Glendale Personal Injury Lawyer

FDA Issues Class I Recall of Medical Needles

Greg Owen — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:38:45 GMT

The Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of 2 million medical needles Tuesday because of a risk they can push bits of silicone into patients' bodies.

Federal officials said Japanese manufacturer Nipro Medical Corp. has voluntarily recalled its Exel/Exelint Huber needles manufactured between January 2007 and August 2009.

The needles are used to access injection ports, which are devices implanted beneath the skin of patients who require frequent injections. The ports connect to a vein and allow easy delivery of chemotherapy, antibiotics and other injectable drugs.

Huber needles are designed to penetrate an injected material without retaining any of it.

However, a monthslong FDA investigation found that the needles can dislodge bits of silicone from the ports, potentially pushing them into the patient's bloodstream. The problem can also damage the ports themselves, resulting in problems delivering drug therapy.

An inspection at Nipro's manufacturing plant in Japan found that 60 to 72 percent of the company's needles had the design problem, according to the FDA.

Huber needles have been approved in the U.S. since 1984, according to the FDA.

According to FDA regulatory specialist Mary Brooks, there have been no reports of silicone shards in patients, though it may be difficult for doctors to identify the problem.

FDA advised hospitals and doctors to stop using the Huber needles and return them to Los Angeles-based Exel International, which distributed the products in the U.S. The company can be reached at 1-800-940-3935.

A spokesman for Exel said the company hopes to wrap up the recall within 30 days.

The FDA made several recommendations to physicians when using other Huber needles, including: watching for signs of tissue or nerve damage in patients, which could be a sign of damage to an injection port. The agency also suggested throwing out the first syringe injected into a port, in an effort to discard any bits of silicone.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Van Nuys Car Accident Involves Two Suspected Drunk Drivers

Greg Owen — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:29:00 GMT

Two suspected drunk drivers were involved in a car crash injuring at least three people in Van Nuys.

According to Los Angeles Police Officer James LaForce, an eastbound car in the 13800 block of Sherman Way was in the process of making a U-turn when it was struck by an eastbound pickup truck. The car was pushed onto a curb, while the truck spun and pushed a parked sport utility vehicle onto a parked Ford Mustang.

The driver and passenger of the truck ran away. However, the driver was quickly arrested by an officer responding to the scene of the crash, LaForce said. About an hour later, the passenger was found in the area attempting to kick in the door of a residence, police said. Both are men about 22 years old. The driver is under arrest for a felony hit-and-run and under investigation for a misdemeanor DUI.

The driver of the car, a woman in her 20s, was injured and taken to a hospital. She is under investigation for a felony DUI. The two passengers in her car, a male and a female, both in their early 20s, were also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

The High Cost of Radiation

Greg Owen — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:48:19 GMT

Many say that tests like MRI's and CT perfusion scans are being overused and concern is spreading in light of recent federal investigation looking into radiation overdoses in Los Angeles, CA and Hintsville, AL.

Skyrocketing costs are among one reason patients are beginning to question the necessity of tests. Others realize the potential harm to patient safety. Experts are concerned that tests like CT scans - which use radiation - might increase the risk of cancer.

Patients like Becky Couder who received a radiation overdose in September at a Hospital in alabama. Becky is represented by attorney, Rick Patterson of Owen, Patterson & Owen.

Call 866.654.4947 today if you or someone you know might be suffering the symptoms of a severe radiation overdose.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Third Area Hospital Included in Radiation Overdose Investigation

Greg Owen — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:08:35 GMT

A third Los Angeles area hospital is now included in an investigation led by the US Food and Drug Administration looking into radiation overdoses that patients have received from a specific type of brain scan. The expansion suggests that the issue may be nationwide.

Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank now joins Cedars-Sinai and Glendale Adventist Medical Center as the latest Los Angeles area hospital under scrutiny. An Alabama hospital is also under investigation for similar problems with CT brain perfusion scans, a procedure used most often to diagnose strokes.

Unlike the other cases, which involved scanners made by General Electric, the scanner at Providence St. Joseph was made by Toshiba -- adding a new dimension to the investigation.

Angelo Bellomo, head of environmental health for the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said 34 patients appear to have received excessive radiation at Providence St. Joseph over a 20-month period ending in October.

The problem was discovered by Los Angeles County radiation safety inspectors and reported to the FDA last week, FDA and county officials said.

A woman in Alabama reported that she was likely given an overdose of radiation in a hospital in early September. According to attorney Rick Patterson, of Valencia, CA, based Owen, Patterson & Owen, 59-year-old teacher, Becky Coudert, received a CT brain perfusion scan Sept. 8 at Huntsville Hospital. While the scan ruled out a stroke, Becky was left with a large bald strip on her head stretching from ear to ear. Her medical records indicated that she received a greater amount of radiation than those at Cedars-Sinai.

Hospital were instructed Monday to review radiation guidelines before using all CT perfusion scanners.

If you or someone you know may have received an unnecessary dose of radiation please contact our office at 866.654.4947.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Blue Bonnet Spread Recalled After Label Mixup

Greg Owen — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:09:00 GMT

ConAgra Foods, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is voluntarily recalling a 1,120 cases of 15 oz. tubs of Blue Bonnet Spread. The lot was mispackaged as the lid used is for regular Blue Bonnet Spread and the tub portion describes the product as Blue Bonnet Light Spread. The product inside of the tub is regular Blue Bonnet Spread. As a result, the product tubs do not declare the allergen whey (milk), as an ingredient.

