Last month, reports of nine fires prompted Ford to recall some 2013 Escapes and Fusions.   More than 89,000 SUVs were recalled in total. 

This is the fourth recall of the new Escape and the second for the Fusion.  The recall deals with overheating in the two models.  The problem occurs when coolant doesn’t flow through the radiator to be cooled and in this case, is occurring due to a valve not opening correctly.  This calve controls the flow of coolant to the radiator and was not opening at the right time.  

A software change in the computer that controls the valve should be available at Ford dealers next week and, according to Ford, will fix the problem.

The FDA has issued a Class I recall for the Arrow multi-lumen venous catheterization set with a blue FlexTip ARROWg+ard catheter.  These catheters are used to administer drug therapy after being inserted into a large vein.  The label of the product incorrectly states that the catheter “contains no medication.”

The catheterization sets actually contain silver sulfadiazine as well as chlorhexidine.   If a patient with an allergy or sensitivity, known or unknown, to either substance is exposed, they risk the possibility of adverse health consequences or even death.  An allergic reaction to either can present as a delayed rash or hives or more immediately as Type 1, IgE mediated anaphylaxis. Such anaphylaxis manifests as loss of blood pressure, broncospasm, and vascular collapse. 

Arrow sent out a letter on May 3^rd, 2012 to all distributors of the sets urging them to quarantine the entirety of the designated product supply.  The distributors were then to alert their Arrow sales representatives to replace the labels in order to properly warn potential patients.

ASR stands for "articular surface replacement" and refers to devices used in common hip replacement surgery. An ASR replaces faulty hip joints where the legs connect to the pelvis, allowing patients more mobility and freedom of movement, as well as often relieving the severe pain of degenerative arthritis or fractures in the hip area. Depuy, one of the manufacturers of ASR devices, has been forced to recall many of their ASRs due to high failure levels and other dangerous side effects. The August, 2010, Depuy recall reportedly affected over 90,000 recipients of the company’s ASR devices.

One of the biggest reasons for the recall of Depuy ASRs was the high failure rate. As many as one in eight patients who received a Depuy ASR device during hip replacement surgery required a second surgery to fix problems with the device. Given the high number of older people requiring hip replacement surgery, these numbers are frightening when the statistics of post-surgery medical problems are factored in. More surgeries simply mean more risk for unsuspecting patients beyond the obvious inconvenience, pain, and expense of these procedures.

The Depuy ASR hip replacements have also been tied to other side effects. Patients have reported a high incidence of inflammation due to autoimmune responses from the product. The Depuy ASR is a metal-on-metal hip replacement device, and there have been reports of metal shards working loose and traveling into the hip bone and surrounding muscles and tissues. This can lead to severe complications including infection, loss of mobility, and pain.

Observers and researchers have concluded that one possible reason for this problem is that the materials used in the Depuy ASR hip replacement device do not bond with the hip bone as intended. In these cases, the metal may be compromised and eventually shred due to constant friction with the hip bone. ASR devices can cause the hip to suddenly slip out of place, resulting in dangerous falls and the necessity for further medical treatment. The poorly-working hip joint can also cause excruciating pain and loss of use of the leg, the very symptoms the hip replacement was designed to treat.

Several lawsuits have already been filed against Depuy for the ASR hip replacement devices known to be linked to these side effects. Some of these suits by individuals are already under consideration in the courts; others may be filed as a class action, which means that many defendants band together to concentrate litigation efforts under one group of attorneys.

However, the first step in filing a Depuy hip replacement lawsuit is contacting a professional personal injury lawyer, no matter how your case winds up being filed. A personal injury attorney can give you the facts regarding the Depuy hip replacement lawsuits and can evaluate your case to determine if you have reason to seek damages from the company. A good personal injury attorney will never charge you for a consultation so you can meet with your attorney without risk and find out if you have a case against Depuy for your hip replacement malfunctions or side effects. You may be entitled to damages including medical bills, pain and suffering, and other costs.

On January 20, 2012, Kia announced a recall of 146,000 vehicles for faulty airbags that may not deploy in the event of a collision. Kia reports that in most cases the driver would be warned of the airbag defect by a warning light, and that it has not heard of any injuries related to the damaged product.

The recall includes the Optima sedan from 2006-2008 and the Rondo wagon from 2007-2008. This recall came not long after Hyundai, the parent company of Kia, recalled 205,000 vehicles for a similar problem. The defect in the airbag comes from the clock spring, a component found in the steering wheel. Over time, the clock spring assembly may wear and become damaged or defective as a result. According to Kia, this damaged clock spring may prevent the airbag from deploying in a crash.

Even though Kia has reported that no serious injuries have occurred, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that this defect could pose a serious safety risk to those involved. The NHTSA and Kia’s objective is to get the cars back to the dealership for repair before any serious injuries occur. The recall is expected to begin in March.

In August 2010, the FDA recalled over 90,000 DePuy hip implants. The recall included two models, the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System manufactured by Johnson & Johnson and DePuy Orthopedics. The FDA has acknowledged a design flaw in the hip implants, which made them difficult to implant. According to the FDA, the ASR cup in the implants is too shallow compared to other devices currently on the market. Therefore, DePuy and Johnson & Johnson were forced to recall approximately 93,000 hip implants, opening the door for an influx of lawsuits.

This design flaw has led to a series of adverse side effects and complications often prompting the need for a revision surgery soon after the initial implant. For approximately 1 out of every 8 patients with the DePuy hip implant, the severe side effects have resulted in an additional surgery. Metal particles from the hip implants can break off and enter a person’s bloodstream creating pseudotumors and other adverse reactions. Also, the metal cap attached to the femur can come loose resulting in dislocation or fracture. Due to the frequency of these complications, people across the nation are alleging that DePuy Orthopedics and Johnson & Johnson failed to adequately research and test the implant and prematurely put it on the market.

This recall has paved the way for those suffering from adverse side effects to file lawsuits against DePuy Orthopedics and Johnson & Johnson. If you or someone you know has suffered any of these adverse side effects or needed an additional surgery to fix a defect, contact the defective device attorneys at Arias, Ozzello & Gignac today. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages. Contact us for a free consultation.

In November 2010, the FDA recalled the pain medications Darvon and Darvocet, both of which contain propoxyphene, due to a study linking them to heart problems and addictive qualities. Doctors have been urging the FDA to take these medications off the market for years and the FDA finally caved in to the pressure because of the substantial evidence of heart problems related to propoxyphene. These complications affect a large amount of people seeing as just last year, over 10 million people in the United States took either Darvon or Darvocet. The FDA recall has paved the way for people who have suffered these complications to file suit against the pharmaceutical giant that manufactures these drugs.

Darvon and Darvocet are medications manufactured by Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals and were approved by the FDA more than 50 years ago. They are used as pain-relievers but have several adverse side effects. Not only are they reported to cause heart problems and abnormalities, but now studies are indicating that their addictive qualities may also cause drug-related deaths or suicide. If you or someone you know has experienced any of these complications from taking Darvon or Darvocet, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, pain, and suffering. Contact a drug litigation attorney today to discuss your legal options.

Chrysler has announced a recall of approximately 367,000 minivans because of a potential airbag failure that causes the airbags to inflate inadvertently. According to Chrysler, it has become aware of complaints that the airbags could inflate suddenly because of a water leak in the air-conditioning system.

The company says it has at least five confirmed reports of minor injuries that were caused when the airbags inflated suddenly. At least four of the injuries occurred last summer.

According to Chrysler, it first learned of the airbag defect in 2008, and after an investigation found that some of these cars came with a heating and cooling system with an improperly installed part. California class action lawyers are bound to ask questions about why the company did not initiate an immediate recall. Chrysler says it did not believe then that there was any reason for a recall, because it did not think that there were safety risks from this defect. However, the company then received an unusual spike in the number of complaints about airbag failures, particularly airbags inflating suddenly and without warning. Those complaints increased between July and September 2010.

The company will soon send out recall notices to its car owners, asking them to visit the dealer for repairs.  Approximately 357,358 Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country Minivans of model year 2008 are included in the recall. This airbag recall came a few days after the company announced another recall of more than 76,000 Dodge Ram’s because of a brake defect.

Airbag failures can include not just deployment failure, but also sudden and inadvertent deployment of an airbag. Such airbag failures can have serious consequences, because motorists rely heavily on airbags to protect them from serious injury in an accident.