Legal and Personal Injury News

• 9th Circuit Backs Government's State Secrets Claim in Rendition Case

  Terror suspects who claim they were tortured abroad at the hands of the U.S. government have lost their latest attempt to sue the private American company they say was involved in their abduction as part of an "extraordinary rendition" program under the Bush administration. The 9th Circuit, in a 6-5 opinion that delves into the scope and application of the state secrets doctrine, issued an en banc opinion finding that such litigation could reveal state secrets and tossed the case.

• Judge Criticizes but Doesn't Kill Major Lindsey's Suit Against Former Recruiter

  Major Lindsey & Africa's racketeering suit against a former recruiter has survived a motion to dismiss -- barely. Federal Judge Colleen McMahon threw out Major Lindsey's claims against former managing director Sharon Mahn under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and issued some stern words regarding the RICO claims. The judge wrote that she had "ample experience with the assertion of bogus RICO claims" by litigants seeking to obtain federal jurisdiction or extract a "coercive settlement" by calling someone a racketeer.

• Law Firms 'Shrinking Toward Profit Growth' in Midyear Survey

  The 2010 midyear data reported by 187 U.S.-headquartered firms to the Law Firm Group at Citi Private Bank may best be described as "shrinking toward profit growth." During the first half of 2010, revenue was virtually flat, and demand was down slightly, compared with the same period in 2009. Inventory grew by less than 1 percent. Given that these results are being compared to a weak first half of 2009, this hardly represents a robust rebound. At best, it may be a bottoming out.

• Alleged Facts Key to Duty to Defend Spam Suits

  Relying in part on case law requiring courts to look to the factual background -- and not the legal theories -- found in an underlying complaint, a Pennsylvania Superior Court panel has ruled an insurance company has no duty to defend an office supply company accused of sending spam faxes.

• Patent and Trademark Office Director Reflects on His First Year

• Toy Vegetables Recalled

  The Land of Nod, Northbrook, Illinois, is recalling about 2,100 ?Play With Your Veggies? toys, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced. The CPSC is advising consumers to stop using recalled products immediately and that it is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. The metal wire in the toy [...]

• Recalled Hip Implant Maker Setting Conditions for Repairs

  A news outlet in Ireland is reporting that Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics unit is setting conditions for people who want the device maker to pay for repairs of its now-recalled ASR hip implant. The conditions Johnson & Johnson wants to impose could endanger any product liability lawsuits recipients of the DePuy ASR hip implant [...]

• Bed Bugs Plague Michigan Hospital

  A hospital in Michigan has become the most recent victim in the rapidly growing bed bug epidemic. According to the Lansing State Journal, the Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing just had to fumigate the rooms on the sixth floor at one of its facilities. ?We had a patient that came in with bedbugs and we [...]

• FDA Strengthens Warnings on Gadolinium MRI Dyes

  Gadolinium-based contrast dyes will now bear new warnings on their labels regarding their association with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), according to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Gadolinium-based contrast dyes are intravenous drugs approved by the FDA for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to help detect abnormalities of body [...]

• Fracking Poses Risks in Ohio

  In their quest to expand in the state, the oil and gas industry in Ohio is quick to say that hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is safe and has little impact on the environment. However, some in the state are concerned that Ohio’s gas drilling regulations aren’t strong enough to ensure people there won’t [...]

• Class I Recall Issued for AngioSculpt Balloon Catheters

  AngioScore Inc.?s AngioSculpt?s EX Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) scoring balloon catheters are subject to a Class I recall. According to the recall notice, the catheters may fragment and become lodged in a patient?s coronary arteries, resulting in serious injuries and even death. Class 1 recalls are the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) [...]

• BP Oil Spill Report Slammed by Transocean, Halliburton

  Transocean Ltd. and Halliburton Co. are crying foul, following yesterday’s release of BP’s report detailing its internal Gulf of Mexico oil spill investigation. The report put much of the onus for the disaster on the two firms. Transocean is the owner of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, which exploded on April 20 and spawned the [...]

• Fire Hazard Prompts Subwoofer Speaker Recall

  About 2,200 Paradigm Cinema 70 CT Subwoofers have been recalled by Paradigm Electronics due to fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced. The CPSC is advising consumers to stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed and note that it is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer [...]

• Step 2 Recalls Transportation Station Toys

  Step2® just issued a recall for Children’s Transportation Station Toys due to choking hazard, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada (HC) just announced. The CPSC and HC are advising consumers to stop using the recalled products immediately, unless otherwise instructed, and note that it is illegal to resell or attempt to [...]

• Toxic Metals Pose Risk to Kids

  We have long been writing about heavy metals turning up in a wide range of consumer and children?s products. Now, CNN is reporting that Consumer Reports magazine wrote that tests indicate that ?worrisome levels? of these metals have been found in children?s products being sold today, including rain coats, hair barrettes, and jewelry. The Consumer Reports? [...]

