Fire hazards are some of the most common defective product related risks. Typically, fires are related to defective electronic appliances, although there have been fatal incidents involving seemingly benign items, like clothing. Last year, several people suffered fatal burn injuries after their chenille bathrobes burst into flames. The bathrobes had been manufactured overseas, using flammable material.

Fire hazards are also behind the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s latest recall, although this one is not related to clothing. This time, it’s 900,000 units of General Electric coffeemakers sold at Walmart that have been recalled by the federal agency.

According to the CPSC, the coffeemakers are susceptible to overheating, and could possibly lead to a fire. Users could be at a high risk for burns. The agency has 83 confirmed reports involving the General Electric coffeemakers overheating and either bursting into flames, smoking or melting. Out of these, at least three of the reports involved persons who suffered minor burn injuries to the hands, feet and torso. There are also reports of substantial property damage, including one major kitchen fire, and other reports of fire damage to cabinets, countertops and a wall.

The coffeemakers involved in the recall are the General Electric 12-cup coffee makers. The coffeemakers were sold in black and white colors. These were sold exclusively at Walmart stores between March 2008 and January 2010 for about $30. The coffeemakers were manufactured in China. The agency is advising consumers to stop using the coffeemakers immediately, and return them to Walmart for a full refund.

Typically, a California mass torts attorney comes across fires caused by the following defective products:

• Ovens
• Grills
• Gas ranges
• Toasters
• Heaters
• Boilers
• Water coolers
• Extension cords
• Vaporizers

There isn’t much that a consumer can do to prevent the risk of burn injuries if the defective appliance overheats, or short circuits, causing a fire. However, there are basic steps you can take to minimize your risks of a burn injury while using a coffeemaker.

• Never place your coffeemaker or cord in liquid.
• Never touch any of the hot surfaces. Instead, use handles or knobs to hold the appliance.
• Keep coffeemakers out of reach of little children. Tuck cords away where they cannot be reached by little hands.
• Place the coffeemaker on a flat surface.
• Unplug the coffeemaker before cleaning it.

As Chrysler minivans prepare for a recall, somewhere Toyota executives are breathing a sigh of relief.  Some of the heat Toyota is feeling will be lifted as over 350,000 Chrysler minivans are recalled in a safety campaign launched by the automaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  The defect in the minivans could be fatal for drivers in colder climates.

The minivans in question are models made between 2005 and 2006, the extremely popular Grand Caravan, Dodge Caravan, and Chrysler Town & Country.   All three models are being recalled for airbag issues.  The recall will only affect models that were sold in 28 “salt belt states,” as well as parts of Canada, where winter conditions require salting of the roads and highways.  In states with severe weather conditions and rough roads, airbag sensors in the minivans can crack causing them to get wet or damaged and putting the lives of drivers and passengers at risk. When the sensors are wet, the airbag might become inactive causing it to fail to deploy.  Chrysler insists that this recall is a precautionary measure and notes that the minivans are all equipped with warning lights that will alert drivers of any malfunction. So far, no accidents or injuries caused by the malfunctioning airbags have been reported.

While it is unclear if this airbag issue is the first of many for Chrysler, it is certain that tougher standards for automakers and recall mania will continue. Even if it is a huge pain for big car companies, this is great news for drivers concerned with feeling safe on the road.

Related:  Oakland, CA Defective Products Lawyer

Do pharmacies make mistakes filling your prescription?  They sure do.  Do drug companies make mistakes labeling their drugs?  They sure do.  And worse, these mistakes which often produce fatal results, are occurring at an alarming rate.  The chance of you becoming the next victim is also increasing.  Here’s why.  The era of your friendly and wise neighborhood pharmacist adorned with lab coat and grey mustache, carefully analyzing your medicinal dose, has all but vanished.  The corner drug store of yesterday has been replaced by the modern day assembly line of chain store pharmacies.  Feeding these chain stores is the multi-billion dollar drug industry, pumping more pharmaceuticals into the stream of commerce than at any time in history and likewise, the chain store pharmacies are in the business of selling those drugs.  Selling has trumped service, with volume, and lots of it, being the bulls-eye.  Now add to this reality the fact that as we get older, we consume more and more of these drugs to treat our progressive ailments.  Based on numbers alone, the odds are increasing that you will become a victim of pharmaceutical negligence.

