Product Liability

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Recalling Two Popular SUV Models After Reports of Electrical Fires

Published on: January 29, 2016 | O'Connor Law

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently announced that they will be recalling more of their SUVs in response to the potential threat of fire-related incidents associated with electrical shorts in the cars’ sun visors.

The car manufacturers have planned to recall nearly 390,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos from the years 2011-2013. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have found these cars to have electrical difficulties.

Another recall of the same models happened back in 2014, where electrical issues were once again the culprit. With that recall, wiring in the mirror lights were subject to electrical problems. This recall was launched after the government led an investigation of the vehicles, where eight incidents of visor fires had been reported.

Store Brand Children’s Cough Syrup Pulled from Shelves Amid Recall

Published on: January 27, 2016 | O'Connor Law

Two different flavored cough syrups for children from several national pharmacy chains and grocery stores are being recalled due to a chance of overdose.

The affected flavors are cherry and grape, and are being recalled by nine large retailers in the country including CVS, Rite-Aid, Kroegers, Dollar General, Sunmark, Topcare, Care One and GoodSense. The syrup itself is made by Perrigo Company Medicine but according to reports, it is sold under a variety of store-brand names.

The danger of overdose comes into play with incorrectly labeled dosage cups that come with the four-ounce bottles of syrup. Thankfully, no overdoses have yet to be reported.

Tyson Foods Inc. Recalls Chicken Product Due To Possible Adulteration

Published on: December 1, 2015 | O'Connor Law

Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service reported that Tyson Foods will recall 52,486 pounds of chicken wing product.

In a press release, the USDA explained that the chicken wing product might be contaminated due to an “off odor” scent.

Some consumers of the product contacted Tyson complaining of experiencing mild illness as well. After such grievances, Tyson got in touch with the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Campbell’s Recalls SpaghettiO’s Cans After Consumers Find Something Weird Inside

Published on: November 18, 2015 | O'Connor Law

The latest national voluntary recall has been issued by Campbell Soup Co. for SpaghettiOs, a canned pasta and sauce product. The company recalled 355,000 of these cans due to possible choking danger.

On November 12, Campbell made an announcement admitting to small red pieces of plastic found in a number of the cans.

In response to customer questioning, the company stated that the plastic, “is not harmful if ingested. The reason we are recalling the product is that the cans could pose a potential choking hazard.”

36,000 Cases Of Kraft Cheese Being Recalled

Published on: August 4, 2015 | O'Connor Law

Kraft Singles, often a favorite for making grilled cheese and other sandwiches, are being recalled by the thousands. 3 and 4 pound packages of Kraft’s American and White American slices need to be checked. The packages being recalled have a “best when used by date” from December 29, 2015 to January 4, 2015. If your cheese has a date in this range and the following manufacturer’s code of “S54” or “S55” your cheese may have a problem.

The issue with these packages is that when the plastic is removed it can leave behind a thin layer that is hard to see. This thin strip of plastic can be a choking hazard, and Kraft has already received three reports of choking from this incident.

These packages can be returned to the store for a refund or a new package of cheese.

1 In Every 7 Cars In The U.S Are Being Recalled

Published on: May 20, 2015 | O'Connor Law

Exploding airbags that can send shrapnel through your body like bullets sounds like something from a James Bond Film, but no this is real life and now about 1 out of every 7 cars in the U.S. are being recalled.

Takata airbags, which you may have heard of due to their previous 18 million car recall, is doubling the size of their recall. Now over 34 million cars are being recalled to have their airbags replaced. Most of the popular cars sold in America are on the list including Toyota, Subaru, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Honda, GM, Ford, Daimler, Chrysler and BMW, and majority of the cars were made from 2000-2011. The list of cars in this recall is lengthy and can be found at http://www.safercar.gov/rs/takata/index.html along with details on how to get your airbags replaced if your car is one of the cars being recalled. The full list of vehicles is not yet available from the automakers, but it can be found at that link once it has been released.

The issue with the airbags is a scary one. The inflators in the airbags can malfunction causing pieces of metal shrapnel to shoot out into the driver or passenger of the car. Six people have died worldwide from this malfunction and emergency responders have reported that it looked like they were shot.

Sabra Hummus Recall

Published on: April 10, 2015 | O'Connor Law

Martin’s Food Markets and Giant Food Stores are recalling some types of their Sabra Hummus products due to Listeria Monocytogenes contamination. No illnesses have been reported from consumption of the hummus so far. Listeriosis, which is caused by Listeria Monocytogenes is a potentially deadly illness, that can cause many side effects including fever, muscle stiffness, miscarriages and others.

The specific products being recalled are:

Sabra Classic Hummus six pack 17 OZ, best if used by May 11, 2015

Recall Of 6.5 Million Boxes Of Craft Mac & Cheese

Published on: March 18, 2015 | O'Connor Law

Any boxes of Craft Mac & Cheese with the best if used by date ranging September 18,2105 through October 11, 2015 and are marked with the code C2 are being recalled by Craft. These boxes may contain small pieces of metal.

These boxes are the 7.25 Oz boxes and may have come in packs containing multiple boxes.

According to Craft Foods Group Inc., they are aware of 8 occurrences so far where small pieces of metal have been found in the box by a consumer, but no one has been injured. They are offering a full refund at the stores where the product was purchased, and are asking that no one eat this product if it has the matching code and date.

Concerns Surround New Prescription Painkiller Zohydro

Published on: March 4, 2014 | O'Connor Law

A new prescription painkiller is causing alot of concern among health care and consumer groups. The drug is called Zohydro and it’s a opioid analgesic that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last fall to treat chronic pain. It will become available to patients this month.

In an article in CNN.com, one addiction expert is quoted as saying, “It’s a whopping dose of hydrocodone packed in an easy-to-crush capsule. It will kill people as soon as it’s released.” Health care and addiction treatment groups are appealing to the FDA to revoke their approval before tragedy strikes.

In late 2013, 29 state attorney generals as well as members of Congress sent letters to the FDA asking them to review their approval of the drug. The feeling is that Zohydro could be the new OxyContin, another prescription painkiller that is often abused because of its high concentration of oxycodone.

Graco Recalls Over 3 Million Car Seats

Published on: February 13, 2014 | O'Connor Law

On Tuesday, Graco voluntarily recalled 3.7 million car seats due to a buckling issue.

According to an article on WNEP.com, the red release button that is found at the center of the harness may become difficult to unlatch, or may get stuck. This can make it difficult to remove a child from the car seat quickly in the event of an emergency. In the article, Graco is quoted as saying “that food and dried liquids can make some harness buckles progressively more difficult to open over time or become stuck in the latched position.”

Models affected include harness buckles on toddler car seats and harnessed booster seats produced from 2009 to July 2013.