South Carolina Lawyer Blog

USA Today reports that the federal government has raised the number of deaths alleged to have resulted from runaway Toyota vehicles due to unintended acceleration to 89, which is an increase of 37 deaths from a previous update earlier this year.

These aren’t validated cases. The count is based on people writing in to make reports.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has received more than 6,200 complaints involving sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles between 2000 to mid-May.

The Toyota recall has included approximately 2.3 million vehicles equipped with a specific pedal assembly. The car manufacturer also has suspended sales of eight models involved in the recall.

If you or someone you care about has been seriously hurt in a South Carolina vehicle accident due to defective equipment, you are entitled to hold the company responsible in a court of law. The vehicle accident and defective product attorneys at Louthian Law Firm can help you navigate South Carolina accident laws, deal with the insurance companies and obtain the compensation you deserve.

Call the Louthian Law Firm at 1-866-410-5656 or use our online contact form.

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The USDA ordered a meat recall after an investigation revealed a disturbing story about the inhumane methods by which one of our nation’s slaughterhouses treats its animals. According to an Associated Press report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaughterhouse which is the subject of an animal abuse investigation. Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer, said that his department has evidence that the Chino based Westland/ Hallmark Meat Co. did not routinely contact its veterinarian when cattle became unable to walk after passing inspection, violating health regulations.

Federal officials suspended operations at Westland/ Hallmark after an undercover Humane Society video surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts. Authorities said the video showed workers kicking, shocking and otherwise abusing “downer” animals that apparently were too sick or injured to walk into the slaughterhouse. Some animals had water forced down their throats, San Bernardino county prosecutor Michael Ramos said. Federal regulations call for keeping downed cattle out of the food supply because they might pose a higher risk of foodborne illness and contamination from E. coli, salmonella or mad cow disease because they typically wallow in feces and their immune systems often are weak.

Continue reading "USDA Orders Largest Meat Recall in U.S. History" »

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In response to the laundry list of unsafe toys and recalled children’s products in the past calendar year, the nation’s top two toy sellers in the U.S., Wal-Mart and Toys ‘R’ Us, have announced that they will be imposing stricter measures on their suppliers – including tougher lead content standards. According to an Associated Press report, the new measures are meant to exceed federal standards expected from Congress in the wake of last year’s recalls of millions of toys because they contained excessive amounts of lead or other hazardous material.

Among the announced changes, Wal-Mart and Toys ‘R’ Us are:

• Setting a much tighter standard for the amount of lead allowed on surface paint for toys shipped to their chains on or after March 1.
• Phasing out chemicals found in PVC or vinyl that have raised safety concerns for young children

A top priority is to dramatically reduce the lead content in unsafe toys since lead can be very toxic to children. The current federal standard is 600 parts per million in surface coatings, but new legislation is being considered that would lower that to 90 parts per million. Both Wal-Mart and Toys R Us are requiring their suppliers to conform to the 90 parts per million standard for products shipped on or after March.

Continue reading "Wal-Mart, Toys ‘R’ Us Impose Stricter Safety Measures" »

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If you have read our blog for any amount of time, you have seen countless entries about the recall of toys that contain lead paint. This recent rash of unsafe toy recalls reached a predictable end on Wednesday, January 30th when according to an AP article, lawmakers have stepped up and are asking the largest toy manufacturer in the U.S. to change the way it does business.

Dozens of federal lawmakers are demanding that Mattel stop selling toys that contain any amount of lead, claiming the toy maker is not going far enough to address safety concerns. The demand comes after Mattel’s issuance of recalls for millions of Chinese made toys last year because of concerns that lead paint levels exceeded U.S Standards. The demand, which was contained in a letter released by U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, was signed by more then 50 fellow lawmakers.

Continue reading "Lawmakers Demand Toymaker Stop Selling Toys With Lead" »

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General Electric has recalled 92,000 combination wall and microwave ovens. The product recalls come after the discovery that the door switch in the ovens can overheat and ignite plastic components in the appliance. The defective units were built by GE Consumer & Industrial, of Louisville, KY and sold under the Kenmore, GE, and GE Profile Brands.

