Product Liability Category Archives

Fire Concerns Prompt Recall of Over 1.5 Million Dehumidifiers

September 24, 2023 | Edward Smith

Over 1.5 Million Dehumidifiers Recalled Due to Fire Risk

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a recall for more than 1.5 million dehumidifiers after they were linked to at least 23 fires and 688 incidents of overheating. These dehumidifiers, responsible for an estimated $168,000 in property damage, were sold under brand names including GE, Kenmore, Norpole, SoleusAir, and Seabreeze. Retail giants such as Home Depot, Sam’s Club, and Walmart stocked these units, manufactured by Gree Electric Appliances in China, and sold from January 2011 to February 2014.

Five Risky Baby Products to Avoid

September 4, 2023 | Edward Smith

Five Unsafe Baby Items Every Parent Should Avoid

Many people assume that if a product is sold in the U.S., it must be safe, especially baby items. However, the reality is more complex. While many baby products undergo safety tests before selling, the system isn’t perfect. For example, newer products might not have the required safety rules yet, so they get sold without any independent safety checks. Also, sometimes companies won’t recall a product even if safety experts say it’s risky.

Bottle Feeding Premature Babies Are at Risk for NEC

April 10, 2023 | Edward Smith

Link Between Baby Formula and NEC

Cow’s milk and certain baby formula brands, including Similac and Enfamil, have been linked to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants. Parents with premature infants have seen their children develop this life-threatening illness nationwide.

Cancer Chemical Found in Most Dry Shampoos

December 3, 2022 | Edward Smith

Cancer-causing Chemical Found in Many Dry Shampoos

Consumers who use dry shampoo products regularly may want to look closer at the ingredients before spraying them in their hair. A healthcare and medical research group study found high levels of a cancer-causing chemical in most dry shampoo brands.

I Bought a Defective Product – Now What?

September 12, 2022 | Edward Smith

Protecting Your Claim Against a Defective Product

When you buy a product, you trust it will perform as advertised. Whatever product you buy shouldn’t cause you harm. Unfortunately, many products consumers purchase can be harmful such as auto parts, medications, appliances and toys. A dangerous product may be released into the market for a variety of reasons, including unclear instructions, faulty manufacturing, unlisted side effects, and design defects. The following tips provide steps for an individual harmed by a defective product to help them get the compensation they deserve.

Baby Formula Linked to NEC

March 11, 2022 | Edward Smith

Premature Babies Nursed on Formula Are at Risk of NEC

Premature babies or underweight infants are at risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a severe intestinal disease. This condition causes intestinal tissue to die. It can also create a hole in their intestine, where bacteria can leak through, causing severe abdominal infections.

$25 Million Award in Window Blind Cords Death of 3-Year-Old

January 6, 2022 | Edward Smith

Tragic Incident Leads to Death of Young Girl

A horrible window blind cords death in 2016 in which a 3-year-old girl became tangled in cords and died due to strangulation has resulted in a recent award by a jury in Utah of $25 million to the young child’s family. The lawsuit — brought against manufacturers based in Utah and in California — and its recent conclusion highlight the dangers of window blind cords death for infants and toddlers. This danger is more common and serious than many people are aware.

Paraquat Litigation Moves Forward

September 12, 2021 | Edward Smith

Nationwide Litigation Process for Paraquat Herbicide Poisoning Cases

A consolidated group of personal injury lawsuits related to the effects of the herbicide Paraquat are moving forward in a multi-district litigation process based in the federal district court for the Southern District of Illinois. This is a major step toward the resolution of claims related to Paraquat and its toxicity that have been linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease in numerous people nationwide. This Paraquat litigation seeks to establish legally the personal injury connection between Paraquat exposure and the development of debilitating Parkinson’s symptoms.

Amazon Product Liability Complaint from CPSC

September 2, 2021 | Edward Smith

Is There Amazon Product Liability for Sales Through Third-Party Fulfillment Programs?

Several different parties may bear liability when a defective product results in personal injuries. These will typically involve the designer and manufacturer of the product, wholesale distributors, as well as retailers who directly sell the product. With “brick and mortar” retailers, it’s clear who is selling the product — we’ve actually walked through the doors of their local store, picked the product off a shelf, paid for the purchase, and taken the product home to use. However, with online market sites — especially the biggest online seller, Amazon — it can be much less obvious who the “seller” is from a legal perspective. That often results in the question, “Is there Amazon product liability for a defective product that was purchased through – but not necessarily ‘sold by’ — Amazon?” This question becomes more urgent when considering a recent complaint about flammable children’s pajamas sold through Amazon.

Congressional Report on Fisher-Price Hammock Deaths Cases

August 15, 2021 | Edward Smith

Fisher-Price Hammock Deaths Reviewed by House Committee

In June of 2021, a Congressional committee produced a report describing the results of its investigation over the last two years of the Rock ‘n Play Hammock produced and sold by Fisher-Price and Mattel, two giant corporations in the children’s and infant’s toy and products market. This device was a sleeping hammock designed for infants that held the baby at a 30-degree angle of inclination for nighttime sleeping. The extensive investigation included documents from the design, production, and sales of the sleeper by Fisher-Price, as well as interviews and testimony from company employees and investigators from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which had earlier conducted its own investigation into the Fisher-Price hammock deaths.