In 2010, there have been car recalls left and right. You’ve seen it all over the news and the Internet. People are talking about it and wondering when their vehicle will be called back. Buying a new automobile is a big investment. When making an investment of that magnitude, we want to know that it’s a good one. We expect the product to be safe and perform exactly as advertised.

The 2010 car recalls have created cause concern with companies we usually can trust. Toyota is being talked about the most right now, but it’s not the only company currently on the chopping block.

2010 Toyota car recall

In February, Toyota was all over the news. On Feb. 9, Toyota officially recalled more than 400,000 Prius cars, which is the best-selling hybrid in the world. Roughly 8.5 million total vehicles were recalled including the Camry. Brake problems were cited as the main cause. To learn more about what vehicles have been recalled, read an article from the Business Journal here.

But that wasn’t the end of the 2010 car recall for Toyota. According to the Los Angeles Times, Corollas may be next to be called in. People have been complaining about the vehicle’s power steering, and Toyota may be ready to respond. If so, it would just be the next rung on a ladder of problems the company is having right now.

2010 Honda car recall

Turning back the clocks a little bit, Honda’s troubles started heating up in late 2008. The company announced that some of its vehicles had faulty airbags in November 2008. After 437,000 vehicles were added to the list during February of this year, that brought the total up to nearly 1 million. Just to give you a measuring stick, Toyota has recalled roughly 8 million vehicles in the past few months.

Regarding the Honda car recall, another matter of note is the number of injuries. According to the aforementioned AP story on Philly.com, there were 11 injuries in 2009 and one death. Even one death is a big number. One is too many. If you’re driving a Honda or Toyota vehicle, do you feel safe?

Do you have a question? We can help

There are clear-cut dangers to using a defective product or driving a vehicle with a defect. At the Mininno Law Office, our civil trial lawyers deal with these types of cases all the time. If you have a question for a defective product attorney, please let us know. Call (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey or (215) 567-2380 in Pennsylvania.

As we watch our children at play, our main concern is always safety. Some might think that if a toy store sells a product, it must be safe. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. When manufacturers can sacrifice toy safety for kids to save a buck or two, some are willing to do it. A recent article by the Associated Press reminds us that some people lie to parents and deceive children just to pad their bank accounts. In other words, don’t judge a book by its cover.

What do I need to know about toy safety for kids?

In Yiwu, China, a jewelry shop manager said something to the AP that might surprise you. He Huihua, manager of the Suiyuan Jewelry Shop at International Trade City in Yiwu, was asked what he thought about the health risks associated with cadmium and other toxic metals. His response: “I can’t be overly concerned about that.”

Buyer beware. Honestly, that’s like an oily used car salesman who tries to sell you a shiny paint job on a used vehicle with a busted engine and says, “Well, at least it works.” This kind of thing should make you think twice before you buy something again. Stores like the Suiyuan Jewelry Shop have one goal: cash over kids. They’ll do whatever it takes to make more money, and that includes selling poison to kids. The main material called into question is called cadmium. It’s a toxic metal that causes cancer. Why would someone sell a product made with a toxic material? Put simply, money talks, and you know what walks. In a difficult economic time where stores are closing and many others are losing money, some people will push moral standards aside and put out unsafe products. They simply don’t care.

What is the government doing about toy safety for kids?

The Chinese government is looking into the AP report to check the validity of the claim. This could be a big problem for China because the U.S. is a huge market. Think about it: How many toys have you seen with “Made in China” on the bottom? In the U.S., Wal-Mart pulled products off shelves that were mentioned in the report.

Where can I find more information about toy safety for kids?

The Toy Industry Association, Inc. is a great resource on toy safety for kids and other related issues. Click here to visit the TIA website. Another resource is ToyInfo.org.

Always think of toy safety for kids first. When you buy something for your children, we encourage you to get as much information about the product and the manufacturer as possible. Talk to store managers, read the small print. Do whatever is necessary to make sure your children can play safe.

Do you have questions or answers about unsafe products?

Add a comment to our blog. At the Mininno Law Office, you can talk to a defective product attorney to answer your questions about unsafe products. We have experienced NJ trial lawyers who have dealt with these cases all too often. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have or offer any help you need. Call (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey or (215) 567-2380 in Pennsylvania.

We have all heard the “Baby Einstein” commercials and seen the colorful, bright characters. We also have all heard and seen these videos promise that it will make our toddlers and children brighter, smarter, and help them learn faster. It turns out this is not true and this is just turning out to be a “Baby Einstein” scam.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics children under two should stay away from the television.  According to a study from the Campaign from Commercial-Free Childhood, there is a link between early television watching and problems with a child’s attention span later in life. These videos promised that our children would learn more, be brighter, and smarter later in life, not have attention and other school related problems, clearly Baby Einstein is a scam. This has led to Disney offering a refund to parents that bought Baby Einstein videos and other baby Einstein products and “teaching substitutes”.