The ovens, which were sold in department and appliance stores between January 2000 and December 2003, were reportedly responsible for 35 instances of property damage due to fire. Continued use of the ovens is dangerous and could potentially put many households in danger.

When we buy something, we assume that it wouldn’t be offered for sale if it weren’t safe to use. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Every year, thousands of Americans are injured by unsafe consumer products such as defective unsafe household products. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal agency charged with monitoring the safety of the things we buy and use, recalls hundreds of products each year, and reports that defective products cost America more than $700 billion annually.

Continue reading "GE Recalls Close to 100,000 Microwave Ovens" »

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Nissan has announced an auto product recall of over 650,000 of its Altima and Sentra passenger cars to fix problems with a sensor that could lead to engine stalling.

The Japanese automaker said the recalls affects Altima and Sentra vehicles from the 2002 and 2005-2006 model years equipped with a 2.5 liter engine. The crankshaft position sensors could overheat causing an interruption in sensor’s operation. Dealers will reprogram the electronic control module to fix the defective auto product.

The end result of the malfunctioning of this sensor is the engine turning off while the car is being driven at slow speeds. This is a very dangerous scenario for automobile operators. A car whose engine stops while on a busy street or highway puts its driver in serious jeopardy

Continue reading "Nissan Recalls Over Half a Million Cars" »

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Just in time for winter weather comes a recall of wall-mounted heating and cooling units from Carrier, Inc. The company’s wall-mounted heating and cooling units (known as PTAC/PTHPs) are being recalled because the insulation inside them can break, sparking fires and causing toxic smoke. Several specific model numbers sold between January 2002 and December 2006 were recalled Nov. 6; if you think you might have one, you can visit the manufacturer’s recall Web site to arrange a repair.

At least five fires caused by these defects had been reported as of November. Thus far, the fires have all been confined inside the heating units themselves, but they create toxic smoke that can be blown out into the room for occupants to breathe. Because most of these units are used in motels and other enclosed areas where occupants may not attract much attention from passers-by, that smoke could have catastrophic consequences. If the smoke starts while the occupants of the room are asleep, it could go undetected for hours, causing serious smoke inhalation injuries or wrongful deaths.

It doesn’t feel much like winter in South Carolina right now, but we know the cold weather is coming soon, and not everyone has built-in heating. Those folks should be very careful in their choice of stand alone heating devices. Space heaters kill several innocent families every winter with fires or carbon monoxide poisoning. And a March 2007 recall of ventilators with a similar fire hazard defect reported that one fire caused more than $1 million worth of property damage. If you suspect a defective heater or air-conditioner might have caused a similar accident for you, you may have a South Carolina defective products lawsuit. The experienced South Carolina personal injury lawyers at the Louthian Law Firm can help you protect your rights and get the best possible financial compensation for your injuries.

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3 new product recalls involving a football helmet, folding chairs, and cookies were announced on November 15th, according to an Associated Press report.

Nike is recalling about 235,000 football helmet chin straps after the company received 18 reports of the straps breaking, including some that resulted in facial lacerations and concussions, a government safety group announced. The straps, which were made in China, were sold at sporting good stores in both youth and adult sizes, between April 2006 through October 2007. For full details consumers are asked to call (888)583-6453 or visit www.nikebiz.com.

75,000 plastic folding chairs, manufactured by Iceberg Enterprises, are being recalled because of their tendency to collapse. The chairs were sold by office supply retailers between August 2005 and July 2007. For full details consumers are asked to call (800)580-1310 or visit www.cpsc.gov.

Coffee Masters is recalling about 25,000 Chipper with Coffee Biscotti products because the cookies might contain undeclared protein from milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybean ingredients. Please who have an allergy to these ingredients run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume the product. For additional information, contact Coffee Masters at (800)334-6485, ext. 110.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious physical injuries as the result of a recalled product, please contact the Louthian Law Firm immediately. Our aggressive Columbia South Carolina product recall attorneys are skilled in personal injury law and have the experience and skill to successfully represent clients in the most challenging product liability cases. Call today for a free consultation.

