety notice.

The trucks could still be stopped with remaining braking power but it would require drivers to apply "more force to the pedal," Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said.

Ford will contact owners of the recalled trucks to schedule a repair o the brake hose. No injuries have been reported due to the faulty component. There have been 11 minor accidents reported though. Ford can be contacted for more information at 1-800-392-3673. The recall also affects around 50,000 trucks in Canada.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Pedestrian Killed Near Tampa Bay

Shannon Weidemann — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:18:29 GMT

A woman walking in Spring Hill was killed by a car on Monday night. The pedestrian accident happened on U.S. 41. She was walking with another person when she was hit.

The pedestrians

both of New Port Richey, were crossing U.S. 41 at the intersection with Bowman Rd. They crossed in the path of a car driven by Andre L. Storr of Spring Hill, and were hit.

The victim died at the scene. Her companion was taken to a St. Joseph's Hospital to be treated for his injuries. His condition is unknown. It was reported that his injuries were serious. The police are investigating the accident and the cause is unknown. No charges have been filed.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann