February 17, 2012

Johnson & Johnson has recalled all bottles of infant Tylenol in the United States. According to reports from KSL News, the recall of 574,000 bottles of medication is in response to complaints from parents who are having problems with the newly designed bottles.

The bottles were introduced to the market three months ago and are designed to give a single, exact dose of medication. The medication comes with a syringe-like plunger that is inserted into the bottle. The bottle is squeezed to release a dosage of medication into the plunger, and the liquid is then placed in the child’s mouth.

Complaints say the protective cover on the top of the bottle designed to limit the amount of liquid that comes out gets pushed down into the bottle when the plunger is inserted.

The new bottles of infant Tylenol were one of the company’s first drugs put back on the market after around 25 recalls shut down all of the company’s manufacturing plants. The bottles were rushed back onto the market after the recalls and subsequent shut downs cost the company roughly $1 billion last year.

The company says to discontinue use of the infant Tylenol product.

The Utah Defective Product Lawyers with Robert Debry and Associates are available to speak with you about any questions you may have if a problem with a medication or product caused you serious harm at no fault of your own.

February 10, 2012

A propane tank explosion in the town of South Jordan, Utah, has left three workers injured. According to reports from The Salt Lake Tribune, the explosion happened on a work site for the Rocky Mountain Power Company on W. Old Bingham Highway around 10:00 AM.

The three electrical workers were working on a project near the tank when they somehow sparked gas that was leaking from the tank. The explosion caused debris to be thrown hundreds of feet from the sight of the explosion.

One of the workers was severely burned in the accident and was flown to the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City. An ambulance took another worker to Intermountain Medical Center where he was treated for lacerations and bruises caused by flying debris. The third worker was treated for minor injuries and was released at the scene.

Propane explosions are blamed for more than 6,000 accidental fires in the United States each year, many of which are sparked by leaking tanks.

The Utah fire and burn injury lawyers with Robert Debry and Associates know how dangerous propane explosions can be, so it is vital that you do everything possible to prevent a propane leak. Smelling for the gas is the most common way to detect a leak–gas smells similar to rotten eggs. A gas detector should also be installed in all buildings using propane and a trained technician should inspect your tank regularly.

January 6, 2012

Expiration dates are all around us. On food, credit cards, coupons, and even prescription drugs, all these items are only to be used before a certain date rolls around. Now, it is being discovered that many parents don’t realize their children’s car seats also have an expiration date.

KSL 5 News told the story of a woman who was getting ready to have twins. In order to save some money she thought she would use a car seat she had bought several years before in 2003. That is when she noticed the “best if used by” date on the underside of the seat.

Experts say that the seats are required to have an expiration date because the parts break down over time. A representative for SafeKids of Northeast Florida, Lesley Seaton, explained these breakdowns by saying, “The shell inside, that we can not see, can be broken down and worn out. The harness strap itself that holds the child in safely can be frayed and torn, but look okay.”

These breakdowns could cause the seat to malfunction in the event of a crash, and may not properly restrain the child in the seat.

This is why the Utah auto accident attorneys with Robert Debry and Associates would like to encourage all parents to check for expiration dates in either the product’s user manual or on the seat itself. Doing so will truly increase the safety of your child in the case of a crash.

December 2, 2011

We all love homemade foods, especially around the holidays. But, a new story about a Salt Lake City, Utah, man and his cheese may change your tune a little. In a story released by KSL News yesterday, it was stated that the man known as “Mr. Cheese” to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food was cited and fined for manufacturing and selling cheese to area businesses out of his West Valley home. What’s the problem you may ask? The cheese is believed to have caused thousands of cases of salmonella infections statewide.

Authorities say they began investigating the man after a Salmonella outbreak in the area had been linked back to queso fresco in a Mexican restaurant. Between 40 and 80 claims had been filed in connection with the outbreak before authorities tracked the man to his home. There they found cheese being manufactured without the proper sanitation equipment, licenses, or permits. Authorities fined the man $500 for breaking the Utah Dairy Act, which regulates the manufacturing of cheese in the state.

The Division of Regulatory Services issued a statement days later recommending consumers not to purchase or ingest foods that are unlabeled and to exercise caution when purchasing food items from door-to-door vendors or in places where food is not normally sold.

The Utah Defective Product Attorneys with Robert Debry & Associates have experience handling cases against manufacturers or suppliers who provided unsafe products. See when and why you should contact them if a defective product has harmed you by watching this video.

August 5, 2011

Several Utah organizations are coming together on Saturday to help parents inspect their children’s car seats for safety and to educate parents on proper use and installation of car and booster seats. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, officials from the Utah County Health Department, Safe Kids, and Intermountain Healthcare will be at the northwest parking plaza of Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah, from 10 AM to noon on August 6 for the campaign.

Free inspections of car and booster seats will be given, as well as a discussion of Utah’s new booster seat law designed to help parents recognize when it is appropriate to move a child from a booster seat to a regular seatbelt. Spanish speakers will be on hand to translate.

The new law states that children under the age of 8-years-old are required to be in a booster or car seat in a vehicle at all times. The only exception to this rule is if a child is more than 57 inches (4’9”) tall, then they are only required to wear the regular seatbelt in the vehicle.

The organization Boost Til 8 says that more children between the ages of 6-14 die from car accidents than from anything else.

The Utah Auto Accident Attorneys with Robert Debry & Associates encourage all parents to protect their children by making sure they are properly secured in their car or booster seat anytime they are in a vehicle.

May 20, 2011

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a recall for seatbelt components in certain General Motors (GM) models. Models affected are the 2011 Cadillac SRX, Chevy Equinox, and the GMC Terrain. Just under 100,000 vehicles are affected by the recall.

The problem is that the buckle anchors in the seatbelts on these models may fracture at the point of impact of an accident, resulting in serious injury or death of the occupants of affected vehicles.

Owners should have received a letter informing them of the defect on or before January 18, 2011. The problem can be fixed at a GM dealership free of charge to the owner of the vehicle.

The seatbelt is the most important piece of equipment in your car during an accident. It is your front line of defense during a collision, and keeps your body secured in place so that the cars other safety systems can work to protect you.

Always stay aware of any recalls affecting your vehicle and always contact a Utah personal injury lawyer if you are ever injured due to a seatbelt malfunction on a vehicle. The attorneys with Robet Debry & Associates have experience handling these types of cases. One client, Logan from Utah, says he “…couldn’t have been served any better!”