- Claude Wyle | September 30, 2007 7:16 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsTwenty-three people in eight states fell ill after eating E.coli-laden hamburgers from Topps Meat Co. The average person recovers from E. coli poisoning in less that a week. However, E. coli can be fatal or cause serious injuries to the very young, the elderly, or those with compromised immune systems. Topps destroyed 332,000 pounds of patties - now that's a lot of cows that didn't have to...
- Claude Wyle | September 29, 2007 7:00 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsKolcraft Enterprises Inc., recalled nearly half a million playpens after the wrongful death of a 10-year-old boy. The infant was strangled to death when he became caught in a looped restraining strap. The company blames the parents for the death, claiming they should never have left the child in the playpen with the changing table on top. Perhaps the parents should ask a court to decideFor...
- Claude Wyle | September 28, 2007 6:07 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsRachel Vargas, a 14-year-old, suffered fatal injuries when the car she rode in spun out of control and hit into the center divider on Interstate 680, near Pleasanton. Police say the driver, Drori Levi was driving at an extremely high rate of speed, which likely was the cause of this auto accident. Fortunately, Levi's other three passengers escaped with their lives, although they did suffer...
- Claude Wyle | September 28, 2007 11:14 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsWhether you are driving in San Francisco, or trying to walk across a busy street, you will always be risking personal injuries or wrongful death. Although it's never really been easy to negotiate the Streets Of San Francisco, this year marks a troubling spike in motor vehicle collision deaths, and drivers and pedestrians should be extra careful. San Francisco is on a course for roughly one...
- Claude Wyle | September 27, 2007 10:57 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsIn Dublin, California, near the 580-680 interchange, a negligent driver lost control of his Porsche, hit a Caltrans truck, bounced off, and struck and killed Djuan Bush, age 24, of San Leandro, before striking another truck. Mr. Bush, a Caltrans employee, was hit by the Porsche as he was working on a San Francisco Bay area highway. Signs were posted near the Caltrans guardrail project advising...
- Claude Wyle | September 26, 2007 6:25 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsSimplicity for Children has just issued their fourth recall in two years. The cribs, manufactured in China, are marketed under the Graco brand name. Simplicity recalled the product after two infants died because the drop-rail sides of their cribs were installed upside down. Both infants became trapped in the drop-rail, and suffocated to death.. For more information on this subject, please...
- Claude Wyle | September 25, 2007 1:00 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsThat's it. The California Governor has signed into law a ban on teenage use of cellphones and texting and laptop computers while driving. In an effort to reduce distraction behind the wheel, and the resulting motor vehicle collisions, teenagers are now forbidden from using these devices while driving a car. The law will take effect on July 1, 2008. We are all hoping this new law will remedy a...
- Claude Wyle | September 24, 2007 3:48 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsIn a rare move, Mattel apologized to China and to its customers for its part in the recall of 21 million dangerous and defective toys. Mattel uses Chinese manufacturers to make about 65% of its toys, and derives a huge percentage of its profits from Chinese made toys. Mattel admitted that a substantial portion of the recalled toys were recalled not from Chinese manufacturing defects, but from...
- Claude Wyle | September 23, 2007 12:46 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsGood news for San Francisco pedestrian safety; 19th Avenue between Junipero Serra Boulevard and Lake Street, one of San Francisco's most dangerous streets for pedestrians, will be designated a Safety Enhancement Double Fine Zone in the next California legislative session. This residential street has a higher rate of pedestrian accidents, many of which involve children or the elderly, which will...
- Claude Wyle | September 22, 2007 12:20 PM |
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Head & Brain InjuriesA South San Francisco woman was struck by yet another hit and run driver while walking her dog this last Tuesday. The dog was killed and this woman suffered severe brain injuries. Although she is expected to survive this pedestrian accident, she will have to live with the day to day nightmare of serious head trauma. Some people in a following car chased the hit and run driver, but have yet to...
- Jenny Albano | September 21, 2007 10:19 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsQuong Hop & Co., in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling all the Soy Deli brand tofu that has a code date of December 17, 2007 and is also recalling some kinds of Soy Deli and Quong Hop tofu with a code date of September 23, 2007.The other kinds of tofu being recalled includes a 30 ounce Soy Deli Nigari Tofu, a 12 ounce Soy Deli Water Pack Tofu, and the 16 ounce Quong Hop Water Pack Tofu.These...
- Claude Wyle | September 21, 2007 4:13 PM |
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Tractor-Trailer AccidentsIn yet another bizarre crash involving multiple trucks, three people suffered major personal injuries, including the driver of one of the trucks, a passenger in another truck and someone standing on the shoulder who was hit by flying debris. The truck accident on the San Mateo Bridge happened when one big rig truck rear-ended another truck that was parked on the shoulder. The third big rig then...
- Claude Wyle | September 20, 2007 3:55 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA 70-year-old woman was killed and another person suffered serious personal injuries in a three-vehicle hit-and-run collision which happened at about 8:30 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Gilman Avenue and Jennings Street. in San Francisco. Anyone with information about this hit and run accident is asked to call the San Francisco police Hit and Run detail at (415) 553-1641 or the Confidential...
- Claude Wyle | September 19, 2007 4:06 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsDole Food Co. announced yet another recall, this time of "Dole Hearts Delight" bagged salads in the United States and Canada Monday, after finding that the salads may contain E. coli. Although, according to Dole, no one has been reported sick from eating the salads, some salad in Canada has been found to contain E. Coli which will cause severe food poisoning. The recall covers bagged salads with...
- Claude Wyle | September 18, 2007 3:30 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsCrocs shoes, those popular plastic clogs with the soft soles that children love to wear, have been linked to accidents worldwide that involve the shoes becoming caught in escalators. Mostly small children are suffering toe and foot injuries in San Francisco and throughout the world. Officials at air and train terminals and malls have begun posting warnings to passengers about wearing the shoes...
- Claude Wyle | September 17, 2007 11:12 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsAn elderly Asian woman was killed last Tuesday afternoon when she was struck by a black Chevrolet sedan on Geary Boulevard, just across from St. Mary's Cathedral. This is the 22nd pedestrian death on the streets of San Francisco this year, a markedly deadly year for seniors, and a sharp increase from the 2006 pedestrian fatalities. Although this woman may have been jaywalking, according to an...
- Claude Wyle | September 16, 2007 10:36 AM |
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Head & Brain InjuriesThe war in Iraq is still raging, but one legacy is already making itself known across America: an epidemic of brain-damaged GIs. Thousands of troops have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, or TBI. These blast-caused head injuries are so different from the ones doctors are used to seeing from falls or motorcycle or bicycle or car crashes, that helping these head injured patients is...
- Claude Wyle | September 15, 2007 3:56 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsAccording to documents released to Cox Newspapers, an Environmental Protection Agency report was kept secret after the agency received pressure from the popcorn industry, and popcorn manufacturers knew of the potential health risks associated with a chemical called diacetyl in microwave popcorn for more than a year before announcing they would remove the substance. Diacetyl is fake butter smell,...
- Claude Wyle | September 14, 2007 8:06 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsMattel Inc., has issued a recall of Barbie Barbells and other Barbie accessories. The company issued a recall voluntarily after learning Barbie's Barbells contain lead-based paint. This may not be a problem for Barbie, but could be toxic to children and lead to serious injury if children put the toy in their mouths. Parents should immediately take the toy away from their children, and consult...
- Claude Wyle | September 13, 2007 8:30 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsThe CEO of toy maker Mattel promised legislators Wednesday that the company is doing all it can to prevent more massive safety lapses like those that forced the recall of millions of toys. Testifying before a Senate subcommittee, Mattel boss Robert Eckert blamed overseas contractors as the major culprits for the lead-tainted toys, and said the company is increasing safety initiatives to prevent...
- Claude Wyle | September 13, 2007 2:49 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsWhen Mattell announced its third recall in six weeks because of toxic levels of lead paint in toys, as well as 16 other recent recalls, we said that this was because of China and money. All the dangerous products were made in China. So why would the Chines manufacturers use lead paint in children's' toys?The simplest answer is price. Paint with higher levels of lead often sells for a third of...
- Claude Wyle | September 12, 2007 3:50 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsThe title of this blog is not a typo. Unfortunately, it is true that at least one consumer did suffer whiplash after the wooden chair he purchased at J.C. Penney collapsed beneath him. Other consumers suffered bruising and other injuries from similar accidents. Consumers may contact J.C. Penny for a full refund.For more information on this subject matter, please refer to our section on...
- Claude Wyle | September 10, 2007 7:54 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsDoesn't texting require both hands? Yes, and this is exactly why Senator Joe Simitian proposed legislation to ban all 16- and 17-year-old drivers from texting, and using other electronic devices, while driving. If this bill passes, fatal highway accidents like the one in the Finger Lakes region of New York earlier this summer may be prevented. Five teens lost their lives this June when,...
- Claude Wyle | September 10, 2007 3:44 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsOur hearts go out to the family of Britta Aker. At the young age of 27, her life was prematurely taken early yesterday morning as she walked over Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Newark, California. Unfortunately, it will be a tough task for her family to persuade a court to permit recovery for civil damages. This is so because California courts tend to hold that railroad tracks alone are a...
- Claude Wyle | September 07, 2007 8:40 AM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsChildren decked out in Kmart's Basic Edition Girls' Clothing Sets may be risking more than just bad fashion. Some shirts in this line have especially dangerous drawstrings at the waist, which can pry loose and become entangled in a vehicle door, creating a risk of death or serious injury. Kmart recommends removing the string from the waist to reduce the risk of injury. For more information...
- Claude Wyle | September 06, 2007 5:27 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsHayes, a manufacture of outdoor products, is recalling three styles of their "Avant Yarde" outdoor citronella candles. These candles burn at such high temperatures, the wax catches fire and transforms these outdoor candles into dangerous torches. The recall was announced after the company received reports of consumers suffering burns.For more information on this subject matter, please refer to...
- Claude Wyle | September 06, 2007 4:05 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsIn its 3rd Recall, Mattel Announces More Toys Include Lead. Mattel issued another global recall, this time of 848,000 toys last night, the toy company's third recent recall because of dangerous levels of lead paint on toys. This latest recall includes 3 toys sold by Fisher-Price and 8 Barbie accessories, though no Barbie dolls. According to Mattel, most of the recalled toys are Barbie...
- Claude Wyle | September 05, 2007 4:27 PM |
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Head & Brain InjuriesAstoundingly, 1.5-2 million people a year sustain traumatic brain injury (TBI) from motor vehicle accidents such as automobile accidents and motorcycle accidents, as well as bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents and falls, sport injuries, and other traumatic events. 500,000 of these TBIs are severe enough to require hospitalization, and 50,000 people die from complications of head...
- Claude Wyle | September 04, 2007 3:59 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsEven before the Labor Day weekend was half over, it proved deadly for several people traveling on San Francisco Bay Area roads and highways. By Saturday night, a 61 year old man died in a motorcycle crash in Concord, when he rode into the Kohl's department store. On Highway 4, a motorcyclist was killed when he was thrown from his bike, landing inside the gates of a nearby storage facility. A 47...
- Claude Wyle | September 03, 2007 4:46 PM |
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Mass Transit (Airline, Cruise Ship, Train, Bus)In SAN FRANCISCO, the fourth victim of a Muni-involved pedestrian crash in two weeks was struck by a Muni train Tuesday. According to the Muni's own spokesperson, as of last week, San Francisco Muni vehicles had been involved in 956 accidents this year alone, 39 with pedestrians, five of which were fatal. San Francisco pedestrians are being run over at an astoundingly high rate, and The City...
- Claude Wyle | September 02, 2007 4:23 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsAccording to University of Michigan researchers who reviewed 27 studies conducted between 1980 and 2006, antibacterial soaps that have triclosan as the primary active ingredient are not better at preventing bacterial infections than regular soaps. They also found that these antibacterial soaps could be dangerous products, posing a health hazard because they may reduce the effectiveness of some...