California Personal Injury Blog

AAA Study Shows Active Driving Assistance Systems Do Little to Help Drivers

Automotive researchers with AAA have found that over the course of 4,000 miles of real-world driving, vehicles equipped with active driving assistance systems experienced some type of issue every eight miles, on average. Researchers noted instances of trouble with systems keeping vehicles in their lanes and sometimes, coming too close to other vehicles or even guardrails. …Read the rest »

Teen Girl in Coma After Brutal Pit Bull Attack

Joslyn Stinchcomb, 15, was brutally attacked by two pit bulls, which officials say, ripped off her scalp and left ear and damaged her throat and trachea, requiring her to be put on a ventilator. According to a report in The Daily Mail, the girl was nearly mauled to death by the two dogs when she was walking through her neighborhood in Winder, Georgia. The girl was two weeks from starting her sophomore year in high school. …Read the rest »

Salads with Onions sold at Wal-Mart, Kroger and H-E-B Recalled for Salmonella Contamination

Various products including salads sold at Wal-Mart, Kroger and H-E-B stores are included in a new public health alert because they contain recalled onions that are tainted with salmonella. According to a USA Today news report, the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Inspection Service issued the alert Wednesday night for ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that contain onions that have been recalled by Thomson International Inc. because of concerns that the products may be tainted with Salmonella Newport. …Read the rest »

Brother of R&B Artist Frank Ocean Killed in Thousand Oaks Tesla Crash

Ryan Breaux, the 18-year-old brother of Grammy-winning R&B artist Frank Ocean, and his friend, 20-year-old Ezekial (Zeek) Bishop, were killed in a Thousand Oaks car accident after the Tesla in which they were traveling veered off the roadway and crashed into a tree. According to a news report in The Acorn, the incident occurred early morning on Aug. 2 on Westlake Boulevard. …Read the rest »

Bayer Sets Aside Nearly $1.47 Billion for Essure Settlements

Bayer has said it is progressing with its settlement talks with attorneys for thousands of women who were injured by Essure birth control implants. According to news reports, the company announced that it has set aside $1.47 Billion for potential settlements involving 32,000 lawsuits in the United States. Bayer said in its second-quarter earnings report on Aug. 3 that discussions on potential settlements in connection with Essure “recently intensified and have made good progress in recent weeks.” …Read the rest »

Honda Odyssey Minivans Recalled for Faulty Backup Camera and Door Handles

More than 536,000 Honda Odyssey minivans are being recalled over concerns that the backup camera may not display properly and that the power sliding doors in the vehicle may not latch properly, especially in freezing temperatures. According to Consumer Reports, for the vehicles affected by this recall, water may get into the backup camera’s mounting holes and enter the camera lens. …Read the rest »

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Son Injured in Los Angeles Car Crash

King Combs, son of rapper and record producer, Sean “Diddy” Combs, suffered injuries in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say, may have been caused by a suspected DUI driver. According to a TMZ news report, the incident occurred a little after midnight on Aug. 5 in Beverly Hills when police say a man speeding in a Tesla down Sunset Boulevard, lost control and crashed into Combs’ red Ferrari. …Read the rest »

Study Shows Young Athletes Take Longer to Recover from Concussions

A new study is showing that high school athletes are still sustaining brain injuries in increasing numbers, and young athletes who suffer concussions need at least a month to recover. These findings that were published in the journal Orthopedics observed 357 high school adolescents (62% males) who were on average 15 years old and were involved in sports from September 2013 to December 2016. The researchers looked at data related to athletes to sustained concussions during this period and compared these to historical data on concussions among young athletes. …Read the rest »

Image shot via YouTube

Hampshire House, the owner of several restaurants in Boston, including the famous Cheers bar featured in a TV show by the same name, is suing its insurance providers over denied business interruption claims it filed in response to the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns. According to The Boston Globe, the company has been navigating estimated losses in the millions of dollars. …Read the rest »

Frozen Taquito and Chimichanga Products Recalled for Plastic Pieces

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection (FSIS) has issued a recall alert for frozen beef and chicken taquitos and chimichangas. According to a news report, officials say these products contain diced green chilies that have been recalled by the producer Sun Valley Foods, and may contain extraneous materials, specifically hard plastic. These pieces of plastic may pose a choking hazard or cause injuries to the teeth or gums.

Details of the Recall

The frozen meat and poultry taquitos and chimichangas were produced by Ajinomoto Foods North America, which is based in Texas as well as here in San Diego, California. The recalled products bear the establishment number “EST 5590,” “P5590” or “EST. 17417” printed on the packaging above the expiration date. These products were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

Ajinomoto Inc. apparently discovered the problem when they identified pieces of hard plastic in their production process and in a barrel of diced green chilies that was received from their ingredients supplier, Sun Valley Foods. That company initiated a recall of the green chilies with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness is urged to contact a health care provider. Officials are saying those who still have these products at home should not consume them. They should be discarded or returned to the point of purchase.

The Danger of Contaminated Food

There have been a number of recent recalls involving extraneous items in food such as rubber, plastic and metal. When items such as glass pieces or metal pieces get mixed in with food, the consequences could be serious. People who consume this contaminated food may suffer oral injuries or even metal poisoning. They may suffer internal injuries if they ingest the metal pieces. Recent studies by the FDA have found that about 25% of all food-related complaints it received over a period of one year involved the presence of a visible foreign object. This same study also indicated that nearly 15% of those who complained had reportedly suffered an injury or illness relating to the foreign object.

If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of contaminated food or due to a defective product, you may be able to seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, hospitalization, rehabilitation, pain and suffering and emotional distress. An experienced California personal injury lawyer will be able to advise victims regarding their legal rights and options.