People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. No allergic reactions have been reported.

The product UPC on the tub is 27000-00930. The product lid will not have the blue ribbon graphic bearing the word "Light" that is found on the tub portion of the package. The rim of the lid will feature the batch code "2247923200" and a Sell By date of March 18, 2010.

ConAgra Foods became aware of the issue after receiving a report from a store where the tub did not match the lid or the case.

Consumers should return the product to the store where it was purchased for a full refund. Consumers with questions may call 866-518-4177 (9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST daily) or visit www.bluebonnet.com for more information.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Lawsuit Claims Negligence in Texas Daycare Death

Greg Owen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:30:00 GMT

Attorneys representing Dallas' Rasansky Law Firm announced the lawsuit on behalf of the mother of a two-year-old girl who choked to death on a piece of gravel at a northeast Dallas daycare center in 2008.

According to the wrongful death lawsuit filed in the 44th District Court in Dallas, employees at the Woodbridge Day School located on Plano Road failed to notice when 2-year old Isabella Estep started choking on a small rock and collapsed inside the school on Oct. 31, 2008. Despite activity all around the unconscious child, 5-10 minutes passed before any school employees realized something was wrong. Isabella later died after being transported to a local hospital.

According to Texas Department of Family and Human Services, the girl's teacher, Mia Jennings, did not meet state required qualifications and was not trained in CPR and first aid. The investigation also discovered inadequate supervision.

Attorneys for Isabella's family also allege that the school's owners prevented the results of the investigation from being made public by selling the school. According to the TDFPS investigator, Mr. Hall said he wanted to "sell the operation as quickly as possible" if the state planned to close the facility. As a result of the sale, the school has continued to operate without information about Isabella's death being available on the state database used by other parents when selecting a day care facility.

The Dallas County medical examiner ruled the choking an accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

I-5 Reopens After Milti-car Collision

Greg Owen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:05:00 GMT

All lanes on Interstate 5 in Burbank have been reopened after a big rig jackknifed and struck the center divider early this morning, catching fire and causing a multi-car collision.

The 5:51 a.m. accident occurred on the northbound lanes near West Alameda Avenue. A SigAlert was issued but was canceled at about 11:30 a.m. California Highway Patrol officials said.

The cause of the accident was under investigation, but CHP spokesman Andre Primeaux said the truck driver told officials he saw an obstruction in the road and swerved left, hitting the median. Three cars on each side of the road were involved in the accident, but only one driver suffered minor injuries. An official of the Burbank Fire Department, which responded to the accident, said she didn't have any update on that person’s condition.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Patients at Cedars-Sinai Receive Radiation Overdose; Hospital Fails to Inform All Affected

Greg Owen — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:29:27 GMT

Four patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who received eight times the necessary amount of radiation were not informed of the hospital's error. Of the 206 patients who received radiation overdose, at least four were called and asked only about hair loss or other side effects. Those four interviewed by the Los Angeles Times reported only hearing of the error through news media.

The treatments occured between the months of February 2008 when computer protocols were modified on a specific scanner and continued until August 2009 when a patient reported hair loss. The reconfiguration was made in order to improve the ability to see blood flow to the brain.

Although the machine in question was used to perform various types of scans, the problem was limited to CT brain perfusion scans, which are used to diagnose strokes.

In a written statement Monday, Dr. Barry D. Pressman, chairman of the imaging department, said that his goal in speaking with patients was "to address any side-effects that may occur, without unnecessarily alarming them."

He said that any questions, including those about radiation levels, were addressed. "I sincerely regret if any patient feels that they did not receive the information they needed," he said.

The discovery of the overdoses at Cedars-Sinai prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue an alert warning hospitals nationwide to check the settings on their scanners.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Driver Kills One After Allegedly Texting While Driving

Greg Owen — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:19:00 GMT

A Costa Mesa motorist was ordered to stand trial for allegedly killing a pedestrian minutes after he was texting on his cellphone in the car.

An Orange County judge on Monday rejected a defense request to reduce the charges. The man's attorney argued that there is no evidence he was texting at the time of the crash, but prosecutors say his use of the phone and other factors suggest he was acting negligently and didn't see the pedestrian.

The trial comes amid a growing national debate about the texting while driving, which the state outlawed last year. If convicted of vehicular manslaughter, he faces up to nine years in prison.

Martin Burt Kuehl, 42, is charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, although prosecutors acknowledge that they have no phone company records to prove that he was texting at the moment of impact.

Martha Ovalle, a Guatemalan immigrant working in Newport Beach as a nanny, died in the Aug. 29, 2008, accident. It took place about 8:30 a.m on Westcliff Drive near Dover Drive in Newport Beach.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

CHP Recommends Manslaughter Charges Against Officer Involved in Deadly Collision

Greg Owen — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:58:00 GMT

The California Highway Patrol recommends that prosecutors bring manslaughter charges against La Habra police officer, Nancy Garcia, who was responding to an emergency in April when she sped through a red light and

collided with a car

. The accident killed a husband and wife, authorities said Wednesday.

The case was presented to the Orange County district attorney's office Wednesday by the California Highway Patrol's Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation team, which recommended filing the charges against La Habra Police Officer Nancy Garcia.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen