Toyota Corolla Airbag Recall

Toyota recalls over one million vehicles for air bags, wipers.

The AP (1/31, Kageyama) reports that Toyota is "recalling 907,000 cars, mostly Corollas, due to air bags that can improperly inflate when the vehicle's electronic signals damage a chip in the part that controls the air bags. It also is recalling 385,000 Lexus IS luxury cars with wipers that can get stuck if there is heavy snowfall." While Toyota had initially said there were no accidents related to the problem, a spokesperson on Wednesday said that there were two crashes in the US related to the air bag problem. In addition, Toyota has confirmed 18 cases of injuries form the air bag problem and a total of "46 reports of problems involving the air bags from North America, and one from Japan, and 25 reports of problems related to the windshield wipers."

        USA Today (1/30, Woodyard, 1.71M) reports, "Toyota says the air bag control module for the supplemental restraint system in the Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles could have been manufactured with faulty circuit boards. If it malfunctions, it could cause a short, causing a buildup of heat or potentially causing the air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy when there hasn't been a crash." While "in the case of the wiper blades on the Lexus IS, the loose nut could cause the wipers to fail if they encounter a heavy load that puts them under pressure, like the buildup of snow, Toyota says."

        The Los Angeles Times (1/30, Hirsch, 692K) notes that "Toyota has had a series a large recalls in recent years and has paid record federal fines for not recalling its vehicles fast enough. But that doesn't seem to bother buyers."

        The Detroit News (1/31, Shepardson, 119K) reports that the investigation into the air bags "began in August when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked other automakers for information on air bag malfunctions using the chip that was used in Chrysler Jeep Liberty SUVs that were under investigation."

        Also reporting on the recall are the New York Times (1/30, Jensen, 1.68M), the Christian Science Monitor (1/30, Velasco, 47K), the Washington Times (1/31, Chumley, 76K), Cars (1/30), WUSA-TV Washington (1/31), the Detroit Bureau (1/31), and WWJ-TV Detroit (1/30).

New details emerge during ongoing hip implant trial.

In continuing coverage on claims alleging Johnson & Johnson's DePuy unit failed to warn consumers that its ASR hip implants were defective, Bloomberg News (1/31, Possley, Voreacos, Feeley) reports DePuy President Andrew Ekdahl on Wednesday "told jurors the company recalled 93,000 all-metal hip implants because they 'did not meet the clinical needs for the product,' not because they were unsafe." Ekdahl testified "by videotape at the first of 10,000 cases to go to trial over patient claims that J&J defectively designed the implants and failed to warn of the risks before the recall of the ASR devices in August 2010. At the time, J&J said that 12 percent of the devices failed in the UK."

        The New York Times (1/31, B2, Meier, Subscription Publication, 1.68M) adds that last year, the "Times reported that DePuy executives decided in 2009 to phase out the A.S.R. and sell existing inventories weeks after the Food and Drug Administration asked the company for more safety data about the implant." Moreover, the FDA "told the company at that time that it was rejecting its efforts to sell the resurfacing version of the device in the United States because of concerns about 'high concentration of metal ions' in the blood of patients who received it." However, details emerged on Wednesday, indicating DePuy "never disclosed the F.D.A. ruling to regulators in other countries where it was still marketing the resurfacing version of the implant."

Witness at trial claims medical-device firm failed to forecast flaws in hip implants.

Bloomberg News (1/29, Voreacos, Possley, Feeley) reports, "Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) failed in developing an all-metal hip implant to forecast key flaws that led to its recall in 2010, a project manager told jurors in the first of 10,000 lawsuits over the device to go to trial." According to Bloomberg, "lawyers for plaintiff Loren Kransky seek to show in a trial that began Jan. 25 in state court in Los Angeles that J&J's DePuy unit knew its ASR hip implant had design defects and hid them from doctors. Magnus Flett was the first witness, and he told how DePuy analyzed what might cause the ASR hips to fail."

FDA Update on the Flu

Don’t Double Up on Acetaminophen

You have flu symptoms, so you've been getting some relief for the past two days by taking a cough and flu medicine every few hours. Late in the day, you have a headache and you think about grabbing a couple of acetaminophen tablets to treat the pain.

Stop right there.

What you may not realize is that more than 600 medications, both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC), contain the active ingredient acetaminophen to help relieve pain and reduce fever. Taken carefully and correctly, these medicines can be safe and effective. But taking too much acetaminophen can lead to severe liver damage.

Acetaminophen is a common medication for relieving mild to moderate pain from headaches, muscle aches, menstrual periods, colds and sore throats, toothaches, backaches and to reduce fever. It is also used in combination medicines, which have more than one active ingredient to treat more than one symptom.

back to top

'Tis Cold and Flu Season

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that Americans catch one billion colds per year and as many as 20% of Americans get the flu. Moreover, 7 in 10 Americans use OTC medicines to treat cold, cough and flu symptoms.

Fathia Gibril, M.D., M.HSc., a supervisory medical officer at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), explains that consumers looking for relief from a cold or the flu may not know that acetaminophen comes in combination with many other medications used to treat those symptoms. "So if you're taking more than one medicine at a time," she says, "you may be putting yourself at risk for liver damage."

Symptoms of acetaminophen overdose may take many days to appear, and even when they become apparent, they may mimic flu or cold symptoms. The current maximum recommended adult dose of acetaminophen is 4,000 milligrams per day, To avoid exceeding that dose:

·         don't take more than one OTC product containing acetaminophen,

·         don't take a prescription and an OTC product containing acetaminophen, and

·         don't exceed the recommended dose on any product containing acetaminophen.

"When you're at the store deciding which product to buy, check the 'Drug Facts' label of OTC cold, cough and flu products before using two or more products at the same time," Gibril says. If you’re still not sure which to buy, ask the pharmacist for advice.

FDA has an online list of brand names of products containing acetaminophen.

Rely on Health Care Experts

Acetaminophen is used in many commonly prescribed medications in combination with pain relievers such as codeine, oxycodone and hydrocodone. As of January 2011, FDA reported that overdoses from prescription medicines containing acetaminophen accounted for nearly half of all cases of acetaminophen-related liver injury in the U.S. When your health care professionals prescribe a drug, be sure to ask if it contains this active ingredient, and also to inform them of all other medicines (prescription and OTC) and supplements you take.

Even if you still have fever or pain, it's important not to take more than directed on the prescription or package label, notes FDA supervisory medical officer Sharon Hertz, M.D. But be careful, the word "acetaminophen" is not always spelled out in full on the container's prescription label. Abbreviations such as APAP, Acetaminoph, Acetaminop, Acetamin, or Acetam may be used instead.

When buying OTC products, Hertz suggests you make it a habit of telling the pharmacist what other medications and supplements you’re taking and asking if taking acetaminophen in addition is safe.

When the medicine is intended for children, the "Directions" section of the Drug Facts label tells you if the medicine is right for your child and how much to give. If a dose for your child's weight or age is not listed on the label and you can't tell how much to give, ask your pharmacist or doctor what to do.

If you're planning to use a medication containing acetaminophen, you should tell your health care professional if you have or have ever have had liver disease.

Acetaminophen and alcohol may not be a good mix, either, Hertz says. If you drink three or more alcoholic drinks a day, be sure to talk to your health care professional before you use a medicine containing acetaminophen.

This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

January 24, 2013

 

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm336581.htm?source=govdelivery

Africa Yoga Project

 

The Africa Yoga Project began in 2007. Its mission is to “use the transformational power of yoga to empower communities and change lives”. Marcy Diem, Lancaster yoga teacher at Evolution Power Yoga, has a dream to “give back beyond teaching at the local level." She will be to traveling to Nairobi, Kenya as part of a Seva Safari – “selfless-service journey”.
To do this Marcy needs your help. Jaime Jackson, at Atlee Hall, LLP, would like to offer a challenge to help make Marci’s trip possible. If Marci can raise $2500 – in the firm’s name, Jaime will match it with another $2500. To contribute, please go to click here to go to Marci's Africa Yoga Project web page.

 

Trials begin in Los Angeles over allegedly defective hip implants.

The AP (1/26, Deutsch) reported that a jury in Los Angeles, California, "heard opening statements Friday in a lawsuit that accuses Johnson & Johnson of knowingly marketing a faulty hip implant that lawyers say left thousands of people with crippling problems or in need of replacement surgeries. The fraud and negligence suit is the first of thousands of similar cases to reach trial" in the US, related to the "all-metal ball-and-socket hip joint" that J&J subsidiary, DePuy Orthopedics Inc. "pulled from the market two years ago."

        According to Bloomberg News (1/25, Possley, Voreacos, Feeley), the "first of 10,000 lawsuits over the device to go to trial," involved Loren Kransky, a "retired prison guard who got an ASR XL hip implant in 2007, sued in state court in 2011 and had the device replaced last year." In his opening statement on Friday, Kransky's lawyer Michael Kelly told a Los Angeles jury that DePuy Orthopaedics "knew the ASR hips were failing and never told doctors." Kelly also "claimed that debris from the metal ball sliding against the metal cup caused metal ions to enter Kransky's bloodstream."

        On the front of its Business Day section, the New York Times (1/26, B1, Meier, Subscription Publication, 1.68M) noted that Kelly also "introduced a number of internal records that suggested that company executives' concern for profits might have exceeded their worries about patients." He said officials at DePuy never informed physicians "that the ASR had failed an internal performance test against another company hip." Moreover, Kelly alleged that company officials "changed the test and tested it against other things until they found one it could beat."

        Meanwhile, Reuters (1/26, Beasley) reported that in documents submitted to the court, J&J and DePuy contend that ASR hips do not leak poisons; and they assert that Kransky's extensive medical conditions are due to the fact that he is a life-long smoker, who suffers from diabetes and kidney disease - both of which were diagnosed prior to his having received the implant. Reuters also pointed out that the Food and Drug Administration on Jan. 24 released a proposed order to bar medical device manufacturers from selling metal-on-metal artificial hip joints until they are able to provide data to substantiate the safety of the products.

Documents Reveal that Johnson & Johnson Estimated that 37 Percent of Hip Implants would "Fail Within 4.6 Years

Unsealed documents suggest medical-device firm knew about hip implant risks.

In a front-page story, the New York Times (1/23, A1, Meier, Subscription Publication, 1.68M) continues coverage of the lawsuits Johnson & Johnson faces over its 2011 hip implants recall, noting that newly disclosed court records revealed that an "internal analysis" J&J conducted shortly after issuing the recall "estimated that the all-metal device would fail within five years in nearly 40 percent of patients who received it." A trial, which is slated to begin Friday, will consider what "officials of Johnson & Johnson's DePuy Orthopaedics division knew about the device's problem before its recall" and what, if any, actions they took to remedy the problem. The forthcoming trial is also expected to "provide a guide to the consequences" of the Articular Surface Replacement device issue both in terms of J&J's "finances and its reputation."

        Bloomberg News (1/23, Voreacos, Feeley) notes that J&J's admission on the internal review's estimation that 37 percent of the devices would "fail within 4.6 years," was revealed in "documents unsealed Jan. 18 in the lawsuit of Loren Kransky in state court in Los Angeles. Jurors are scheduled to hear opening statements on Jan. 25 in Kransky's case, the first to go to trial against J&J."

        The Wall Street Journal (1/23, B2, Rockoff, Subscription Publication, 2.29M) adds that a J&J spokesperson said that the company is presently facing about 10,000 lawsuits and thus far, it has incurred about $900 million in charges related to the all-metal ASR devices. Ultimately, analysts are projecting that J&J's legal liability costs will surpass $1 billion

Honda Recalls More Vehicles for Airbag Problems

 Honda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Pilot and 2011-2013 Odyssey passenger vehicles manufactured from March 13, 2008, through December 21, 2012. One or more rivets that attach the airbag module to the airbag cover may be missing. For more information on this recall:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallresults.cfm?start=1&SearchType=QuickSearch&rcl_ID=13V016000&summary=true&PrintVersion=YES

FDA order would tighten metal hip implant rules.

