Illinois Injury and Mass Tort Lawyer Blog

Published on: January 20, 2024

FDA Questions Whether Applesauce Pouches Were Contaminated Intentionally

apple-sauce-544676_1280-e1703985234173 As we’ve previously related on this blog, the United States Food and Drug Administration has recalled three applesauce products. These products include WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, Schunks cinnamon applesauce pouches, and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches. The recall stems from the FDA’s investigation of dozens of acute lead poisonings in children that are associated with these brands of cinnamon applesauce pouches and the FDA continues to investigate. If your child suffered lead poisoning and you suspect it due to his or her consumption of these apple sauces, you should call the seasoned Chicago-based lawyers of Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in cases around the nation with which we’ve been involved.

Call Moll Law Group About Contaminated Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches

Over 60 children under the age of 6 have tested positive for lead poisoning after consuming the applesauce in the United States. Some of these children have been found to have over 500 times the acceptable threshold for lead. Standard blood screenings, which are recommended by the CDC to reduce lead exposure under age 6, helped identify those children who had elevated lead levels.

The FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, Jim Jones, believes it’s possible that the contaminated cinnamon applesauce pouches were intentionally tainted with lead. He’s explained that the evidence points to an intentional act by someone who is part of the supply chain for the pouches, which were sold under three different brands made in a manufacturing facility in Ecuador. The FDA is inspecting that facility. He has suggested that perhaps the perpetrator didn’t understand the pouches would end up in a country with strong, enforced regulations.

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Published on: January 16, 2024

The FDA Warns Consumers to Check Philips DreamStation 2 CPAP Machines for Signs of Overheating

By Moll Law Group

healing-4054923_1280-e1703984030709 The Philips DreamStation 2 CPAP machine, used both at home and in medical settings, is prescribed to provide positive airway pressure for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned patients and health care providers to diligently attend to whether their Philips DreamStation 2 continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are overheating. The warning was issued after the FDA realized that reports about thermal issues like burns, smoke and fire were increasing in connection with these CPAP machines; the agency received 270 reports of problems between August 1, 2023–November 15, 2023. If you were burned, suffered smoke inhalation, or another injury due to a CPAP machine overheating, should call the trustworthy Chicago-based product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in cases with which we’ve been involved.

Consult Moll Law Group About Injuries From an Overheating CPAP

As a patient or caregiver, you should be aware that the affected Dream Station 2 CPAP machines were shipped in order to replace recalled DreamStation 1 CPAP machines. The foam used in the machines does not appear to be causing the safety issue. Rather, in a developing situation, it appears that there is an electrical or mechanical malfunction within the machine that can cause it to overheat under specific circumstances.

Patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers have been asked to ensure that the manufacturer’s instructions in the user manual are carefully followed. Among these instructions are to let the CPAP machine’s heater plate and water tank cool for 15 minutes prior to tank removal to reduce the burn risk and to inspect and examine the CPAP for atypical smells or appearance changes. If the machine exhibits any altered smell, appearance or sounds, or starts performing differently, the CPAP should be unplugged and left unused. Patients should ask their primary care physician or sleep doctor for next steps. Reports should be made to the FDA about these issues. Meanwhile the FDA continues to investigate and to discuss the manufacturer about mitigation strategies.

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Published on: January 9, 2024

Toy Magnets Linked to 7 Deaths and 2,400 Hospitalizations

By Moll Law Group

metal-2003494_640-e1703982936536 Recently, federal safety regulators asked consumers to stop buying and using magnetic toy ball sets for their children’s use. These magnetic balls have now been associated with hundreds of serious injuries as well as 7 fatalities, 5 of them within the U.S. When swallowed, these toys magnets may attract to each other, which can result in intestinal blockages, blood poisoning and perforations of critical organs. If your child was injured or killed by magnetic toy balls, you should call the seasoned Chicago-product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in cases with which we’ve been involved.

Consult Moll Law Group About Toy Magnet Injuries and Deaths

Six notices about the magnetic toy ball sets have been issued. Once swallowed, toy magnets may attract to one another and cause severe injuries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has identified 6 children’s toys that don’t comply with safety regulations because they include magnets that are small enough to be consumed by a child. There were 2400 ER hospitalizations from 2017–2021 involving people who ingested toy magnets.

One of the companies implicated, Xpressgoods.com, has agreed to issue a recall of 728 units of a magnetic ball set manufactured in China. Customers have been advised to return them for a full refund or store credit. However, other manufacturers based in China and South Korea haven’t agreed to offer remedies to consumers. The toy magnetic balls in questions are Magic QQ 216-Piece Mixed Color Magnetic Ball Sets, Ming Tai Trade’s 216-piece 5mm Magnetic Ball Sets, Sunny House 125-Piece 5mm mixed Color Magnet Ball Sets, Allvre 216-Piece 5mm Magnetic Ball Sets, Carrara Magnetic Ball Sets sold by myKmarket.com.

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Published on: January 2, 2024

Autopilot Software Recalled in 2 Million Tesla Vehicles

By Moll Law Group

tesla-5937063_1280-e1703982572332 Tesla makes almost 50% of the electric passenger cars sold in the United States. Recently, however, Tesla recalled more than 2 million of its cars. Previously, to no avail, federal regulators had pressed Tesla to update its Autopilot system, which can accelerate, steer, and brake by itself, and to make sure the cars’ drivers are paying attention in spite of the automatic driving features. This recall was Tesla’s fourth in under two years, and it covers almost all of the electric vehicles the company has made in the country since 2012. If you were injured because of Tesla’s electric vehicles, you should call the trustworthy Chicago-based lawyers of Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in lawsuits around the country with which we’ve been involved.

Consult Moll Law Group About Your Electric Vehicle Claim

Tesla has been successful in selling and marketing its electric passenger cars but has seen its market share slip as competitors have started selling electric cars. The recall, instituted after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into Tesla’s driver-assistance system, Autopilot, further damages Tesla’s image. Autopilot is designed to control vehicles on their own while driving down highways, but owner manuals ask drivers to continue to keep their hands on the wheel and resume control of the car in the event something goes wrong.

The investigation started in 2021 after fatal accidents occurred in cars that included the driver assistance technology. The agency identified 11 incidents that had occurred in which the Tesla vehicles were on the road with Autosteering engaged. Over the course of its investigation, the NHTSA said, it reviewed 956 crashes in which Autopilot was engaged, and focused on 322 crashes that included situations in which Autopilot might have been engaged inadvertently. The company has issued wireless software updates to some vehicles, and others will receive these updates later. The updates will involve more noticeable visual alerts while using autosteer, which will be suspended if drivers repeatedly fail to use it in a responsible manner.

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Published on: December 27, 2023

Baxter Issues Urgent Medical Device Correction for Novum IQ Syringe Infusion Pump

By Moll Law Group

hospital-834152_640 Recently, Baxter International, Inc. announced that its Novum IQ syringe infusion has the potential to provide an incomplete infusion. It issued an Urgent Medical Device Correction for the product. The company is developing a software upgrade to fix the problem. There have been no serious injuries reported so far. However, if you were injured or a loved one died due the Novum IQ syringe infusion pump, or another infusion pump, consult the seasoned Chicago-based attorneys of Moll Law Group to see whether you have a viable claim. Billions have been recovered in product liability lawsuits with which we’ve been involved.

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The Urgent Medical Device Correction affects users who use a Novum IQ syringe infusion pump with product code 40800BAXU. Baxter, the manufacturer of the syringe pump, has found that once one or more downstream occlusion alarms go off on the Novum IQ syringe pump, the pump may display an “Infusion Complete” alarm even though there is still fluid inside the syringe.

The remaining liquid to be infused may be different than what’s left in the syringe based on not only the number of occlusion alarms that are encountered while a patient is receiving therapy, but also the syringe size. Because the display reflects a completed infusion when it’s not complete, a patient may be underdosed with the fluid or the therapy may be interrupted. Depending on the medication and condition being treated, a patient could suffer adverse medical consequences as a result of interruption or cessation of the infusion.

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Published on: December 19, 2023

FDA Issues Warning of Rare but Serious Drug Reaction to the Antiseizure Medicines

By Moll Law Group

pills-6605907_640-e1702315800250 The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently warned consumers that certain antiseizure medications can cause a rare but serious response called Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS). When not diagnosed and treated rapidly, these can prove fatal. The affected seizure medications are levetiracetam (Keppra, Keppra XR, Elepsia XR, Spritam) and clobazam (Onfi, Sympazan). Patients are advised to seek medical attention if they develop swollen lymph nodes, fever, or unexplained rash. If you develop an adverse drug reaction to anti-seizure medications, you should call the seasoned Chicago-based dangerous drug lawyers of Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in product liability cases with which we’ve been involved.

Contact Moll Law Group About DRESS

The antiseizure medications are approved for different uses. Levetiracetam, which has been FDA-approved for 24 hours and can be accessed in several formulations under the brand names Keppra, Keppra XR, Elepsia XR, and Spritam, and as generics. It can be used along to treat seizures or with other medicines and can be accessed in many formulations under brand names.

Clobazam, for instance, is a benzodiazepine that is FDA-approved for use with other medicines to control linked to a type of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. Benzodiazepines depress the central nervous system, but DRESS and other skin reactions are associated with Clobazam, which has been approved by the FDA for 12 years, and not the other benzodiazepines. It can be accessed under the brand names Onfi and Sympazan, and as generics.

