Waterloo Personal Injury Lawyer

Two More Women Die After Being Administered Gardasil

Jenny Albano — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:58:26 GMT

Two young women who received the cervical cancer vaccine, marketed as Gardasil, died days after being administered the vaccine. These deaths are causing some in the U.K. to question next years plan to have thousands of school aged girls receive the vaccine. The two women who died were given the vaccine in Germany and Austria and their names have not been released.

The two deaths follow the deaths of three U.S. females, ages 12, 19 and 22, who were reported to have died days after receiving Gardasil, which protects against the human papillomavirus -- believed to be the leading cause of cervical cancer -- was administered. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently reported that 28 women miscarried after receiving the vaccine.

No health officials in the U.S. or Europe have been able to directly link the deaths or miscarriages to the Gardasil vaccine. The FDA has said that there is no reason to reevaluate the vaccine. Merck, the maker of the drug, has said that it does not have plans to change its recommendation on the use of Gardasil.

Clinical trials completed by the FDA show that the vaccine's miscarriage rate is not significantly different than that of women in the general population who were given placebos.

So far there have been 3,461 adverse reactions, including eight deaths, reported since the vaccine was approved for use in girls as young as 9 in June 2006.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on FDA and Prescription Drugs.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Keystone Manufacturing Co. and QVC Recall Convection Ovens with Rotisserie

Jenny Albano — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 01:11:58 GMT

Keystone Manufacturing Co. and QVC, in conjunction with the CPSC, are recalling about 32,000 Cook's Essentials Convection Ovens with Pull-Out Rotisserie and Deni Convection Ovens with Rotisserie because of fire and electrical shock hazards.

Wires behind the control panel can overheat, posing fire and electric shock hazards. QVC has received 49 reports of incidents, including five minor burns, five electrical shocks and 11 incidents of minor property damage to kitchen cabinets and countertops.

The recall includes Cook's Essentials Multi-Function Convection Oven with Pull-Out Rotisserie with the model number 910500 or it was sold as Deni Convection Oven with Rotisserie with the model number 10500. The model number is labeled on the bottom of the oven and the brand name "Cook's Essentials" or "Deni" are labeled on the front right panel. The Cook's Essentials product was sold only through QVC, but the Deni brand was sold through many different on-line dealers. The product was sold from October 2006 to May 2007.

The companies and the CSPC recommend that consumers stop the use of this product immediately, and contact them to receive a refund or new product.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Los Angeles Salad Baby Carrots Recall - Shigella Taint

Courtney Mills — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 11:01:51 GMT

The Los Angeles Salad Company in conjunction with the FDA is recalling the company's "Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots" with a Sell By date code up to August 16, 2007. The named product has been recalled because the carrots have been found to be contaminated with the bacteria Shigella.

The baby carrots were sold under two labels: the first is "Los Angeles Salad Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots", distributed by Kroger Co. King Sooper, in Colorado, Kroger Co. Ralphs in California, and Publix in Florida and Georgia. The second label is "Trader Joe's Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots", distributed by Trader Joe's in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The Trader Joe's carrots were distributed in plastic translucent bags with a Sell By Date of up to August 8, 2007.

There have been four reported incidences of food poisoning due to Shigella in Canada during August 4 through the 6. The recall was initiated when consumers fell ill after eating this product.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Courtney Mills

Class 1 Recall of Thoratec TLC-II Portable Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Driver

Jenny Albano — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:06:00 GMT

The Thoratec TLC-II Portable Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Driver has been recalled by the FDA and the Thoratec Corporation because the VAD support for the patient's circulatory system may fail. A Ventricular assist device is a mechanical pump that assists a person's heart that is too weak to pump blood throughout the body itself. The VAD is used to give sufficient blood flow to the damaged heart.

The VAD driver may stop becasue of an early and unexpected wear-out of the compressor motor. The compressor motor may stop without a warning. If and when the motor fails, the VAD loses support for the patient's blood flow, which can cause the patient's circulatory system to fail.

The VAD drivers are not to be used past 1,500 hours until the company has serviced them.

Doctors should ensure that all patients have a back-up driver and hand pumps at all times and have been trained in backup procedures. When the 1500 hour limit has been reached, patients must stop using the device and send it to the manufacturer for servicing.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Avandia May Add New Bone Warning to Label

Jenny Albano — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:20:06 GMT

Avandia, a drug used to treat type II diabetes, may receive a warning label that displays the increased risks of bone fracture found in a new study.

Two tests demonstrated a link between the drug and broken bones in the hands and feet of women. It was found that men who used the drug for longer than 16 months had lower bone mineral density in their spine and hips than before taking Avandia.