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The world’s largest toy manufacturer, Mattel Inc., announced on Tuesday November 6th that it was recalling more than 172,000 Fisher Price kitchen toys in the United States and Europe because several children choked and gagged on small, detachable parts.

The company has received 48 reports of small parts separating from Laugh & Learn 2-in-1 Learning Kitchen, which featured a sink, a refrigerator and a range. One child choked on a detached piece and needed the Heimlich maneuver performed to remove the part. One child started to choke, and two children had pieces in their mouth mouths and gagged from the recalled children's toy.

“Small parts choking hazards with toys is one of the most serious dangers to children in the United States,” Scott Wolfson, Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman, said. “This should send a message to parents to take this toy away from the child immediately.”

The recall, which involves 155,000 toys sold in the United States, is the latest in the rash of toy recalls across the country. Unlike other recalls, this toy was designed improperly with too many small parts. Other recalls were the result of hazardous lead paint being used by the toymakers.

If your child has been the victim of a dangerous toy accident, he or she may have suffered serious physical injuries such as disfigurement, paralysis, head injury, bone fractures, burns, or a number of other types of serious physical trauma. These injuries may require expensive surgeries, specialists, and other accident related medical treatments. With the representation of a skilled South Carolina defective toy lawyer at the Louthian Law Firm you may be able to recover monetary compensation to help pay for your child’s injury related expenses.

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Mattel recalled 665,000 lead-contaminated children’s products and the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced recalls of 627,000 other Chinese-made toys from various manufacturers that are contaminated with lead, according to an Associated Press report.

Mattel, the nation’s largest toy maker recalled 18.6 million toys as of August 14th and Bob Eckert, Mattel’s chief executive, predicted more recalls would occur as a result of stepped-up oversight and testing.

The latest recalls included about 38,000 “Go Diego Go!” Animal Rescue boats, 97,000 children’s toy gardening tools, 80,000 football bobble head cake decorations, about 198,000 Beary Cute, Expressions and Sassy & Chic children’s metal jewelry sets, 110,000 WeGlow children’s metal jewelry sets, and 142,000 purple Halloween pails with witch decorations. All the toy products recalls were because the paints contained high levels of lead.

Lead is toxic if ingested by young children. Under current regulations, unsafe children’s products found to have more than .06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall. Julie Vallese, a CPSC spokeswoman said the effects of lead are cumulative and that the biggest risk to children remains lead paint in homes.

“Parents should really keep the recalls for lead paint in perspective,” she said. “These products are being recalled because they violate the law.”

The number of recalled, South Carolina unsafe toys seems to increase on an almost daily basis. As toy manufacturers continue to place our children in danger in the interest of increased profits and decreased production costs, many children are becoming injured while doing little more than playing with their toys. If someone in your family has sustained an injury from an unsafe toy, you should speak with a South Carolina Dangerous Toy Lawyer at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible. We have helped injured South Carolinians seek justice through the courts since 1959.

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A trio of product recalls were announced on October 25th in an Associated Press report. The recalls were for a treadmill, a ski board, and bicycle forks and were all from separate manufacturers.

The first recalls, were for 4,700 Cybex or Trotter treadmills manufactured by Cybex International that were recalled and repaired in October 2003. The repairs made in the initial recalls involved improperly installed wire nuts. The wire nuts may cause the treadmills to overheat, posing a fire hazard. Details on the recall can be found at www.cybexintl.com/retro or by calling 888-678-3846.

The next recalls involve 1,250 Linx E Fly and Line Pro ski boards, manufactured by Line Skis. The boards were being recalled because improperly installed screws can cause the bindings to pull off the ski board, putting skiers at risk of falling and injuring themselves. Details on the South Carolina product recall can found at www.lineskis.com or by calling 800-987-2576.