The Wall Street Journal (1/18, B3, Burton, Subscription Publication, 2.29M) reports that the Food and Drug Administration released a proposed order Thursday to bar medical device manufacturers from selling metal-on-metal artificial hip joints until they are able to provide data to substantiate the safety of the products. Under the proposed rules, companies seeking approval to market any new metal-on-metal hip products would also be required conduct human clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of the devices.

        Reuters (1/18, Dey) reports that the FDA said it is proposing the stronger regulation because metal-on-metal hip implants are more likely to cause tissue damage and other complications than standard implants, which combine either a ceramic or a metal ball with a plastic socket.

        Bloomberg News (1/18, Edney) adds that the agency said that although it "doesn't have enough data to specify the amount of metal ions present in blood that would produce an adverse effect," consumers who "think their hip isn't functioning properly should be considered for metal ion testing. Adverse events related to the ion levels include skin rash, visual impairments, depression, kidney impairment and thyroid dysfunction."

        According to Modern Healthcare (1/18, Lee, Subscription Publication, 71K), the FDA last year "requested post-market studies of metal-on-metal implants from 21 device manufacturers." Additionally, a series of metal-on-metal hip implant recalls "led to broader questions about why implantable devices have been approved under the expedited 510(K) pathway rather than the more rigorous premarket approval process," which requires manufacturers to submit clinical trial data. Such concerns prompted Federal legislators to "include a provision in last year's user-fee agreement legislation that allows the FDA to reclassify devices by order rather than by regulation."

        CQ (1/18, Adams, Subscription Publication) notes that the "public has 90 days to comment" on the FDA proposal. After the "order is official, the companies will have 90 days to submit scientific data to the agency." CQ adds that the agency also released a safety notice Thursday, "offering new treatment advice to physicians with patients who have all-metal hip implants."

        Medscape (1/18, Lowes) says the draft order the agency released was based primarily on an FDA assessment, which "includes the evaluation of published studies and the findings of an FDA Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Advisory Panel meeting in June 2012." MedPage Today (1/18, Frieden) adds that, for the assessment, the FDA reviewed "more than 100 studies of metal-on-metal hip implants."

Toyota agrees to settlement in wrongful-death lawsuit related to sudden acceleration in vehicles.

The AP (1/18, Dalton) reports, "Toyota Motor Corp. has settled what was to be the first in a group of hundreds of pending wrongful death and injury lawsuits involving sudden, unintended acceleration by Toyota vehicles, a company spokesman said Thursday." The AP adds that Toyota "reached the agreement in the case brought by the family of Paul Van Alfen and Charlene Jones Lloyd, spokeswoman Celeste Migliore said. They were killed when their Toyota Camry slammed into a wall in Utah in 2010." Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

        The National Law Journal (1/18, Jones) also covers this story.

Dangers of Metal on Metal Hip Replacements and Corporate Responsibility

This is a good example of how lawsuits help protect people and hold corporations accountable for safety violations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/business/fda-to-tighten-regulation-of-all-metal-hip-implants.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

PRODUCTS LIABILITY – UNSAFE TIRE – SUV ROLLOVER

 

Jaime Jackson recently settled a case involving an unsafe tire that caused a tire blowout resulting in the SUV rolling over and injuring the driver and killing the passenger.  The vehicle was traveling at highway speeds when suddenly and without warning the right rear tire catastrophically came apart causing the vehicle to go out of control and rollover on the roadway. 

 

On behalf of our clients, we pursued product liability claims against the manufacturer of the tire and of the sport utility vehicle.  After extensively studying the tire and locating numerous manufacturing and design defects, as well as following close inspection of the vehicle, all claims against the manufacturer of the tire and vehicle were settled before suit needed to be filed.