                Clearly, this baby Einstein scam has become a wakeup call for many parents who have yet again realized that television and other technology products are not always a good teaching substitute and parents should always supervise their children and help them as they learn and grow to be an active part of their learning process. Yes, the Baby Einstein scam is bad and should not have happened especially since it affects children and their education now and in the future, but maybe this will again reinforce that these products as well as others are never good parenting or teaching substitutes and parents still need to look out for their children’s education and their needs. A child’s education is very important and should not just be looked over by having them watch Baby Einstein videos or other products. Children’s education should also include active learning with both the child and the parent.

                For more information on the baby Einstein scam and other children’s educational products, you may visit: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/the-great-baby-einstein-scam-531147/

If you feel that you and your child have been mistreated because of improper warning labels due to the baby Einstein scam, you should contact a defective product attorney right away. They will help you advocate for your rights and those of your child.

The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association was created to help promote the safety and proper use of off road vehicles and better conditions for everyone. ROVs are a new type of off road or Highway vehicle and they are best suited for outdoor recreational activities and one or more passengers. However, due to the rising death toll and serious injuries related to these modes of transportation, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has voted on October 22, 2009, to push for advance notice of new rules being made for these ROVs. The CPSC believes that the rules that are in place right now for these products, do not adequate address the problems and injuries or collisions facing the consumer. These vehicles may be inadequate for lateral stability, steering ability, and finally in protection for people during a crash. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is in charge of protecting the public from unreasonable risk or serious injury and by making sure people are aware of this problem, they are showing commitment to the safety of all consumers.

                For additional information on ROVs and other off road vehicles and safety, you may visit:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10020.html

http://www.rohva.org/

If you or a loved one has been injured due to an off road vehicle accident, please contact a personal injury attorney right away. They will help make sure your case is heard and you get the care you need and deserve.

President Barrack Obama is willing to consider alternatives to medical malpractice lawsuits by replacing them with such alternatives like appointing neutral experts for both political parties to look at medical appeals and allegations. The goal for this new idea seems to be to address medical liability and to cut malpractice insurance premiums for doctors. Okay, maybe it is a long process to go through a jury trial with a lawyer but weren’t the courts and justice system created for just that purpose to bring justice to the party that has the injury or suffered from medical malpractice. It seems to be that this new idea is only favoring doctors who are afraid of being sued later. All trial lawyers are trying to do is see that their clients, who are former patients of these doctors received the proper care possible. Once again this new idea seems to be in favor of only saving money and not actually helping the patients who need proper medical care. If so many doctors worried less about how much money everything was costing and focused more on proper medical care for all their patients then they would not have to worry about medical malpractice lawsuits. If though however, a medical error or problem does occur then in this country by law that person or patient is entitled to a trial and entitled to justice being done for them and their families. This new idea seems to be taking away trial rights in favor of saving money for doctors and insurance. People should continue to come first; money needs to stop doing all the talking.

For additional information on this new malpractice idea and the health care debate, you may visit: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091020/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_medical_malpractice

If you or a loved one has suffered due to a medical error, please contact a medical malpractice attorney right away. They will help make sure your case is heard and you get the medical care you deserve.

According to census data reported at the end of September, 7.4 % of elderly Americans are living in nursing homes in 2005 which are down from the 8.1 % in 1990. Many elderly people and their families especially ones 85 years and older are now turning to long term care help at home, in home care and other options instead of traditional nursing homes. This is great for the people’s whose families can afford to maintain other types of care for their loved ones, but for the 1.8 million people that still live in nursing homes care should be adequate, training should be provided, and abuse should be prevented. The level of care a patient receives should not depend on how much money they or their families have, but unfortunately more and more these days that is the case. If people spent more time improving the quality of care in nursing homes then they would not have to worry so much about other medical costs because there would not be as much of a need for them. If patients are cared for properly the first time then other tests and medical care would not be needed. People are forgetting that without patients there would be no business to run and no money at all, so patients and their care should always come first but sadly I think it will take time for this to be put into actual practice across the country.

                For more information on nursing home alternatives and information, you may visit: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2007-09-27-nursing-homes_N.htm or www.medicare.gov

If you feel that your loved ones have been a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, please contact a nursing home abuse attorney right away. They will help advocate for your loved ones’ rights and see that they get the medical care they deserve.

Medicare and Medicaid services were created to help the elderly and or those with disabilities or certain other medical conditions be able to better afford medical coverage in order to pay for supplies, medical care, treatments, doctor’s visits and much more. This all seems like a good idea if it works the way it should and benefits those it is suppose to. Unfortunately though, there have been more and more cases of Medicare and Medicaid fraud and people are getting sneaky about how they get around the rules. Billing Medicare for services that were not received or provided can cost taxpayers millions of dollars each year and it also hurts those people that really need the medical care and services by causing them to pay more. To help avoid being a victim of Medicare Fraud use the following helpful detection tips. These tips include:

• Be suspicious if a test is free and if a provider only needs your Medicare information for their records.
•  Be aware if Medicare wants you to have a certain item or service.
• Be cautious if the provider knows how to get Medicare to pay for an item or service
• Be on the look out for provider that offer many tests at cheaper or discounted prices
• Be careful if the equipment or service is free or you are offered a gift for the service

It is also important to know what services and equipment or medical supplies you are entitled to and report or question anything that seems out of the ordinary. As a general rule do not give out your Medicare health insurance claim number expect to your doctor or Medicare provider.

