Archive for February, 2010

After surviving a bombardment of questions regarding unintended acceleration issues during back-to-back Congressional hearings, the world’s largest automaker is now facing additional problems. Those problems include:

• Toyota faces a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in NY
• The SEC is conducting an investigation
• U.S. dealerships are facing repairs to potentially millions of vehicles
• Paying customers millions for rental cars and other expenses

Toyota execs continue to say that there is no link between the unintended acceleration and the cars’ electronic systems.

House lawmakers ripped Toyota execs during the hearings, revealing documents showing the automaker would save $100 million by avoiding a broad recall over unintended acceleration in 2007.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seeking records on Toyota’s recalls and is conducting its own review on whether electronics were behind the vehicle defects.

Testimony in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s hearing into safety issues ended with no definitive answers. In fact, Toyota USA President Jim Lentz left people with more questions.

During his testimony, Lentz acknowledged the runaway car problem had not been fixed and that the recall on carpet changes and sticky pedals were not definitive solutions. Lentz never did say what he thinks is causing the problem and the best he could do was to promise that the company will continue to study the issue.

The hearing also included testimony from victims.  One woman painted a frightening and chaotic experience of slamming on the brakes and throwing the car into reverse during a runaway incident, both attempts were unsuccessful in stopping the car.

The same woman said she brought this issue to Toyota’s attention, but was ignored. She went on to say that Toyota called her a liar and accused her of ruining her own brakes and transmission.

Department of Transportation’s Ray LaHood testified that DOT investigations would focus on the Toyota’s electronics systems.

According to the New York Times, over 8 million Toyota vehicles have been recalled due to accelerator issues.

Pitman, Kyle & Sicula is a Wisconsin personal injury law firm handling faulty product cases through out the state.  Our personal injury lawyers have successfully represented injured people in almost every county. We know Wisconsin.

The Senate Finance Committee released a report on Saturday that said drug-manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline was aware of the possible heart attack risks to Avandia users years prior to the public’s knowledge.

The report also asks why the FDA allowed a clinical trial of Avandia to continue even after the agency estimated that the drug caused 83,000 heart attacks from 1999-2007. The FDA ordered a black-box warning to be included on the label in 2007, saying the drug might increase the risk of heart attacks.

The committee’s report was based on researchers’ studies of Avandia, internal GlaxoSmithKline documents and FDA documents.

A New England Journal of Medicine analysis published in 2007 found a 43% higher risk of heart attack for those taking Avandia compared to people taking other diabetes drugs or no diabetes medications.

Glaxo has agreed to conduct a 6-year study between Avandia and a competitor’s diabetes medication to better understand Avandia’s safety. The FDA calls the study, which includes 16,000 participants, unethical and exploitative because patients will continue taking Avandia.

Avandia controls blood sugar by increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Avandia was Glaxo’s third best-selling drug in 2006, making $2.2 billion, however, concerns about the drug’s safety caused revenues to fall to $1.2 billion.

A 57-year-old worker was killed in an industrial accident at Galland Henning Nopak, Inc. in West Milwaukee this morning.

A piece of sheet metal fell and killed the man.

The company manufactures pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders and valves and scrap recycling equipment.

West Milwaukee police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.

Pitman, Kyle & Sicula is a Wisconsin personal injury law firm handling wrongful death cases throughout the state.  Our Wisconsin injury attorneys have successfully represented injured people in almost every county. We know Wisconsin.

A Milwaukee firefighter was hospitalized Thursday after being struck by a hit and run driver on the city’s north side, authorities said.

The firefighter was on the scene of a traffic crash at N. Holton St. and W. Keefe Ave. when he was struck by the vehicle shortly after 4 p.m.

Police believed the firefighter suffered non life-threatening injuries. He was taken to a local hospital,

Police were searching for the striking vehicle late Thursday afternoon.

Pitman, Kyle & Sicula is a Wisconsin personal injury law firm handling car accident cases throughout the state.  Our Wisconsin injury attorneys have successfully represented injured people in almost every county. We know Wisconsin.

A London neighborhood will open its first exercise area for older people with a specially designed outdoor playground.

The park will offer low-impact exercise equipment to help older people improved their balance and flexibility and tone muscles that may not have been tested for decades.

The playground, located in London’s Hyde Park, will have six pieces of equipment, including a stationary bike, a cross-trainer and a sit-up bench.

Project coordinators are hoping the playground not only promotes physical fitness, but also helps alleviate feelings of loneliness and depression through socialization. Just recently, elderly exercisers were seen utilizing the park in the frigid February weather.