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Published on: December 15, 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Announce a Listeria Outbreak

By Moll Law Group

fruit-7422698_640 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that a listeria outbreak arising out of stone fruit—nectarines, peaches, and plums—made people in seven states sick. Up to 11 people reported they became sick due to the outbreak. Ten of those people who reported their sickness were hospitalized while one died. The United States Food and Drug Administration determined that there was a connection between the nectarines, plums, and peaches from HMC Farms that were distributed and sold in retail stores around the country between May – Nov. 15 in 2022 and 2023. If you suffered listeria and other ill effects from fruit, you should call the seasoned Chicago-based Moll Law Group about what happened. Billions have been recovered in lawsuits with which we’ve been involved.

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HMC Farms, responding to the FDA announcement, issued a recall for certain conventionally grown fruit. Organic fruit was not recalled. And nectarines, plums and peaches sold at retail and grocery stores were not a part of the recall. The announcement from them noted that the fruit could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can trigger severe and even fatal infections, particularly in those who are pregnant or immune-compromised. When the affected person is pregnant, listeria can lead to losing the baby, giving birth prematurely, or giving the baby a life-threatening infection.

The announcement asked customers to take a look in their freezers to see if they had any of the fruit that was affected or had frozen it for later use.

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Published on: December 12, 2023

Supreme Court Heard Arguments to Challenge OxyContin Settlement

By Moll Law Group

headache-1540220_640-e1702313969782 The Supreme Court heard arguments related to a challenge to the bankruptcy deal that’s intended to compensate victims of highly addictive pain killer OxyContin. Based on the questions judges asked, court watchers believe the Court is split. The manufacturer of Oxycontin, Purdue Pharma, entered into a deal to pay billions to people harmed by the opioids they made and sold. That deal protected members of the Sackler family from personal liability. If you were injured by Oxycontin or another highly addictive pain killer, you should call the seasoned Chicago-based dangerous drug lawyers of Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in product liability lawsuits with which we’ve been involved.

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The case that the Court is hearing arose from complex circumstances. The Sackler family took assets from the manufacturer of Oxycontin, Purdue Pharm and shifted those assets overseas, which then triggered the problem that the company no longer has enough money to pay its creditors, such as those injured by pain killer. Purdue Pharma pled guilty to three criminal charges by 2020. It agreed that it owed $8 billion in criminal and civil fines to state and local governments trying to address the opioid crisis.

Based on this, the company reached a deal in bankruptcy court that would reimburse victims of the epidemic along with the harmed by an amount less than it might have paid, had it not shifted its assets overseas.

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Published on: November 28, 2023

Recall of WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches Due to Lead

By Moll Law Group

baby-2423896_640-e1699049689872 Recently, manufacturer WanaBana agreed with the FDA to voluntarily recall all WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches because they have elevated lead levels. The warning asked parents and caregivers of children who consumed the pouches to contact their healthcare providers to get blood tests and advised parents not to buy WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches. If your child may have been harmed by these pouches, call the seasoned Chicago-based product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in cases with which we’ve been involved. We represent injured consumers nationwide.

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The FDA became aware of an issue with the apple cinnamon fruit pouches after four children were discovered to have elevated blood lead levels. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services examined multiple lot codes of the pouches and found very high lead concentrations. The FDA looked over the state department’s analytical findings and determined they could cause acute toxicity. The agency told the manufacturer that the pouches were a potential source of lead exposure. For its part, the manufacturer agreed to a voluntary recall once the FDA’s investigation found that all lot codes and expiration dates were affected. The pouches are sold across the country and are made available at retailers including Dollar Tree, Amazon, and Sam’s Club.

The company told the public that it is dedicated to making sure its products are safe. It also told consumers to stop using the product. It’s important to retain the pouch, if you can, when your child has symptoms of lead exposure, in case it’s needed for a product liability lawsuit.

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Published on: November 21, 2023

Joint Commission Releases Findings that 2023 Medical Errors May Exceed a Record High

By Moll Law Group

surgery-1822458_640-e1699051448285 The Joint Commission has released its data for the first half of 2023, and alarmingly, it shows that sentinel events are on track to surpass a record high found in 2022. Sentinel events are patient safety events that cause severe temporary harm, permanent harm, or death. If you or a loved one were injured through a doctor or staff error at a medical practice, please call the seasoned Chicago medical malpractice lawyers of Moll Law Group. We also handle claims regarding dangerous drugs and medical devices, making us ideally positioned to look at all angles by which liability may be proven.

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Sentinel events are very serious. Among the common causes of sentinel events were teamwork failures, communication failures, failure to adhere to standard policies and procedures, wrong site surgery, wrong procedure, wrong patient, assault, rape, sexual assault, suicide, and treatment delays that cause further harm.

The injuries that result from these events can change the lives of you and your family forever. According to the Joint Commission data for the first half of 2023, of 720 reported and reviewed events during this time period, 18% caused patient death, 63% cause severe temporary harm, and 7% caused permanent harm. Tragically, many of the events were completely preventable.

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