Articles Posted in Defective Products

It was announced yesterday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that a voluntary recall of Pogo Sticks made by Bravo Sports of Santa Fe Springs, California. According to the recall alert, the bottom of the pogo stick frame is prone to breaking apart; causing the pin that holds the bouncing spring to break off. When this happens, the pogo becomes a hazardous fall risk, and the spring a laceration hazard. Consumers should stop using the pogo sticks until it is confirmed that it is not involved in the recall.

Apparently Bravo Sports has received over 100 reports of breaking incidents involving the pogo sticks, nine of which apparently caused injury. One of the reported cases involved the facial laceration of a child, and two others who suffered facial injuries.

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A Northern California man was awarded $2.85 million in a settlement the maker of a stun-gun that was alleged to have caused permanent brain damage. The product manufacturer denied any liability, but agreed to pay the settlement.

According to reports, in October 2006, 49-year-old Steve Butler was intoxicated and off his psychiatric medications when he refused to get off a public bus. A police officer used a Taser X-26 from Taser International to subdue Butler, who went to cardiac arrest and stopped breathing. It took nearly 20 minutes for paramedics to resuscitate Butler, who suffered a major brain injury.

Nearly four years after the incident, Butler continues to have short-term memory problems, and a loss of mobility and motor skills. He cannot be left alone and requires 24-hour care. According to court documents, Butler is unlikely to recovery.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced that six manufacturers of drop-side cribs will voluntarily recall more than 2 million baby cribs after more than 250 reports of malfunction. In 16 of the reports the infants were entrapped, and in one the child was rendered unconscious and hospitalized. No wrongful deaths have been reported.

The seven companies involved in the recall are Delta Enterprise Corp., Jardine Enterprises, LaJobi, Million Dollar Baby, Child Craft and Simmons Juvenile Products.

“This new recall announcement is part of a larger effort by CPSC to clean up the marketplace from many of these unsafe cribs,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “Most of these recalled cribs have dangerous drop-sides, while the Delta crib can pose a danger to babies if the mattress support is installed incorrectly.”

The FDA is looking into several hundred allegations of serious side effects, including seven deaths since May 1, involving over-the-counter children’s mediation, including Children’s Tylenol, produced and distributed by Johnson & Johnson. The company has issued recall notices for 40 commonly used children’s pain and allergy medication, and announcing that some may have been improperly manufactured or contaminated.

Today FDA officials issued a notice urging parents to used generic alternatives to the mediations that were recalled, and congress has sprung into action, starting an investigation.

At Tylenol.com, Johnson and Johnson is instructing parents and caregivers with questions about the recall to call 1-800-962-5357 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time).