Product Recall News

• Toy Vegetables Recalled

  The Land of Nod, Northbrook, Illinois, is recalling about 2,100 ?Play With Your Veggies? toys, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced. The CPSC is advising consumers to stop using recalled products immediately and that it is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. The metal wire in the toy [...]

• Recalled Hip Implant Maker Setting Conditions for Repairs

  A news outlet in Ireland is reporting that Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics unit is setting conditions for people who want the device maker to pay for repairs of its now-recalled ASR hip implant. The conditions Johnson & Johnson wants to impose could endanger any product liability lawsuits recipients of the DePuy ASR hip implant [...]

• Bed Bugs Plague Michigan Hospital

  A hospital in Michigan has become the most recent victim in the rapidly growing bed bug epidemic. According to the Lansing State Journal, the Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing just had to fumigate the rooms on the sixth floor at one of its facilities. ?We had a patient that came in with bedbugs and we [...]

• FDA Strengthens Warnings on Gadolinium MRI Dyes

  Gadolinium-based contrast dyes will now bear new warnings on their labels regarding their association with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), according to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Gadolinium-based contrast dyes are intravenous drugs approved by the FDA for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to help detect abnormalities of body [...]

• Fracking Poses Risks in Ohio

  In their quest to expand in the state, the oil and gas industry in Ohio is quick to say that hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is safe and has little impact on the environment. However, some in the state are concerned that Ohio’s gas drilling regulations aren’t strong enough to ensure people there won’t [...]

• Class I Recall Issued for AngioSculpt Balloon Catheters

  AngioScore Inc.?s AngioSculpt?s EX Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) scoring balloon catheters are subject to a Class I recall. According to the recall notice, the catheters may fragment and become lodged in a patient?s coronary arteries, resulting in serious injuries and even death. Class 1 recalls are the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) [...]

• BP Oil Spill Report Slammed by Transocean, Halliburton

  Transocean Ltd. and Halliburton Co. are crying foul, following yesterday’s release of BP’s report detailing its internal Gulf of Mexico oil spill investigation. The report put much of the onus for the disaster on the two firms. Transocean is the owner of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, which exploded on April 20 and spawned the [...]

• Fire Hazard Prompts Subwoofer Speaker Recall

  About 2,200 Paradigm Cinema 70 CT Subwoofers have been recalled by Paradigm Electronics due to fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced. The CPSC is advising consumers to stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed and note that it is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer [...]

• Step 2 Recalls Transportation Station Toys

  Step2® just issued a recall for Children’s Transportation Station Toys due to choking hazard, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada (HC) just announced. The CPSC and HC are advising consumers to stop using the recalled products immediately, unless otherwise instructed, and note that it is illegal to resell or attempt to [...]

• Toxic Metals Pose Risk to Kids

  We have long been writing about heavy metals turning up in a wide range of consumer and children?s products. Now, CNN is reporting that Consumer Reports magazine wrote that tests indicate that ?worrisome levels? of these metals have been found in children?s products being sold today, including rain coats, hair barrettes, and jewelry. The Consumer Reports? [...]

• The Land of Nod Recalls Toy Vegetables Due to Laceration Hazard

  The metal wire in the toy asparagus can become exposed, posing a laceration hazard to children.

• Step2(r) Recalls Children's Transportation Station Toys Due to Choking Hazard

  The light blue plastic wheels on the train cars can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

• Swing Sets Recalled by Kompan Inc. for Repair Due to Fall Hazard

  The joint connection between the horizontal top beam and the vertical end bracket and support post system can crack and break, posing a fall and impact hazard to users.

• Magnetic Maze Boards Recalled by Lakeshore Learning Materials Due to Choking, Intestinal and Aspiration Hazards

  The magnetic maze board's plastic wand can separate and expose a magnet that can be a choking hazard to children. Also, if a child has more than one of these toys and the magnets detach and are swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.

• Baby Hammock Metal Stands Recalled by MamaLittleHelper Due to Fall Hazard

  The C-shaped metal stand can break where the curved arm attaches to the leg of the metal frame, posing a fall hazard to an infant in the hammock.

• Baby Hammocks Recalled by MamaLittleHelper Due to Suffocation Hazard

  The side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause the infant to roll and become entrapped or wedged against the hammock's fabric and/or mattress pad, resulting in a suffocation hazard.

• Williams-Sonoma Recalls Baby Bottle Warmers Due to Burn Hazard

  The bottle warmers can overheat liquids and baby food, posing a burn hazard to adults and babies.

• Lan Enterprises Recalls Zooper Tango Double Strollers Due to Collapse Hazard

  The stroller's frame latch above the front wheels can fail when the stroller hits an object, causing the stroller to unexpectedly collapse. This can result in minor scrapes, cuts and bruises.

• Circus World Recalls Wireless Video Baby Monitors Due to Overheating Hazard

  Wiring in the baby monitor camera can overheat and emit smoke, posing a burn hazard to consumers.

• P. Graham Dunn Recalls Toy Rattles Due to Choking Hazard

  The wooden dowels can be installed at an angle, allowing the metal rattle inside to become exposed. This poses a serious choking hazard to young children.