 

Tire failures often cause devastating accidents, and the unfortunate reality is that many cars on America’s roadways today have at least one unsafe tire.  Tread separation, a leading cause of tire failures, is often a result of defective design or manufacturer of the tread.  Degradation due to age, even if the tire’s tread is sufficient, is also a common reason why tires fail.  Often times, a tire failure can also expose other defects within a vehicle’s design or performance.  If a tire failure played a part in causing the accident a thorough review of all liability issues such as stability, roof crush and occupant restraint must be conducted to determine whether product defect claims also exist. 

A rollover accident is always serious and will put a vehicle’s design and safety equipment to the test.  This type of accident has the potential to expose a myriad of defects, therefore it is important to first review why it happened, and second, whether the vehicle and its safety systems adequately protected the occupant.  It is critical to quickly determine for instance, whether a tire or mechanical failure was involved, and whether Electronic Stability Control (ESC) was incorporated and performed as intended.  If the occupant was not adequately protected, an analysis of the injuries may expose defects in areas such as the roof, a seatback or a seatbelt.  A quick and thorough investigation is critical in identifying whether a product defect, crash worthiness or other claims exist. 

Flu- and Flu Shot Locations in PA

PA Influenza Activity - 2012/13 Season

Week 2 (01/05/13- 01/12/13)

 

Widespread	There was an increase in influenza activity in all regions of the state. Therefore, current activity is characterized as "widespread"
ILI is defined as patients presenting with fever over 100*F, cough and/or sore throat in the absence of a known cause other than influenza.

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/influenza_(flu)/14161/pa_influenza_weekly_report/557490

Focus on flu allows you to search by county or by zip code for find flu shot locations near you

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/influenza_%28flu%29/14161/flu_shot_finder/557935

In general, the flu is worse than the common cold. Symptoms such as fever, body aches, tiredness, chills, and cough are more common and intense with the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose.  If you get sick with flu symptoms, in most cases, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care.  Learn more at www.flufreepa.com.

http://www.portal.health.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/department_of_health_home/1745

 FOR PARENTS OF SMALL CHILDREN, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR FAMILY DOCTOR FOR LOCATIONS FOR VACCINATIONS FOR CHILDREN.   MOST LOCATIONS ON THE FLU FINDERS ABOVE WILL ONLY TAKE ADULTS.

FDA Warns St. Jude Medical About Manufacturing and Quality Control Problems

FDA issues warning over cardiac defibrillator leads' manufacture.

The Wall Street Journal (1/15, Weaver, Subscription Publication, 2.29M) reports St. Jude Medical, in a regulatory filing Monday, said it had received a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration about problems related to the manufacturing practices and quality-control methods used at its heart-rhythm unit in Sylmar, California, where its Durata defibrillator leads are manufactured. In the warning letter, the FDA says it will refrain from approving any new heart-device lines produced at the Sylmar facility until St. Jude provides documentation, showing it has corrected the problems adequately.

        According to the AP (1/15), St. Jude said in the regulatory filing that it is "working to correct the problems" at the California plant, and it "does not expect the citation to affect its financial results." The St. Paul, Minnesota-based medical device manufacturer also pointed out that FDA did not ask the company to "recall any products," and that the agency is allowing it to "continue manufacturing and shipping products" from the Sylmar facility.

        Bloomberg News (1/15, Edney, 1M) adds that FDA warning letter, which was dated Jan. 11, "doesn't affect its Durata cable used for defibrillators or any of the company's other medical products," St. Jude said in the SEC filing.

        Reuters (1/15) notes that in October, St. Jude issued a statement saying it was expecting the FDA warning letter after agency inspectors noted inconsistencies both in the way the company manufactured the defibrillators, and how it documented the production process at the Sylmar facility.

        The Minneapolis Star Tribune (1/15, Walsh, 335K) says FDA inspectors conducted the audit at the facility "from Sept. 25 to Oct. 17, 2012," after which, they promptly filed Form 483 detailing production violations, such as the "number of tests performed on Durata leads and the facility's record-keeping." Additionally, the Star Tribune notes that St. Jude "did not release a copy" of the Jan. 11 warning letter, and it is not yet available on the FDA's website, but spokesperson Sarah Clark-Lynn said it will be made public the next time the agency posts documents online.