It is unfortunate that many people will try to scam those in need out of services and medical supplies for their own personal gain. It is good to know though that you can do something to help stop cases of fraud.

For additional information on Medicare fraud and prevention, you may visit:

http://www.medicare.gov/Fraudabuse/Tips.asp

If you or a loved one feel you have been a victim of Medicare fraud, please contact a  whistleblower attorney right away. They can help your case to be heard and make sure you get the care you deserve.

The Food and Drug Administration announced on Thursday October 15, 2009 that it will start looking into the negative effects associated with corrective laser eye surgery. Some of these negative effects may include blurred vision and dry eyes. The FDA is going to work with the National Eye Institute and the Department of Defense to investigate the amount of people that experience negative side effects after having this corrective eye surgery. This research will include patient questionnaires and clinical trials to help keep track of patients who have had the surgery. These procedures by the FDA will hopefully help in be able to better understand the effects of laser eye surgery and its long term safety, because it is still unknown. Approximately six million Americans have had this Lasik eye corrective surgery which reshapes the cornea, but the long term safety has been unknown. It is good that the FDA is investigating the negative side effects that people could experience, but it may have been better if they would have done this before six million people have had the surgery. There were years of complaints from patients and the FDA just now decided to step in and look at the problems. Part of this reason seems to be because these types of surgeries cost between a thousand to five thousand dollars to perform. It seems like yet again, money is put before patient care and safety. This is not the way it should be. Maybe the FDA should take a better look at its policies too. Patients should always come first.

For additional information on the effects of corrective laser eye surgery you may visit: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/SurgeryandLifeSupport/LASIK/default.htm

If you or a loved one has experienced negative side effects due to laser corrective eye surgery, contact a medical malpractice attorney right away. They will help you advocate for the medical care you deserve.

Animals are a wonderful thing and can be very good for children. They can teach them how to be responsible, how to be gentle, how to be calmer and not yell around the animals or scare them. Finally, it can be a really rewarding learning experience for the whole family. Too often though, children do not know to behave around animals and they end up getting diseases or bites from animals. Due to these problems the Center for Disease Control or CDC has recommended some basic safety tips for parents and children for good animal care for them and the animals. These tips include:

• Children under five years need to always be supervised while with animals
• Do not allow children to kiss animals or put their hands near their mouth or eyes after touching animals
• Make sure children wash their hands well with soap and water after touching animals
• Animals such as snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs and other similar animals should be handled with special care around children due to the spread of disease

So many children and other family members get bite by animals and get other diseases due to lack of knowledge about animal safety. These simple tips can help prevent these situations now and in the future.

For more information on animal safety tips and recommendations, you may visit: http://www.cdc.gov/HEALTHYPETS/child.htm

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to an animal, please contact a personal injury attorney right away. They can help you get the medical care you and your family deserve.

The birth control Yasmin or Yaz has caused much controversy and concerns since it was first brought on the market back in March. Many people are concerned about the serious side effects of the pill and how Bayer seemed to have made these side effects not seem as serious as they are. Another thing that Bayer was warned about by the Food and Drug Administration or the FDA that they did not think was a serious problem was the testing of the quality of the pills. It measured the quality of its ingredients based on an average of several samples instead of reporting the individual test results of each sample like they should. Bayer then continued to ship eight batches of pills tested using this unapproved method to the U.S. The drug patches were reviewed after the FDA’s warning to Bayer, but Bayer says the batches shipped between 2007-2009 were not affected by this unapproved testing method. Since this warning, the FDA now requires that Bayer provide a full list of the shipments to the U.S. that may have used this average testing method and to require Bayer to come up with a plan to prevent the problem from happening again.  Bayer has produced many important medications that many people use and depend on daily. Maybe this method has not caused any real problems, but when it comes to the medicines we give ourselves as well as those we love, double checking does not hurt. It seems like this time Bayer may have gotten overwhelmed by the money they were making that they overlooked some safety measures. Safety however always needs to and should come first each and every time.

For more information on the Bayer testing methods for Yasmin, you may visit: http://www.app.com/article/20090915/NEWS/90915067/FDA+warns+Yaz++Yasmin+manufacturer+over+testing+problems or www.fda.gov

If you or a loved one has suffered possibility due to the side effects of Yaz or Yasmin, please contact a personal injury attorney right away. They will help get your case heard and help you get the care you need and deserve.