Finally, Maclean Quality Composites, doing business as Reynolds, recalled about 330 Reynolds UL bicycle forks. The tips of the forks could separate from the legs, causing the wheel to come loose from the fork, putting the riders at risk of falling. Details on the recall can be found at www.reynoldscycling.com/recall or by calling 866-798-3040.

If you have been injured by a defective or recalled product, you should hire experienced legal representation immediately. Product liability cases are very complicated and should be handled by an accomplished and knowledgeable product liability attorney to ensure that your rights as an injured victim are protected. At the Louthian Law Firm, our South Carolina defective product lawyers will work diligently to recover the maximum monetary compensation for your defective product related injuries and expenses.

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A South African baby seat manufacturer recalled about 1 million of its “Baby Sitter” seats after 28 reports of babies falling out of the seats, including three skull fractures, according to an Associated Press report.

Bumbo International, which manufactured the child seats, recalled the products because babies were at risk for serious head injuries when the seats are placed on a table, countertop, chair or other raised surface and the infants arch their backs, possibly causing them to flip out of the seats and fall onto the floor.

The product, which is described as a single piece of molded foam, was sold extensively in the United States at stores like Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Toys “R” Us, USA Baby, and other children retailers and online stores from August 2003 through October 2007. For more information, consumers are urged to call (877) 932-8626 or visit www.bumbosafety.com .

The alarming trend of child product recalls is near epidemic proportions in the United States. Regrettably, many of these child product recalls are the result of overseas manufacturing. American companies use cheaper foreign labor to help their profit margin, but at what price? In cases like these, it appears the price is the health and well being of our children.

Defective or recalled children’s toys and products can result in serious physical injuries such as disfigurement, paralysis, head injury, bone fractures, burns, and other types of physical trauma. These injuries may require expensive surgeries, specialists, and other accident related medical treatments. With the representation of a skilled South Carolina defective toy lawyer at the Louthian Law Firm you may be able to recover monetary compensation to help pay for your child’s injury related expenses.

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Target stores announced the latest in the rash of child toy recalls on October 2nd, according to an NBC News Report. The company is recalling the “Plush Boys Rattles” because of a potential choking hazard.

There are three types of rattles – the orange basketball with black stitching, the white baseball with red stitching, and the brown football with white stitching. Target, which sold the rattles from March through May of this year, indicated that the rattles can break open, releasing small beads which small children can choke on. Target has indicated that consumers can return the rattles to their stores for a full refund.

Continue reading "Choking hazard prompts rattle recall" »

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Toyota and Nissan both ordered recalls Wednesday, according to an Associated Press Report published September 26th. The two recalls were unrelated, but could potentially affect more then 800,000 cars in the United States and Canada.

Toyota Motor Corporation is recalling optional “all-weather” floor mats in the Lexus ES350 and Toyota Camry passenger cars. The move comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a consumer advisory about the heavy-duty rubber floor mats. These mats, if left unsecured, could move forward and trap the gas pedal, causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably.

Continue reading "Toyota And Nissan Order Recalls Affecting 800,000+ Cars " »

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• Murray International Trading Inc. is recalling Lucky Eight Brand Dried Lily Bulb because it contains undeclared sulfites, which could cause a severe or life-threatening reaction in people who have sulfite allergies. No illnesses have been reported. The product is packaged in a 12-ounce, uncoded plastic bag. It was sold nationwide. Consumers should return the product to the place of purchase. Details: (718) 230-7888.

• Royal Pacific Foods is recalling bottles of The Ginger People Ginger Lime Marinade and Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette and The Ginger People Ginger Hickory Grilling Sauce because the products contain undeclared anchovy, soybean and wheat, which could cause a severe or life-threatening reaction in people who are allergic. The product is packaged in 12.7-fluid-ounce bottles with date codes between Aug. 1, 2008, and Nov. 4, 2009, and sold nationwide. Consumers should return the product to the place of purchase. Details: (800) 551-5284, ext. 225.

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