Access To Justice

News developments that we’ll be watching at Sokolove Law:

Shop smart: Consumers should keep their eyes peeled for dangerous toys as they wrap up their holiday shopping, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. The Associated Press reports that officials also said shoppers should be on the watch for products that violate trademark or patent laws. Yellow toy ducks with lead paint, counterfeit MP3 players, and black toy guns without markings to show they are fakes are just some of the items intercepted by authorities this year, says the AP.

A toxic flame retardant used in television sets and other products will be phased out by 2013 in deal struck by federal regulators with the US manufacturers of the chemical, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.  The retardant, known as deca, is a polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE). PBDEs are used in the manufacturing of a number of products including electronic equipment, mattresses, cars, and buses.

Recent recalls

P&G is voluntarily recalling some of its cold and flu medicine. Consumers who bought Vicks DayQuil Cold & Flu 24-Count LiquiCaps Bonus Pack should stop using it because the product does not contain a child-resistant backing for the blister packs in the box, despite label statements that the product is in child-resistant packaging. No accidental ingestions by children have been reported with this product.

Sokolove Law urges you to stay safe during the holidays.

An Associated Press article says that the number of reported baby deaths linked to defective Simplicity cribs has risen to 11 total, including a September incident in which a 7-month-old died after part of a crib broke.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission said yesterday that 11 babies have died, according to AP; earlier recall announcements had reported only three deaths.  The recall of Simplicity-manufactured drop-side cribs began in December 2005, writes the AP. Hardware problems have led to more than 2 million being recalled.

Taking antidepressants may  slightly raise the risk of stroke and death in older women who take these medications, according to a new finding from the Women’s Health Initiative study. A
WebMD report says the study found that stroke risk was greater in postmenopausal women who took selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, although their overall risk was still very low.  Older women who took SSRI or tricyclic antidepressants also had a slightly higher risk of dying from all causes, compared to those who did not take the drugs, writes WebMD.

Recent Recalls

Around 22,000 toy dart guns sets are being recalled after an 8-year-old child who chewed on one of the darts died after it became lodged in his throat. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that OKK Trading, which imported the Action Team play set, is voluntarily recalling the toy, sold at discount department stores nationwide from December 2006 through March 2008.

A nationwide recall of eleven lots of Cleviprex (clevidipine butyrate) injectable emulsion, indicated for treatment of hypertension, was announced yesterday by The Medicines Company and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The product was recalled due to the potential presence of inert stainless steel particles. The particles could theoretically reduce blood flow in capillaries, cause mechanical damage to some tissues, or initiate acute or chronic inflammatory reactions. Reduced blood supply to tissues may lead to ischemia or organ insufficiency in the brain, kidney, liver, heart or lungs, according to the FDA.