        Meanwhile, Minnesota Public Radio (1/15, Moylan) on its website quotes Morningstar analyst Debbie Wang as saying, "We don't think this FDA warning letter is a big deal for St. Jude because the firm does not currently have any major products from the Sylmar facility awaiting regulatory approval." Wang also emphasized that the FDA did not include any safety-related concerns in the Jan. 11 warning letter; and she noted that St. Jude is presently, conducting business "as usual."

Ltes Help End Distracted Driving

The Problem of Distracted Driving

                If someone asked you to close your eyes while driving on the highway for around five seconds, more than likely you would never comply. However millions of Americans are doing just that every day when they text while driving. If you are driving fifty-five miles an hour and take your eyes off the road for five seconds, you will have traveled one hundred yards; all the while being blind to your surroundings. The following are some pretty scary statistics to think about, especially when preventing these life-threatening situations is as easy as focusing while driving.

• 80% of all collisions and 65% of near crashes have some form of driver inattention as contributing factors. That is over 4,000,000 crashes per year in North America that are caused by driver distraction.

• Cell phone use is attributed to 18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes.

What makes up the other 82%? Putting on lipstick, reaching over to grab a drink, changing the music, reading a roadmap, eating on the go: The distractions are endless. But they don’t have to be.

• Talking on a cell phone makes a driver 4 times more likely to have a crash or near crash event. Texting makes them 23 times more likely to have this happen.

• Texting slows driver reaction time even more than alcohol! In fact, even making a phone call delays reaction time about as much as having a .08 BAC (Blood Alcohol Content)

                There are many unpreventable dangers when driving, but driving distracted is not one of them. It is a driver’s responsibility to prepare for their drive before they put the car in drive, whether that means making sure the radio is turned to a satisfactory station or that you will not be tempted to answer any messages from your cell phone while driving. Safety of yourself as well as fellow drivers can be a difficult thing to control, but keeping your eyes and thoughts on the road can help keep you safe.

Nate Silver Predicts Super Bowl Matchup Featuring Patriots vs. Seahawks

Go Patriots!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/11/nate-silver-super-bowl-prediction_n_2451994.html

Subaru Recall for Electrical Problems: Fire Risk

Subaru Starts 2013 with Major Recall

Electrical problem, fire risk impacts 634,000 vehicles.

In Subaru’s case, the latest service action involves 633,842 vehicles. In fact, the maker believes that only 53,999 of those actually have the defective puddle lamp wiring but it has been unable to clearly identify which vehicles those are because the lamps were installed by dealers and no accurate and complete records exists.  As a result, Subaru will contact owners of all 2009 through 2012 Forester and 2006 through 2012 Tribeca crossovers, as well as 2010 and 2011 Legacy and Outback models asking them to see if they have the optional puddle lamps. Those who do will need repairs. Those unsure may go to a dealer for inspection. Here is a link for more information:

 

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2013/01/subaru-starts-2013-with-major-recall/

 

Automobiles: Keeping your Family Safe

 

1.    What should you do if you think a defective product caused an injury?

If you think that you may have a potential products liability claim, the first thing you should do is contact an attorney as soon as possible to evaluate your case.  The more time that passes the harder it will be to conduct a thorough investigation of what happened.  Important evidence may be lost or destroyed.  An experienced attorney will know what evidence is important to preserve in this type of case. 

2.    How can you keep your family safe?

Safety is obviously a top priority in choosing the right vehicle for you and your family.  Some important systems to look for in vehicles include: electronic stability control (ESC), advanced side airbags, rollover bags, laminated glass, pre-tensioners, and good tires.

ESC

With rollover crashes claiming about 10,000 lives every year and a multitude of catastrophic injuries, rollover prevention has become a priority in vehicle safety.  Choosing a vehicle equipped with an ESC system can help reduce rollovers.  These systems use microprocessors and sensors, “to determine when a vehicle is beginning to skid and to automatically engage the brakes or individual wheels, and often to also modulate acceleration, to help stabilize the vehicle and bring it back under the driver’s control.” Advocates are supportive of ESC since these systems are more effective than human corrections because ESC can interpret “the information, in most cases, before the average driver or even the above average driver can sense the problem.”  

