Product Recalls and Defects
Painful Side Effects Caused by Artimplant Artelon Spacer
The Artimplant Artelon Spacer is a medical device used for people with thumb disabilities. The product is produced by Artimplant AB and distributed by Small Bone Innovations. Neither company offers consumers a warning about the multiple reports of painful side effects and other negative, sometimes severe, reactions.
Artimplant Artelon Spacers are surgically implanted into a person’s hand with the intent to relieve arthritis but keep pinch strength intact. However, as is well known among medical professionals, when a foreign object is placed in the body, the body can reject it and react badly to the implanted device. Many patients have reported serious reactions including loss of motion, swelling and inflammatory synovitis leading to incredible pain. The Artelon Spacer can also break in the body. Occasionally, under stress, it has fragmented leaving tiny pieces in the hand, which can cause pain.
Those with a Artelon Spacer implanted in their hands that lead to negative reactions do have legal rights they can discuss with an attorney. The lawyers at Messa & Associates, P.C. are willing and able to help those who have suffered because of an Artelon Spacer.
Hydroxycut
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced its recall for the weight loss pill, Hydroxycut. The FDA is warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products, as these products have been associated with a number of serious liver injuries. Lovate, the distributor of Hydroxycut, has agreed to recall Hydroxycut products from the market.
Liver injury, although rare, was reported by patients at the doses of Hydroxycut recommended on the bottle. Symptoms of liver injury include jaundice, nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite.
One death has been reported, along with 23 cases of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant. Other health problems reported include seizures, cardiovascular disorders, and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.
Hydroxycut products are dietary supplements that are marketed for weight loss, as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low-carb diet aids, and for water loss under the Iovate and MuscleTech brand names. The list of Hydroxycut products being recalled by Iovate currently includes:
- regular rapid release caplets
- caffeine-free rapid release caplets
- hardcore liquid caplets
- max liquid caplets
- regular drink packets
- hardcore drink packets
- max drink packets
- liquid shots
- hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
- max aqua shed
- 24
- carb control
- natural
Not all Hydroxycut products are included in the list. Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia products are not affected by this recall, but may be in the future. For more information, or if you are suffering from injuries due to this product, please contact our office immediately at 1-866-403-4LAW.
MSNBC.com has recently released a list of items that were recalled this week, including cribs, baby garments, and common household objects. For more information, please contact Messa & Associates, P.C.
Stork Craft baby cribs
About 535,000 Stork Craft baby cribs manufactured in Canada, China and Indonesia and imported by Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. of British Columbia, Canada, were recalled because the metal mattress-support brackets can crack and break. This could cause the mattress to collapse and create a gap where a child could get trapped or suffocate.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is aware of ten incidents of support brackets that broke. In one incident a child was trapped between the mattress and the side rail with no injuries. The cribs were sold at J.C. Penney, Kmart, Wal-Mart and other stores around the country. They were also sold online at amazon.com, babiesrus.com, costco.com and walmart.com. They were available between May 2000 through January 2009.
Taggies Sleep ‘n Play baby garments
About 16,000 Taggies Sleep’n Play baby garments, made in China and imported by Rashti & Rashti of New York, were recalled because the snaps on the garments can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. No incidents or injuries have been reported. In July 2008, the company recalled two Taggies Sleep’n Play style baby garments, including the Butterfly Applique and the Fun Dog Print. The recall has been expanded to include the Dinosaur Applique and the Pink Toss Print styles. The garments are one-piece coveralls with snaps down the front. RN No. 27829 is on the care label sewn into the garment.
Ryobi corded circular saws
About 12,400 Ryobi corded circular saws made in China by One World Technologies Inc., of Anderson, S.C. were recalled because the return spring on the product’s lower blade guard can break, posing a laceration hazard to consumers. No injuries or incidents have been reported. The recalled circular saws include model Nos. CSB123, CSB133L and CSB142LZ. The products were sold at Home Depot stores nationwide from October through November 2008.
Milan vanity stools by Cheyenne Industries Inc.
About 89,000 Milan vanity stools, manufactured in China and distributed by Cheyenne Industries Inc. of Little Rock, Ark., were recalled because loose screws can cause the legs to break or separate. The company has received nine reports of broken or separated stool legs, including seven reports of minor injuries. The stools were sold at Bed Bath & Beyond and other stores around the country between October 2004 through March 2006.
Roman shades by Cost Plus Inc.
About 692,400 Roman shades and roll-up blinds, manufactured in India and China and distributed by Cost Plus Inc. of Oakland, Calif., because the cords pose a strangulation hazard for young children. No incidents have been reported with the blinds in this recall, but CPSC is aware of the deaths of three children involving similar styles of blinds and shades. The shades and blinds were sold at Cost Plus and World Market stores around the country between February 2006 and August 2008.
