Category: Hot Topics

Triple A Reports Car Crash Fatalities In 2006

Posted on March 5, 2008 by James Sabatini - Car Accidents, Hot Topics

According to the Triple A, 42,642 people died in car crashes in 2006. This equates to about 117 deaths per day and almost 5 per hour. This is the equivalent of two jumbo jets crashing every week. The AAA attributes many of the fatalities to excessive speed, drunk driving and the failure to wear a seat belt. Triple A also reports that the costs arising from car accidents have gone up with the largest cost increase being hospital costs.

The Connecticut?personal injury lawyers of Sabatini and Associates, LLC provide quality legal representation to clients in Hartford, Connecticut, and surrounding cities including: West Hartford, Newington, New Britain, Avon, Canton, Wethersfield, Glastonbury, East Hartford, Norwich, Granby, Rocky Hill, Bristol, Manchester, East Hartford, Plainville, Berlin, Farmington, Windsor, South Windsor, Bloomfield, Enfield and counties including New Haven County, Tolland County, Hartford County, New London County, Litchfield County and Fairfield County..

Additional Patient Deaths May Be Linked To Tainted Heparin

Posted on March 2, 2008 by James Sabatini - Defective Products, Hot Topics

The FDA reports additional patient deaths are possibly linked to the blood thinner heparin so the company is mounting a recall of all of the drug.

Baxter International Inc. will recall the remaining lots of single and multi-dose injection and it will recall HEP-LOCK products.

Last month, Baxter recalled nine lots of heparin multi-dose after the drugs use was linked to four deaths and hundreds of mysterious allergic reactions.

Most of those adverse events were attributed to the multi-dose vial of heparin.

Now 17 other deaths are being investigated because of a link to heparin, although the FDA reminds reporters that those patients were already very sick so a definitive cause-effect at this time has not been established.

State Law Defective Medical Device Claims Are Preempted

Posted on February 28, 2008 by James Sabatini - Hot Topics, Legal News

The United States Supreme Court held 8-1 that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pre-market approval of medical devices barred state court lawsuits by patients injured by such devices. The Medical Device Amendments of 1976 called for federal oversight of medical devices, and provided that states were not to establish or continue in effect any requirement “different from, or in addition to, any requirement” applicable to the device under federal law and which relates to, among other things, safety and effectiveness of the device. The Riegel court determined that common law negligence principles, as applied to medical device manufacture and design, constituted impermissible requirements under the statute.

Justice Ginsberg dissented, stating, “Congress, in my view, did not intend 360k(a) to effect a radical curtailment of state common-law suits seeking compensation for injuries caused by defectively designed or labeled medical devices.” However, the majority explicitly stated that this was precisely what the pre-emption, by its very terms, had done.

The Supreme Court’s decision has effectively terminated an injured person’s ability to recover compensation for injuries caused by unsafe and defective medical devices. It will take legislation from Congress to undo this damage to the rights of injured people.

Trees Along Merritt Parkway Pose A Danger

Posted on February 12, 2008 by James Sabatini - Car Accidents, Hot Topics

Trees lining the Merritt Parkway make for a scenic commute but those same trees can make a ride dangerous and even deadly if they fall in the road. State of Connecticut crews have been trimming trees after a tree limb fell on a motorist’s car Sunday night near exit 50. The motorist remains in critical condition. Last June, a New York family crashed into a downed tree in Westport. The accident killed two parents and injured their two children. Governor Jodi Rell has called for crews to take a closer look at condition of trees along the state roadway. Given the latest incident, it appears that more extensive tree inspections are required to ensure the safety of motorists driving on the Merritt Parkway.

FDA Announces Consumers Getting Sick From Fish Poisoning

Posted on February 6, 2008 by James Sabatini - Hot Topics, Uncategorized

The FDA has announced that there have been at least 28 reports of consumers getting sick from ciguatera fish poisoning. The fish that were eaten were harvested in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The first reproted case was in November and outbreaks of the illness were confirmed in Washington D.C. and St. Louis.

Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include nausea, vomiting, vertigo and joint pain. In the most serious cases, neurological problems can last for months or even years. Grouper, snapper, amberjack and barracuda are the biggest threat to consumers.

Ciguatera is common in fish living in tropical and subtropical regions, including the Caribbean Sea, the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. But the FDA has considered it rare for fish in the northern Gulf of Mexico to have the toxin.

The fish linked to the ciguatera poisoning were harvested near the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and the FDA is recommending that processors not buy the fish harvested near this sanctuary. The FDA is also warning processors to make sure their hazard control plans are up to date, because failure to take the proper precautions could cause their products to be considered adulterated. Consumers who think they may be ill due to ciguatera poisoning should consult a physician and report their illness to the local health department.

The Connecticut?personal injury law firm of Sabatini and Associates, LLC provides quality legal representation to clients in Hartford, Connecticut, and surrounding cities including: West Hartford, Newington, New Britain, Avon, Canton, Wethersfield, Glastonbury, East Hartford, Norwich, Granby, Rocky Hill, Bristol, Manchester, East Hartford, Plainville, Berlin, Farmington, Windsor, South Windsor, Bloomfield, Enfield and counties including New Haven County, Tolland County, Hartford County, New London County, Litchfield County and Fairfield County.

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