Product Liability Attorneys Blog

A recent study suggests that women are so desperate to lose weight that they are still using a weight-loss supplement from China that has been recalled in the United States for its use of dangerous ingredients, U.S. News & World Report says.

Defective drugs, those banned because manufactures use dangerous ingredients or don't fully test the possible side effects of a product before releasing it, can lead to serious or fatal injuries. And considering how important image is to American women, it's easy for our New York Defective Drug Attorneys to see why they would desire to use weight-loss drugs. But these supplements must be used carefully and consumers should always first do as much research as possible on the drug before using it. You should know what you're putting into your body.

According to the article, the drug Pai You Guo contains phenolphthalein and sibutramine, both pharmaceuticals that are banned here because they can cause stroke, cancer and heart attacks. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a recall of the weight loss supplement, but a study in Boston shows the recall hasn't dissuaded women from using the drug to get slimmer waist lines.

Harvard Medical School surveyors contacted over 550 women born in Brazil and who live in greater Boston and discovered nearly 1 in 4 have used or still do use the drug. Most people who were using the supplement reported experiencing side effects like addiction to the product, insomnia, fainting and palpitations. The study also found that women who used the supplement are more likely to buy the drug at a local store than to buy it over the internet.

"Even when the supplements are known to be hazardous, the FDA lacks the ability to remove them from store shelves," notes the study's author, Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. The researchers said that without stronger regulations, people shouldn't use any supplement that says it will help them lose weight.

Having the dedication and resources to go on a diet and stick to it are difficult, which is why people are always looking for shortcuts. Miracle diets and miracle drugs are always being touted as the next great thing. But searching the FDA's website to determine whether or not the drug is dangerous is important.

No one should take a drug without first doing the proper research and consumers shouldn't take a drug or product that has previously been banned or recalled. But there are times when a drug hasn't been banned by the government and it can still have ill side effects on a person.

It's sometimes possible that the product passes through a litany of testing and hits the open market only to cause problems for consumers. Weak testing and companies quick to push a product into the marketplace can sometimes cut corners, which can cause sickness and even death as a result of dangerous or defective medical products.

Continue reading "Study: Women Still Using Dangerous, Recalled Weight-Loss Drug" »

Ford announced recently it was recalling more than 1 million pickup trucks, including the F-150, because corrosion problems can cause the vehicles to catch on fire, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Our product liability lawyers have seen over the years how defective vehicles have injured innocent and unsuspecting drivers. When a driver is injured because an automobile has material defects, he or she deserves to be compensated. Such defects can also contribute to an accident or be the cause of injuries sustained in the accident.

In the current recall, the newspaper reports, Ford says that straps that hold the fuel tanks to the truck can corrode after heavy use, potentially leading to fires if the tank drops and leaks. The problem caused one injury and three vehicle fires that the company knows about.

The models and years that were recalled:

• 1997 to 2003 Ford F-150
• 2004 F-150 Heritage
• 1997 to 1999 F-250
• 2002 to 2003 Lincoln Blackwood

This follows action taken in April, when Ford recalled 1.2 million vehicles because front-seat airbags could inflate without the vehicle being involved in an accident. The newspaper reports that owners of these vehicles can bring their trucks in for free repairs.

Recalls almost always take some type of accident or problem before an issues is fixed. Large companies rarely are proactive in putting out recalls because it is a huge cost to them. After consumers have purchased a product and it is found to be defective, companies either have to replace or repair it, which hurts their bottom line.

Vehicle companies have had scores of recalls throughout the years. Some that probably come to mind are when Toyota had problems with gas pedals getting stuck, and when Firestone tires used on Ford Explorers were apt to blowouts, which led to a recall scandal a decade ago.

Vehicles are different from other products. If a person's vacuum has a defect, it can be replaced and no one usually gets hurt. But an automobile can be as dangerous as a weapon and manufacturers must make sure they get it right -- the first time.

Recall information for vehicles can be found online through the government-run website recalls.gov. There, consumers can search by a specific make and model, search for car seat recalls, tire recalls and other vehicle-related product pull-backs. The site also allows consumers to search for non-motor vehicle products.

Sometimes, companies are so motivated by profits and shareholders' desires that they cut corners on their product. And in the case of motor vehicles that can lead to injuries and death. Consumers require protection and while there are safety standards in place, it's obvious that they can be skirted.

Perhaps help is on the way. As The Detroit News recently reported, two senators introduced a proposal to overhaul the nation's motor vehicle safety laws that would hike the maximum fine for failing to recall an unsafe vehicle from $16.4 million to $250 million. The huge jump in fines would give the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the ability to more strongly enforce safety issues. Toyota was fined about $50 million last year for three separate recall incidents, the newspaper reports.

Continue reading "Ford Recalls More Than 1 Million Trucks Over Fire Danger" »