Defective Product Alert: Baby Wipes Containing Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

To all Washington State parents of babies: There has been a recall of baby wipes. The wipes contain a bacteria that is resistant to common antibiotics.  If you purchased baby wipes at Walgreens, Sam’s Club, Family Dollar, Fred’s or Diaper.com, check to see if you have any of the following brands that are subject to the recall:   Cuties, Diapers.com, Femtex, Fred’s, Kidgets, Member’s Mark, Simply Right, Sunny Smiles, Tender Touch, and Well Beginnings.  For more questions call Nutek Disposables at 1-855-646-4351.  For more info, you can read about it here .

Here at Washington Product Liability Blog, we seek to inform folks about a faulty product before it does harm. We’ve seen how things turn out after a faulty product causes harm when the injured parties come to us, the Washington State product liability lawyers at SGB, for help. We’d much prefer to see the injuries never occur in the first place.

Dangerous Product Alert: E-Cigarettes May Pose Health Risk

Bloomberg is reporting that dangers and defects in electronic cigarettes could form the basis for product liability lawsuits if they are more damaging to human health than their manufacturers claim. Citing a report by Swiss Re Ltd. (the world’s second biggest reinsurer),  Bloomberg reported that a the insurance world is concerned about the risk that e-cigarettes may cause death, much like their tobacco counterparts. The Swiss Re report stated: “E-cigarettes are often marketed as a less harmful alternative to tobacco. Some health experts claim that e-cigarettes are useful for people trying to quit or cut down on nicotine, although no peer-reviewed study has proven such benefits. Their long-term health effects are not yet known since they have not been on the market long enough. Concerns focus on e-liquids, the key ingredients in e-cigarettes, which are powerful neurotoxins. When e-liquids are ingested or absorbed through the skin, they can cause vomiting and seizures and can even be lethal. Toxicologists warn that e-liquids pose a significant risk to public health, particularly to children. They also represent a serious workplace hazard for those preparing and selling them if proper precautions are not taken (e.g., wearing gloves while mixing e-liquids).”

Product Liability Deskbook Released

Tom and I are proud to announce that the new Washington State Association for Justice Product Liability Deskbook has hit the shelves. The 24 chapter Deskbook is a comprehensive treatise, covering all areas of product liability litigation in Washington State. We both authored chapters in the Deskbook; Tom wrote on post-manufacture liability and I wrote on successor liability.  Now-retired SGB attorney Janet Rice wrote a chapter on evidentiary issues in product liability.

We were honored that the WSAJ—our state’s premier trial lawyer organization—asked us to write for the Deskbook.  SGB has a long, proud history of representing people injured by defective products and we saw this as an opportunity to further that service. These chapters demonstrate our commitment to staying on the cutting edge of product safety and liability issues and to providing high-caliber legal services to our clients.

We hope that our work, coupled with the work of the other fine Washington attorneys who authored chapters, will help the citizens of Washington obtain justice when faulty products fail and, ultimately, make our state a safer place to live.

Dangerous Product alert: GM recall of Chevrolet Cobalt

General Motors announced last month that is has recalled the Chevrolet Cobalt which has been linked to fatal accidents due to a faulty ignition switch. This ignition switch issue has been linked to at least 13 deaths. The problem is attributed to heavy key rings which can accidentally pull the key into the "off" position, an issue which can also happen when the car goes over a bump, disabling the car’s airbags. According to the Los Angeles Times, GM said in a statement that all of the crashes occurred off-road and at high speeds.  Evidence revealed that GM may have been aware of the problem as early at 2004, but just recently issued the recall.

Dangerous Product Alert: E-Cigarettes May Be Poisonous, Dangerous to Children, and a Fire Hazard

Want to quit smoking? Well, it looks like those electronic cigarettes—or e-cigarettes—are not safer than regular smokes. According to a recent investigation, poison control centers across the U.S. have witnessed a 161 percent increase in e-cigarette complaints. 30% of e-cigarettes investigated had as much formaldehyde and acrolein, which are known carcinogens, as regular cigarettes.

What is worse, the investigation found that more than half of the poison control calls were about children who got their hands on e-cigarettes and exposed our found the liquid cartridge inside.  Kids have reportedly been injured by ingestion or skin exposure to the liquid.  Another report concerned a bedroom fire when an e-cigarette overheated while in the charger, causing a home to burn down.

The FDA and the American Cancer Society both say that there is no evidence that e-cigarettes are safe.  The FDA website states:

As the safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes have not been fully studied, consumers of e-cigarette products currently have no way of knowing:

• whether e-cigarettes are safe for their intended use;
• how much nicotine or other potentially harmful chemicals are being inhaled during use; or
• if there are any benefits associated with using these products.

Additionally, it is not known if e-cigarettes may lead young people to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death

 In initial tests, the FDA found carcinogens and toxic chemicals.  The FDA is now in the process of promulgating regulations to oversee the nearly $2 billion global industry, a move that the industry is fighting.