Side Airbags

Though most vehicles are now equipped with side airbags, you’d be surprised to learn that some cars, family minivans and other SUVs still do not offer side airbags behind the first row. Unfortunately, this is a widely unrecognized safety issue, and, as a result, misled or uninformed owners and renters of cars alike are being affected. This is also an area of product liability litigation where claims are simply being missed. People are being catastrophically injured in side-impact car accidents where the rear-seated occupants sustain head or neck injuries because there was no side-impact airbags. Verify that your vehicle is equipped with side airbags. You will help to ensure the safety of everyone with you.

Laminated Glass

Even though windshields must be made out of laminated glass, there is no equivalent requirement for side and rear windows.  Side and rear windows are often made out of tempered glass, which is much easier to penetrate than laminated glass. The majority of cars only have laminated glass in the windshield; however, there has been an increase in the use of laminated glass in other windows.  Choose a vehicle that is equipped with laminated glass in all windows.

Understand the Importance of Pre-Tensioners

          Although pre-tensioning technology has existed for years, it has only recently been incorporated as a vehicle safety feature, making it a possible defect claim for non-inclusion of this technology.  These systems sense a possible collision “seconds in advance and activates pre-crash measures.” When these systems sense a possible collision, they activate the tension in the seat belt system to hold the occupant in place.   Some advanced systems, like the Pre-Safe system found in Mercedes Benz S-Class sedan since 2003, move a seat from a reclined position to an upright position just before the impact.  

Check Your Tires Before – And During - A Road Trip

Maintain proper tire inflation.  Tire failures can be caused by a variety of factors, including: under or over-inflation, poor maintenance, tire aging, or a design or manufacturing defect.  The key is to maintain proper tire pressure, which can be tricky in the summertime as heat causes the air inside the tire to expand and overinflate.  In an overinflated tire, the center section of the tread balloons outward, focusing weight on the center of the tire.  Conversely, driving on underinflated tires causes the sidewall to bulge and wear unevenly, reducing tire life and potentially leading to a sudden tire failure. 

Additionally, make sure you have good tread.  Tires with inadequate tread which have been driven past their useful life and that are overly worn can fail without notice and lead to a rollover or catastrophic accident.  Tread naturally wears down over time, and, tires with uneven tread wear or minimal remaining tread should be removed and replaced. Keeping a watchful eye can lower your risk of a tire failure and prevent needless tragedy.

 Some informative and helpful consumer protection Websites include:

www.ftc.gov/bcp/index.shtml

Consumer Protection | USA.gov

www.usa.gov/topics/consumer.shtml

FDIC: Consumer Protection

www.fdic.gov/consumers/

CPSC Home Page | cpsc.gov

www.cpsc.gov

ConsumerAffairs.com: Knowledge is Power! Consumer news ...

www.consumeraffairs.com/Cached - Similar

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Offering information for consumers: recalls, scams, complaints, and reports about consumer problems.

Complaints: Protecting Pennsylvanians - Pennsylvania Office of ...

www.attorneygeneral.gov/complaints.aspx

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov/

Recalls.gov

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Recalls.gov: official U.S. Government website, including recalls from various Federal Agencies. ... When you're buying and using products, safety comes first.

U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page

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GM Recalling 2013 models of the Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Avalanche and Express for Risk of Rolling Away

GM recalling almost 69,000 vehicles worldwide due to risk of rolling away unexpectedly.

The AP (1/7) reports, "General Motors is recalling nearly 69,000 pickup trucks, SUVs and vans worldwide because they can roll away unexpectedly." According to the AP, the recall "affects certain 2013 models of the Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Avalanche and Express. Also included are the GMC Sierra, Savana and Yukon as well as the Cadillac Escalade." GM "says it knows of no crashes or injuries caused by the problem."