Pharmacy errors run the gamut from putting the wrong medication or the wrong dosage in the bottle to incorrectly labeling the prescription instructions.  Here are some practical tips to help you from becoming a victim.  If you’re being prescribed a medication for the first time, ask your doctor to identify the medicine, the dosage and the frequency of use.  Write it down so you have something to compare to your prescription later.

If you get a prescription refilled and it looks difference from what you’ve been taking before, tell your pharmacist, “these pills don’t look the same”.  He or she should visually confirm that your prescription is correct.  If the dosage or frequency of taking your medication has changed, call your doctor to confirm the change.

Be especially careful if your prescription calls for compounding.  Compounding is a process where your prescription is formulated or mixed by the pharmacist.  Statistics clearly reveal that the potential for human error significantly increases whenever a pharmacy undertakes the compounding of medications.  Because many compounding errors are not detected until after one suffers an adverse reaction, your best protection is to ask your doctor to recommend the name of a specific compounding pharmacy to formulate your medication.

If the medication you receive from your pharmacy doesn’t come in the familiar brown, plastic pill container but instead, is in what appears to be in the drug manufacturer’s original container with the pharmacy’s label placed over it, compare the pharmacy label with the manufacturer’s label to make sure they are the same.  If they’re not, ask your pharmacist to explain the difference.  The difference may be that one of the labels contains a generic description of drug while the other contains the trade name.  Or the difference may be that you discovered pharmacy negligence before you became a victim.

Negligence by a drug manufacturer may come in the form of its failure to provide adequate warning of adverse reactions, as well as in cases involving antidepressants prescribed for children and teens which have been found to increase the risk of suicide in pediatric patients.

Whether the negligence is committed by a pharmacy or a drug manufacturer, the law provides a remedy allowing for, among other things, money damages.  However, pharmaceutical cases are complex and the laws pertaining to physical and emotional injuries are subject to strict deadlines called Statutes of Limitation.  Anyone who has suffered a pharmaceutical related injury should contact a lawyer immediately to make sure their rights are properly protected.

Obviously the best course of action is always prevention.  Be alert when you receive your next prescription.  Pharmacy negligence and drug manufacturer negligence is an escalating reality.  The Food & Drug Administration says adverse event reporting is as low as 10% for some drugs.  Your vigilance could make the difference between healthy treatment or a disaster.

Agency Also Sends Warning Letter to Manufacturer of Products for Selling Dangerous Product

July 28, 2009 — The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a nationwide alert warning consumers to cease purchasing and consuming body building supplements that contain steroids.  Furthermore, the agency has contacted the manufacturer of the supplements, American Cellular Laboratories Inc., and issued them a warning letter for selling these synthetic steroids as “diet supplements.”  Per the FDA, these products are not diet supplements, but rather misbranded drugs.

See the complete FDA press release

The products listed in the warning letter are as follows:

-TREN-Xtreme
-MASS Xtreme
-ESTRO Xtreme
-AH-89-Xtreme
-HMG Xtreme
-MMA-3 Xtreme
-VNS-9 Xtreme
-TT-40-Xtreme

These products are sold on the Internet and in some stores and the FDA is strongly urging consumers to stop taking these supplements immediately because they contain unapproved new drugs and they have not been recognized as safe and effective.  Consumers taking body building supplements that claim to contain steroids or steroid-like substances should stop taking them immediately. Consumers should also consult a health care professional if they suspect they are experiencing problems associated with the products.

If you or someone you know has suffered an  injury from a dangerous drug or defective product, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages and injuries.