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Tag Archives: health hazard

August 29, 2018 News
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Food poisoning involving salmonella-contaminated chicken

New York – At least one victim has died and nearly twenty more food poisoning victims fell ill according to reports from health department officials. Hospitals have reported that at least 8 people have been admitted to a hospital due to the severity of their illness. Chicken products produced by one company have been noted to be contaminated with salmonella and are being blamed as a likely source of this outbreak. The majority of the victims of this salmonella outbreak are from New York but other states have also been affected. This has led federal health and food safety inspectors to issue an urgent warning about the dangerous situation. The Empire chicken company has not issued a product recall at this time, leaving consumers fearing for their health and safety. Some feel that it would be negligent not to properly warn consumers of the health risk. In the meantime, safety advocates say that all food suppliers must make significant steps in ensuring the safety of the food supply, especially for fresh foods such as poultry, meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables. Food poisoning victims are encouraged to seek urgent medical attention when necessary. In addition, someone who becomes sick due to someone else’s possible negligence can speak to a personal injury lawyer to discuss their rights. Family members of someone who suffered a wrongful death should also consult an attorney who specializes in malpractice and personal injury lawsuits. Read more about this health hazard here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Michael Eccles [License]

March 13, 2015 News
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Breaking: McNeil Consumer Healthcare pleads guilty in contaminated medicine case

McNeil, a subsidiary of the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, is the medication company that makes several popular over-the-counter medications, including Tylenol, Motrin and Benadryl. The company has pled guilty in a federal court to charges or improper disclosure in a case where they were accused of manufacturing and selling dangerous medication that was tainted with metal particles. As part of the settlement, the medication manufacturer will pay $25 Million in fines. The lawsuit details show that the company was apparently aware of improper quality control that led to production and sale of dangerous product. Plaintiffs explain that the company refused to investigate and correct the problems, despite having been warned by consumers who had found obvious contaminants in bottles of their liquid medicines. Court records show that the contamination was later identified as metal and toxic chemicals that were not supposed to be there. It is believed that these dangerous chemicals made their way into the medications during the manufacturing process, possibly due to negligent maintenance. Consumer advocates say that the metals may be a toxic health hazard, especially for babies and young children, the population that these polluted medications were intended for. Some say that the ingestion of these dangerous chemicals can lead to developmental injuries, such as brain damage and learning disabilities.

The same pharmaceutical company has gone through a series of product recalls for other tainted medications over the past several years. A New York City law firm points out that this case appears to be another in a series of production and medication errors made by the company. It raises the questions of product liability and endangering the public health. Consumers who believe that their health may have been adversely affected by these dangerous medicines should see their doctor for evaluation. In addition, an ill or injured consumer has the right to speak to a top injury lawyer for assistance. You can see further details about the federal court case and guilty plea here.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Mike Mozart [License]

November 02, 2014 News
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Dangerous chemicals and additives in Halloween supplies

Public safety activists are outraged at the latest findings of hazardous chemicals found in children’s holiday costumes and other Halloween products. Scientists were given over 100 holiday costumes, decorations and party favors to determine if they had been tainted by known toxic chemicals or additives. In fact, they even found products that come in contact with food, such as trick-or-treat bags, to be laced with bromine, a chemical with dangerous health consequences. Reports describe the various unhealthy chemicals that were tested for, including bromine, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, phthalates, lead and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Experts explain that the health hazards from these chemicals can range from brain damage, endocrine or hormone problems, cancer, asthma, learning disabilities and birth defects. The testing was performed on holiday items that were sold in major retail stores such as Target, Walgreens and Walmart. Even a major pharmacy chain, CVS, was found to be selling these dangerous products. Activists warn that stores, manufacturers and importers of these products maintain responsibility for their actions and face negligence lawsuits, personal injury claims and even wrongful death charges if they are found guilty of knowingly putting consumer health at risk. The public is advised to seek immediate medical attention if illness or injury is suspected from a hazardous product. They also have the right to consult with an injury lawyer to determine if they are entitled to compensation for their injury, disorder or a death. See this article for further information on the recent hazardous product investigation.

Illustrative photo by Lotues Wosheang (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

December 31, 2013 News
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Dietary supplement linked to liver damage

The dietary supplement called Mass Destruction has been flagged by the Food and Drug Administration as potentially causing liver damage. The agency has received reports of illness and health damage possibly caused by the body building dietary supplement. According to experts, this is not an isolated incident though. They say that products marketed as “natural” or “herbal” or as “dietary supplements” have often been linked to health problems and illness. The liver and kidneys can easily be injured by these substances, causing liver failure or renal failure. Other dangerous side effects can also occur due to some of the ingredients placed into these dangerous dietary supplements. There is little oversight or control over these products by the federal or state governments. Health professionals note that proper medical safety testing has usually not been performed on these types of products, yet they are still marketed as safe or even as healthy. In addition, there is a lot of money to be made in selling these products, even if they are potentially unsafe. Experts say that the business of manufacturing and selling supplements has become a booming multi-billion dollar industry.

Many of the dangerous products are sold on the internet but even when they are sold in stores, they are still difficult to monitor. Consumer health consultants say that manufacturers and promoters of the products claim all kinds of health or wellness benefits with little-to-no evidence. To attempt to legally cover themselves, the companies will usually include a disclaimer on their labels that says something like, “this statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.” Other attempts by companies to skirt their legal responsibilities to consumers include posting statements like, “this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” However, an injury lawyer in Manhattan, New York explains that this doesn’t absolve these manufacturers and the stores that sell the dangerous items from responsibility. Potentially misleading advertising is something that must be looked at closely in order to fully evaluate a given situation. Personal injury lawsuits may be filed against a company or individual that knowingly puts the public in danger by selling dangerous products that can cause illness or a health hazard. Professional investigation is usually needed to determine if negligence or deceit was involved with the production, advertising and sale of such hazardous products. Find out more about this recent warning and health scare in this article.

Photo by Ragesoss (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons