California Personal Injury Blog

Study Says Vaping Lures Teens into Smoking

New research shows that instead of being a safe alternative to smoking, vaping or e-cigarette use may actually be an enticing gateway to cigarettes for some teens. According to a HealthDay news report, researchers found that among teens who said they had no intention to ever smoke, those who vaped were more than four times more likely to eventually try cigarettes. That, experts said, suggests that e-cigarettes can predispose kids to tobacco use, possibly by fueling a craving for nicotine. …Read the rest »

Judge Orders J&J to Pay $120 Million Damages in New York Talcum Powder Mesothelioma Lawsuit

A New York State judge has ordered pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to pay $120 million in damages to a Brooklyn woman and her husband after she blamed her cancer on asbestos exposure from using the company’s talcum powder products. According to a Reuters news report, Judge Gerald Lebovits of the state supreme court in Manhattan reduced the payout from $325 million that a jury awarded the 67-year-old plaintiff in May 2019 following a 14-week trial. …Read the rest »

General Motors to Recall 7 Million Vehicles for Defective Takata Airbags

General Motors will recall about 7 million large pickup trucks and SUVs worldwide to replace faulty and potentially dangerous Takata airbag inflators. According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, the announcement came on Nov. 23 after the U.S. government told the automaker that it had to recall 6 million vehicles in the United States. GM has said it will not fight the decision even though it believes the vehicles are safe. …Read the rest »

Actress Naya Rivera's Drowning Spurs Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed over the drowning of “Glee” actress Naya Rivera, who died this summer while boating with her 4-year-old son on a lake in Ventura County. According to an Associated Press news report, the lawsuit, filed on behalf of Rivera’s son and his father (Rivera’s ex-husband), blames Ventura County and managers of Lake Piru for Rivera’s death on July 8. …Read the rest »

UC Agrees to Pay $73 Million in Class Action Lawsuit Settlement to Victims of Alleged Sexual Abuse

The University of California system would pay $73 million under a proposed settlement reached in a class action lawsuit filed by seven women who accused their former gynecologist at UCLA of sexual abuse, the Los Angeles Times reports. The gynecologist, 67-year-old James Heaps, who is criminally charged with sexually abusing seven patients – not the same seven who are involved in the class action – is accused in the civil litigation of sexual assault and sexual misconduct between 1983 and 2019 when he was at the UCLA student health center as well as the UCLA Medical Center. …Read the rest »

General Motors to Recall 7 Million Vehicles for Defective Takata Airbags

CARFAX issued a press release urging drivers to check for deadly airbag recalls before embarking on holiday road travels. According to a CARFAX press release, there are about 16 million airbags in vehicles on the road today that have an open safety recall. More than 11 million of those are defective Takata airbags, which have been the subject of unprecedented recall action in the nation’s history. …Read the rest »

Kohl's Recalls Over 500,000 Candles for Fire Hazards

Retailer Kohl’s is recalling about 512,000 Sonoma Goods for Life branded, three-wick candles due to the danger of fires and burn injuries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a news release of the recall stating that the candle’s high flames can ignite the wax’s surface and cause the glass to break. …Read the rest »

B. Braun Halts Some Aesculap Knee Implants for Possible Malfunctions

Braun is notifying customers who bought certain Aesculap knee systems to temporarily halt implanting them while the company addresses a possible malfunction involving these devices. According to a report on Mass Devices, in a Nov. 16 letter sent to customers worldwide, the company a “locally accumulated number of aseptic loosenings have been reported” in connection with the univation X system. …Read the rest »

Toyota Expands Fuel Pump Recall to 1.5 Million Newer Vehicles

Toyota is expanding the scope of the fuel pump recall it initiated earlier this year with an additional 1.5 million newer Toyota and Lexus vehicles. According to a report on Car and Driver, this brings the total number of vehicles recalled since January to 2.7 million, representing nearly every model made by Toyota and Lexus. …Read the rest »

Mom Suffers Burn Injuries After Defective Aldi Pressure Cooker Explodes

A 36-year-old mother is covered in scars after being severely burned by her defective Aldi pressure cooker, which literally blew up in her face. According to a report in The Daily Mail, the woman who lives in Sydney, Australia, suffered major burn injuries to her neck, arms and back after the lid of the $60 appliance flew off while she was making chicken soup. …Read the rest »