Victoria Personal Injury Lawyer

Health Concerns Due to Benzene Exposure at Chemical Plant

Will Sciba — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:43:17 GMT

When one chemical company sues another for environmental contamination, it is easy for the workers who worked at the plant to get lost in the mix. The is a particularly vexing problem when the contamination involve the release of benzene. Invista has file a lawsuit against DuPont in the Southern District of New York. This suit involves, at least in part, the sale of a plant near Victoria, Texas. In the suit it is alleged that DuPont failed to disclose to Invista that it had unreported releases of benzene its the Victoria plant. The suit alleges that Invista has already spent $140 million to remediate the problems left by DuPont. Unfortunately the impact on the people working at the plant during these releases can be even more devastating. Benzene is know to cause certain diseases of the blood such as anemia, and has been associated with certain cancers such as Leukemia. The following is a list of conditions that may be closely associated with exposure to Benzene:

A. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)

B. Aplastic Anemia

C. Myelodysplasia or

Myelodysplastic syndrome

· Refractory anemia (RA)

· Refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB)

· Refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAED-t)

· Refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS)

· Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML)

D. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

E. Multiple Myeloma

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Will Sciba

Prodisc and its Risk of Injury

Mike Parker — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:59:09 GMT

In August 2006, Synthes gained F.D.A. approval for its product, Prodisc. Prodisc is an artifical disc used in spine surgeries. Since that time, severe injuries have been caused by the Prodisc failing after surgery.

In fact, because of concerning surrounding the test trials of the Prodisc, Medicare

decided last August not to cover the disk for most Medicare patients

Before considering any surgery which involves the Prodisc, indepth research should be done. If you or someone you know has suffered an injury caused by Prodisc, you should consult with an attorney immediately.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Parker

Prodisc(2)

Wanda Logan — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:16:39 GMT

If you or someone you know had an artificial spinal disc, or Prodisc implant manufactured by Spinal Solutions, you may be at risk for complications or injuries because of a defective product. At least one patient had the disc come apart and had to have it surgically removed and is now suffering severe pain from his ordeal.

Please contact us at Cole, Cole & Easley, P.C., if you have a Prodisc implant and would like to find out more information.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wanda Logan

Prodisc

Wanda Logan — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:16:39 GMT

If you or someone you know has an artificial spinal disc, or more specifically a Prodisc implant manufactured by Spinal Solutions, you may be at risk for complications or injuries because of a defective product. At least one patient had the disc come apart and had to have it surgically removed and is now suffering severe pain from his ordeal.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wanda Logan

Gorton's Recalls Frozen Fish Due to Pills Found in Woman's Dinner

Jenny Albano — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:03:05 GMT

Gorton's Inc. is recalling around 1,000 cases of Gorton's Crispy Battered Frozen Fish after a woman found pills in the fish she had cooked for dinner. After the company confirmed the Pennsylvania woman's claims the company decided to recall the products as a precaution until tests determine the nature of the pills.

Tracy Rowan, of New Freedom, called police after she bit into one of the pills Sunday about the same time her daughter realized one was in her fish, too. On Friday, Reis said the material was some sort of pill, not compressed batter or bread crumbs as suspected. She described them as beige and aspirin-sized.

Rowan and her two children were examined at the emergency room and were deemed healthy; so far none of them have become ill. The company has not received any reports of illness from other consumers also.

Rowan's 9-year-old daughter cooked and served the food, and they had eaten more than half of their fillets when they encountered the pills. Her 10-year-old son reported tasting something bitter and spit it out, but it's unclear whether that also was a pill, she said.

The daughter stated that she did not add anything to the fillets and the pills that were found did not match any medication in Rowan's home.

The recall is for Gorton's 6 Crispy Battered Fish Fillets, 11.4 ounces. The UPC Code is No. 44400157770, with a date code of 7289G1 and best-if-used-by date of April 2009. The fish was sold in ten states: Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Another hazardous product from China

Wanda Logan — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:07:20 GMT

Sales have been halted of another Chinese made product after causing injuries in the form of rashes or chemical burns on the skin of unsuspecting people. Flip-flops that were manufactured in China and sold at WalMart stores have been found to have caused rashes and chemical burns in the shape of the straps from the flip-flops. If you feel you have been injured by a defective or unsafe product it is important to seek medical treatment to treat and document your injuries.

Cole, Cole & Easley, P.C. of Victoria, Texas, handles injury cases involving defective or unsafe products. If you feel you have been injured by a defective or unsafe product, please contact our firm for further information. It is important to do this as soon as possible after the injury to preserve evidence.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wanda Logan

ConAgra Halts Banquet Pot Pie Production

Courtney Mills — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:52:56 GMT

ConAgra Foods of Omaha, Nebraska stopped production of their Banquet line of chicken pot pies after reports of at least 139 cases of salmonella bacteria poisoning in 30 states. The FDA has not yet asked that ConAgra take action; it is a preemptive step by the company to review safety standards to ascertain what steps need to be taken to correct the situation. Even so, the USDA released a warning about the apparent link between salmonella and frozen Banquet pot pies from ConAgra.

The company has halted their production line of both chicken and turkey pot pies at their Marshall, Missouri plant pending a company and government investigation into the matter. The CDC has been following illness reports of salmonella relating to frozen turkey and chicken pot pies since last week, but there have been no deaths so far.

Salmonella bacteria poisoning is a serious gastrointestinal disease that causes extreme discomfort, fever, cramps, and diarrhea. In certain populations, namely the elderly, the very young, and the immunosuppressed, salmonella can even result in death.

Consumers are encouraged not to eat the Banquet pot pies and to dispose of them instead. This latest ConAgra recall comes just months after the company's massive salmonella peanut butter recall fracas, which sickened hundreds across the country and resulted in several very serious illnesses.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Courtney Mills

Pit Bulls More Likely to Injure and Kill

Will Sciba — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:02:29 GMT

Pit bulls have been seen roaming Victoria. This is particularly troubling because this breed has been known to injure and kill people and other animals at an alarming rate.

During 1997 and 1998, at least 27 people died of dog bite attacks (18 in 1997 and 9 in 1998). At least 25 breeds of dogs have been involved in 238 human DBRF during the past 20 years. Pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers were involved in more than half of these deaths. Of 227 reports with relevant data, 55 (24%) human deaths involved unrestrained dogs off their owners' property, 133 (58%) involved unrestrained dogs on their owners' property, 38 (17%) involved restrained dogs on their owners' property, and 1 (< 1%) involved a restrained dog off its owner's property.

Although it may be unfair to make the generalization that all pit bulls are dangerous, it is also irresponsible not to take precautions. Children are the most frequent victims of these attacks and should be watched closely. In fact, dog attacks are one of the most likely reasons for children to end up in the emergency room. Ultimately it is the owner's responsibility to control their animal. If a dog has shown a propensity to injure, it is imperative that something be done to prevent a serious injury or fatality.

If you or your child is bitten by an animal that is known to be dangerous, you may have a claim against the owner of the dog. Claims against dog owners are usually covered by home owners insurance.

In 2006 dog bites cost insurers $351.4 million, up 10.8 percent from the previous year. While the number of claims paid by insurers fell from approximately 20,800 in 2002 to 15,000 in 2005 -- a decrease of 28 percent -- the cost of the average dog bite claim rose sharply, from roughly $16,600 in 2002 to $21,200 in 2005. Liability claims account for approximately 4 percent of homeowners claims.

See this for helpful hints on avoiding dog attacks.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Will Sciba

Elderly More Likely to Die in Pedestrian Accident

Will Sciba — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:30:10 GMT

Older Texans are more likely to die in pedestrian accidents. The Death rate in Texas is significantly higher than the national average. According to the Victoria advocate:

From 2002 to 2005, the Texas pedestrian fatality rate was 2.0 per 100,000, 17 percent higher than the national rate. Among older Texans, the per 100,000 rate was 2.7, 35 percent higher than the state rate, according to the study released this week by WalkWell Texas.

WalkWell Texas compiled the data on pedestrian fatalities.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Will Sciba

Ford Cruise Cotrol Switch Recall After Fires

Mike Parker — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:41:04 GMT

Ford Motor Company has issued a recall on an estimated 3.8 million vehicles. The recall involved the faulty speed control deactivation switch (cruise control switch).

The brake fluid in the recalled vehicles may leak through the speed control deactivation switch into the speed control system electrical components, potentially corroding them and leading to fires, the company said.

Numerous fires involving injury, death and significant property damage have been linked to this switch.

Ford has said that the recall repair will be done on vehicles built between 1992-2003, and says that Ford dealers will make the necessary repairs. If you or someone you know ownes a vehicle that may be involved in this recall, contact your Ford Dealer today.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Parker