California Personal Injury Blog

A new study has found that hands-free cell phone laws have been linked with reducing driver deaths.

According to a report on Forbes.com, bans on hand-held cell phones while driving prevent nearly 14,000 serious injuries and 140 driver deaths each year in the United States, lowering the overall fatality rate by 7%.

Distracted driving is one of the top causes of serious car accidents and injuries, so the new findings show how important those cell phone laws are. …Read the rest »

A new study has found that half of all elite rugby players showed an unexpected change in brain volume because of impacts suffered to the head.

According to a report in Science Daily, the study was funded by the Drake Foundation, which is now calling for changes in rugby protocols in an effort to look out for players’ long-term wellbeing.

The study also said around 23% of the players had abnormalities in brain structure in the white matter and blood vessels, showing the drastic effect that high-impact sports can have in terms of long-term injuries. …Read the rest »

More than 350,000 backup portable power generators sold across the United States and Canada are being recalled after reports of eight injuries including seven finger amputations and one report of a person’s finger being crushed.

According to a CBS News report, the unlocked handle on the Generac generators could potentially pinch a user’s fingers against the equipment frame while moving the product.

This fault has already resulted in several serious injuries, and poses an amputation or crushing hazard to the fingers. …Read the rest »

Whole Foods Market has issued a voluntary recall for two types of Cahill cheddar cheeses sold in its specialty department because of potential contamination with listeria monocytogenes.

According to news reports, the grocery chain recalled Cahill Cheddar Porter and Whiskey Cheddar cheeses from 44 stores in 22 states.

There is a danger that the recalled cheeses are contaminated with a type of bacteria that could cause serious illness for anyone eating it. …Read the rest »

A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee is asking that Johnson & Johnson turn over information about its plans to offload liability over its talcum powder products that have been linked to cancer under bankruptcy protection.

According to a report in Law360, the House panel on Economic and Consumer Policy has sought documents from J&J, which faces thousands of product liability lawsuits alleging that its talcum powder products cause cancer, about any bankruptcy plans and how those plans might affect plaintiffs’ lawsuits.

The letter to J&J was written by the chair of the subcommittee, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois. The subcommittee, which is under the House Oversight and Reform Committee, also wants to know about any plans to create a dedicated subsidiary for talc liabilities and how much it would be funded, per the letter. …Read the rest »

McCormick & Company is voluntarily recalling three of its seasonings because of possible salmonella contamination.

According to a USA Today news report, the three recalled seasonings are McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning, McCormick Culinary Italian Seasoning, and Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Ranch Seasoning.

Officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the company has not reported any illnesses or deaths as a result of these recalled products. …Read the rest »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled more than 3.5 million Philips ventilators as well as CPAP and BiPAP machines that were sold since 2009 because of serious health risks.

According to a report on MassDevice, the FDA has designated this as a Class I recall, which is the most serious level of recall for medical devices.

The recall was issued after a spate of complaints about health issues caused by the devices. …Read the rest »

A California woman has filed a product liability lawsuit against SharkNinja, manufacturer of Nutri Ninja blenders, claiming one of these products caused significant laceration injuries to her fingers.

According to a report on TMZ.com, Nicole Guttormsen is suing the company over its Nutri Ninja BL480 blender, which she alleges is a dangerous and defective product.

She claims the product left her with serious injuries and is pursuing damages. …Read the rest »

A Lyft driver, who is accused of falling asleep at the wheel and causing a crash in Tustin that left his 70-year-old passenger dead, has been charged with manslaughter.

According to a report in The Orange County Register, Andy Van Pham, 30, was driving his vehicle when he fell asleep near Jamboree Road and Patriot Way and crashed into a light pole on the morning of April 4.

Tustin police identified the passenger as Margie Quibol of Tustin, who died from her injuries. …Read the rest »

California-based Harbor Freight Tools has issued a product defect recall for about 350,000 propane heaters because windy conditions can render the safety shutoff inoperable, posing a burn hazard.

According to news reports, strong winds and hazardous conditions could redirect the butane propane flame to the back of the unit, melting the “tip switch” that acts as the safety cutoff.

In turn, if the heater tips over with the switch disabled, consumers could be burned and suffer serious injuries. …Read the rest »