The following is a press release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is announcing the recall of all Generation 2 Worldwide and “ChildESIGNS” drop side cribs. The CPSC is warning parents and caregivers who own these drop side cribs that infants and toddlers are at risk of serious injury or death due to strangulation and suffocation hazards presented by the cribs. CPSC staff urges parents and caregivers to stop using these cribs immediately and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Do not attempt to fix these cribs.

The crib’s plastic hardware can break which can cause the drop side of the crib to detach from a corner of the crib. When the drop side detaches, it creates a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped. When a child is entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress, it creates a risk of suffocation or strangulation. In addition, the crib’s mattress support can detach from the crib frame, creating a hazardous space in which an infant or toddler could become entrapped and suffocate or strangle.

CPSC has received reports of three infants who suffocated when they became entrapped between the crib mattress and the drop side when the drop side detached. In July 2007, an eight month old child from Newark, Ohio suffocated when he became entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress. The drop side of his crib had detached due to a broken plastic stop tab on the lower track. In October 2003, an eight month old child from Richmond, Ind. suffocated when he became entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress. The plastic hardware on the drop side was broken and allowed the drop side to detach from the crib headboard in one corner. In September 2002, a six month old from Staunton, Va. suffocated when he became entrapped between the drop side and crib mattress. The lower drop side track was missing two screws which allowed it to pull away from the headboard post and detach.

CPSC has also received reports of 20 other drop side incidents, 12 of which involved the drop side detaching in a corner of the crib. In two of these incidents, a child became entrapped. One child suffered bruising from the entrapment. There are five reports of children falling out of the cribs due to drop side detachment. One child suffered a broken arm as a result of the fall.

In addition, CPSC has received 8 reports of mattress support detachment in these cribs. Due to the space created by the detachment, three children became entrapped between the crib frame and the sagging mattress and four children crawled out of the crib. There was one report of cuts and bruises.

Due to the fact that Generation 2 went out of business in 2005, CPSC has limited information about the cribs. Although CPSC does not know the total number of units distributed or the years of production, it is believed that there were more than 500,000 of these cribs sold to consumers. Some of the known model numbers are: 10-110X, 10-210X, 21-110X, 20-710X, 64-315X, 26-110X, 90-257X, 20-810X, 46-715X, 64-311X, 74-315X, 21-815X, 21-810X, 20815X, 308154 and 54915. (The “X” denotes where an additional and varying number may appear at the end of the model number.) However, all Generation 2 Worldwide and “ChildESIGNS” drop side cribs are included in this recall, including those with other model numbers.

Would you believe 47,000?

According to a federal government study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, more than 47,000 elderly Americans are treated for injuries from falls that involve walkers and canes each year.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 87% of the falls involved walkers, and people 65 and older were seven times more likely to be injured in a walker-related fall than in a cane-related fall.

The study also found:

• Women sustained 78% of walker-related injuries and 66% of cane-related injuries
• The risk of falling while using one of these devices increase with age
• Fractures were the most common type of injury suffered. About 33% of injuries were to the lower trunk, such as the hip or pelvis
• Most injuries occurred at home
• Approximately one-third of those injured had to be hospitalized

Pitman, Kyle & Sicula, S.C. is a Wisconsin law firm with a devoted nursing home abuse practice. Our Nursing Home Abuse Team, consisting of attorneys, nurse attorneys and paralegals, is the largest in the state and has successfully represented abused and neglected nursing home residents throughout Wisconsin.

A study published in the March issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery found that elderly women who suffer a broken upper arm are five time more likely than normal to break a hip within a year after the arm fracture.

Although researchers haven’t been able to discover the exact relationship between arm and hip fractures, they have found evidence to support that both fractures originate from similar reactions to a fall. Unable to catch themselves, studies show that elderly people tend to tuck and roll during a fall which puts greater force on the shoulder and hip.

Researchers urge people who have fallen to follow up with their orthopedist or doctor to determine the cause so that the proper steps can be taken to decrease the risk of future incidents and injuries.

Pitman, Kyle & Sicula, S.C. is a Wisconsin law firm with a devoted nursing home abusepractice. Our Nursing Home Abuse Team, consisting of attorneys, nurse attorneys and paralegals, is the largest in the state and has successfully represented abused and neglected nursing home residents throughout Wisconsin.

Several major news outlets have said Toyota plans to announce a worldwide recall of approximately 300,000 Prius Hybrids possibly as early as Tuesday.

The recall would address the brake problem associated with models sold since May last year. Although the recall will be announced soon, Toyota is still weighing its options on how to handle the repairs in the U.S.

Over 100 drivers have complained that their antilock brakes seem to fail momentarily while driving on bumpy roads. The U.S. government suspects the brake issue involved in four crashes that caused two minor injuries. Toyota says a software glitch is behind the problem and that the brakes will work if the driver keeps pushing the pedal.