``This suggests that thiazolidinedione treatment is a risk factor and can contribute to excess incidence of fractures in diabetes,'' researchers from the VA Medical Center and Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Louisiana wrote in the study.

Andrew Baum, a Morgan Stanley analyst, says that Avandia is "almost certain" to receive a new warning about the risk of fracture in women on the drug's label. An advisory panel for the FDA is scheduled to have a meeting about Avandia on July 30. Avandia has already been linked to heart ailments in patients.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Police Dog Finds Suspect, Bites Him

Christina Cole — Thu, 03 May 2007 11:37:26 GMT

A wanted man hiding in a crawl space beneath a house was flushed from his hiding space by a police dog, on Tuesday, and is now being treated at a Des Moines hospital for a dog bite.

The man, 43, of Des Moines, hiding in a crawl space, didn't respond when officers told him to come out. Officers then proceeded to spray pepper spray into the area and still the man did not respond. After two failed attempts to retrieve the man they called for a police dog. The dog entered the craw space and immediately found the man hiding in a hole covered by insulation.

When the man finally came out of the crawl space, he had dog bite wounds on his arm and chest. Police say he was treated and then transported to Polk County Jail.

The man was wanted on a warrant for domestic violence. He has also been charged with interfering with official acts for refusing to come out of hiding.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Children's Necklaces & Charm Bracelets Recalled for Lead Poisoning Hazard

Christina Cole — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:02:23 GMT

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in cooperation with Cardinal Distributing Co., announced a voluntary recall of 900,000 children's charm bracelets and necklaces. The paint on the jewelry contains high levels of lead, which is toxic if ingested by small children, which can cause adverse health effects.

To date, there have been no injuries reported. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled products and discard them.

The jewelry was sold in vending machines at malls, discount department stores and grocery stores nationwide from January 2006 through April 2007.

Jewelry Description: The recalled necklaces have sports-themed pendants including blue or green basketballs, yellow stars, and Perfect 10. The pendants hang from a black cord. The bracelets include green or pink painted heart-shaped charms and silver-colored charms shaped as suns, moons, stars, padlocks, keys, rattles, and fishbones.

For more information, visit the CPSC Website.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Accusations Running Rampant After Fiery Explosion

Christina Cole — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 15:14:15 GMT

A clothes dryer that was found inside a townhouse where a man and his baby were killed had allegedly been stolen from the next-door unit, likely causing a gas leak that led to a deadly fire and explosion.

Investigators are still trying to figure out how the dryer ended up in the man's home, killing him in a fiery explosion last Wednesday at 3:00am. The fire destroyed four public housing unites and seven other people were also injured.

Some neighbors have said he bought the dryer while police can't find proof that he bought it or that it was stolen. The home was unoccupied when the fire ignited, sparking a massive explosion that was heard for miles. The man's girlfriend insisted that there was no dryer in their home. She has hired a lawyer, but a lawsuit has not been filed.

It has been suggested that the dryer was either blown into their home by the blast or planted there by the police. Authorities discount both accusations.

During news conferences, the victims' relatives have accused police and firefighters of ignoring pleas for help as her boyfriend and baby lay trapped beneath burning debris.

They also have said that the smell of gas was a persistent problem at the complex and that previous complaints were never investigated.

Police and fire officials said the victims' apartment was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived just minutes after the blast and that no one could have gone inside. There is no record of residents' complaints concerning possible gas leaks.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Helicopter Transports One to Hospital after Car Crash

Christina Cole — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 14:21:37 GMT

According to a dispatcher with the Jasper County Sheriff's office, one person has been transported by helicopter to the hospital after suffering injuries in a car accident at approximately 7:40 p.m. this evening.

The one-vehicle crash left the driver of the car trapped beneath the car. The person's name has not been released, pending family notification and he was transported to Iowa Methodist Medical Center.

Paramedics and Sheriff Deputy's were both on the scene of the accident. According to the dispatchers, there was only one person injured in the accident.

Deputies are investigating the cause of the accident and no further details are currently available.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Man Slips-and-Falls at Burker King

Christina Cole — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 15:40:03 GMT

After a slip and fall accident in the men's room of Burger King, the man has filed a lawsuit.

On September 11, 2005, the men went to the restroom and crossed the room to get to the sink when he slipped and fell on the floor. He reached with his arms to try and brace himself but he lost his balance and struck the wall with his shoulder.

He suffered a shoulder injury and lower back pain along with injuries to his body in general.

"The floor tile is smooth, and is without a non-slip surface," the suit states. "The area had no 'Caution Wet Floor' markers displayed at the time of the accident."

The lawsuit, filed in January, contends the restaurant neglected the safety of the public because the floor did not have a non-slip surface.

The suit seeks coverage of his medical bills that total $12,000 or more and future medical costs, compensatory and punitive damages.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole