Chemical Safety Board responds to East Texas storage tank explosion
On January 29, 2013, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) issued a statement calling on the Railroad Commission of Texas (RCC) to enact more stringent safety regulations to ensure oil and gas production sites are properly secured. The statement came in response to a January 29, 2013 explosion at an East Texas […]
Truck crash fatalities increased for second year in 2011
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the number of traffic fatalities in 2011 fell 1.9% to 32,367. Based on data released by the NHTSA in December 2012, the number of traffic fatalities has been steadily declining in recent years. The 2011 number marks the lowest number of traffic fatalities since 1949 and […]
July 1, 2013 Deadline Approaching for Hours of Service of Drivers Final Rule
In December 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enacted a new rule that revised the hours of service (HOS) safety requirements for commercial truck drivers. The rule was aimed at preventing fatigue-related truck crashes and helping save lives. The new HOS regulations became effective on February 27, 2012, but […]
FDA takes steps to tighten restrictions on metal-on-metal hip implants
On January 17, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new safety information and recommendations to patients and health care professional regarding metal-on-metal hip implants.
Pediatric bounce house injuries on the rise
An article appearing in the November 26th issue of PEDIATRICS, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), examines the rapidly growing number of children’s bounce house related injuries. The study analyzed data on bounce house injuries treated in US emergency departments from 1990-2010. Data showed that more than 64,000 children were treated […]
Additional concerns emerge as fungal meningitis outbreak expands
The fungal meningitis outbreak, linked to contaminated steroids produced and distributed by New England Compounding Center (NECC), has grown to 214 cases and 15 deaths. Health officials are working with medical professionals in 23 states to reach out to the more than 14,000 patients who may have been exposed to meningitis through contaminated injections.
New warnings issued on hip resurfacing procedures
A recent study appearing in the online version of The Lancet warns of increased early failure rates for hip resurfacing implants. The study, conducted on behalf of the National Joint Registry for England and Wales, compared data from more 30,000 hip resurfacing procedures from April 2003 to September 2011.
Plaintiffs seek consolidation of state court Stryker hip cases
On September 19, 2012, attorneys representing plaintiffs who have been injured by the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II modular hip implant devices filed a petition requesting the State of New Jersey to designate the litigation as “multi-county” litigation.
Fungal meningitis outbreak raises safety concerns over compounding pharmacies
Health officials across the country are investigating an outbreak of fungal meningitis that has resulted in eight deaths. As of Monday, October 8th, there have been 105 reported cases in nine states.
MDL created for Biomet M2a lawsuits
The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) issued an order on October 2, 2012 transferring eight product liability cases involving the Biomet M2a metal-on-metal hip replacement system for consolidated proceedings.