Access To Justice

News developments that we’ll be keeping an eye on at Sokolove Law:

Recall Redux: More than 400,000 Odyssey Minivans and Element small trucks will be recalled by Honda due to brake problems. Honda’s recall advisory says the company received driver complaints of “brake pedals that feel “soft” or that gradually exhibit a pedal height that gets lower (closer to the floor) before the vehicle stops.”

The Associated Press reports that the voluntary recall will involve 344,000 Odysseys and 68,000 Elements from the 2007 and 2008 model years. The story says the problem involves a device in the electronic stability control system called a vehicle stability assist modulator that can develop an air bubble that may cause a loss of braking ability.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said no deaths and just three crashes with minor injuries have been traced to the problem.

Older ER patients often receive one or more medications that may be inappropriate for adults who are over the age of 65. That’s the key finding of a study by the University of Michigan that looked at a sample of about 470,000 emergency room and outpatient clinic visits, corresponding to a national estimate of about 1.5 billion total visits. Potentially inappropriate medications were administered to nearly 19.5 million older patients, or 16.8 percent of eligible emergency visits from 2000-2006. The study recently appeared in Academic Emergency Medicine.

Pain relievers and antihistamines are among most common drugs used in emergency visits,  despite their risks in those over age 65. Ten medications accounted for 86.5 percent of potentially inappropriate medications prescribed in the nation’s emergency rooms. The five most common ones were promethazine, ketorolac, propoxyphene, meperidine, and diphenhydramine. Two of these – promethazine and ketorolac – accounted for nearly 40 percent.

The study suggests that older ER patients ask for a list of all drugs prescribed at the ER before going home or to a bed in the hospital. The list should include information on the possible side effects of those medicines.

At Sokolove Law, we’re here to help.

Another day, another automotive recall.

Earlier this week, Toyota recalled more than 400,000 2010 Prius hybrids for braking issues.

Now, the Associated Press reports that Honda Motor Co. has expanded a 2008 safety recall it issued for air bag inflation problems with its 2001 Accord and Civic models. Honda says it is recalling another 378,000 cars because the driver’s side air bag inflator may deploy with too much pressure, which can the inflator to rupture and hurt or kill the driver.

The company says it has received reports of 12 such incidents in the US, including 11 injuries and one death. No incidents have been reported since July 2009, when the company initially expanded its original recall to 440,000 cars. Honda says its most recent expanded recall includes certain 2001 and 2002 Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V and some 2002 Acura TL vehicles.