When surgical implants fail, countless patients may wind up suffering. That type of situation continues to unfold in regards to two of Johnson & Johnson’s products. In August of 2010, DePuy Orthopaedics issued a voluntary recall of its ASR™ XL Acetabular Hip System and its ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System.

Johnson & Johnson states on the DePuy Web site that these two product recalls are being carried out so that additional testing and monitoring can take place.  Of course, the most critical problem is that if a surgeon used one or both of these products while operating on you since July of 2003, you may have to undergo additional surgery to correct any harm caused by them.

Information Provided by Johnson & Johnson in its Patients Hip Recall Guide

Johnson & Johnson states that it decided to issue its August of 2010 recall after receiving data from Great Britain, indicating that “a higher number of ASR patients than previously reported to DePuy needed a second surgery, called a revision surgery, earlier than expected.” What’s not clearly referenced are the extremely serious risks posed by revisionary surgery, especially for the elderly and those who decided upon the first surgery due to unusually complicated bodily injuries.

If You’re A Patient Suffering from a Possibly Defective Depuy Hip Implant

All consumers currently worried about their surgeons’ use of Johnson & Johnson’s Depuy ASR™ XL Acetabular Hip System and (or) its DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System are advised by the company to seek thorough examinations by their physicians. The company further notes that while it believes that “most patients” will not require additional surgery, it’s already working with affected patients and their doctors, “to address medical costs directly associated with the recall.”

Our Firm’s Advice to You

If you are currently in pain or have other reasons to question the success of your surgeon’s use of these recalled products during your recent DePuy hip replacement surgery, our firm suggests you immediately do two things:  (1) Undergo thorough medical examinations by your surgeon and regular treating physician and (2) Give serious thought to having your case professionally reviewed by a lawyer. You need to make sure that all of your rights are being fully protected. It may be wise to take legal action so that all of your future medical expenses tied to these recalled products won’t become your sole responsibility. After all, these defective implants can lead to many serious conditions, including metalosis. It can complicate or even threaten your life for many years to come.

Demas & Rosenthal offers a free initial consultation to individuals trying to determine if they should take legal action to fully protect their rights.

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years.  Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

Now that Americans are making close to 300 million visits to amusement parks each year, every effort must be made to keep our youngest visitors as safe as possible. Although the current injury and fatality statistics for these parks are fairly low, we need to keep trying to reduce them even further.

Every time another child is seriously injured or dies on a theme park ride, we’re reminded that added safety measures might have saved that child’s life. Recently, another young girl died after she fell to her death from a New Jersey Ferris wheel. She had won the right to visit the park with classmates after earning top grades. Questions are now being raised as to whether or not safety belts or other devices might have prevented her tragic death.

Explain Your Group’s Safety Rules Before Leaving for Any Park Grounds

It’s important for all adults to sit down and have thorough safety talks with teens and young children before taking them to any amusement parks or allowing them to go with supervised groups. After children and teens are informed about the various hidden dangers present at amusement parks, they should be told that they must behave properly or they’ll not be allowed to board any further rides that day.

Important Amusement Park Safety Tips

Here are some basic tips that should help you keep your kids safe when you take them to a theme park or allow them to visit with other adults:

• Make sure there will be adequate adult supervision. Never allow your child to visit any amusement park unless you’ve personally checked to be sure that there will be an adequate number of adult chaperones accompanying the group;
• Abide by all park rules. All young children and teens must abide by the park’s rules concerning minimum height and age requirements for boarding various rides. If you’re concerned about your children obeying the rules, either don’t allow them to go or personally sign up as one of the chaperones;
• Find Out When the Major Rides Were Last Inspected. Feel free to phone ahead and ask when the most dangerous rides were most recently inspected. Most of them are usually checked on a daily, weekly, monthly or annual basis.
• Ask about the experience level of those who operate and monitor the rides. Just because a young high school or college student can run the controls, it doesn’t mean he or she has enough training and experience to properly protect you and your kids once you’ve taken off on a ride;
• Use common sense and avoid the most dangerous-looking rides. Although many children are tempted to try and prove their bravery by riding on massive rollercoasters and other scary rides, make sure the supervising adults know which types of rides your children can and cannot ride. Having children wear specific colors to make it easier for the chaperones to keep up with this type of information may prove helpful;
• Keep kids together and don’t let them venture into forbidden areas. An adult should always accompany every child or group of children leaving the main group to get refreshments or use the restrooms. Always count the number of kids with you after getting off rides or leaving restaurants or food stands;
• Make sure the supervising adults are able to provide adequate water and sunscreen. It’s too easy for children and adults to become dangerously dehydrated or overexposed to the sun in most amusement parks. Schedule regular breaks so that everyone can rest in the shade (or indoors where there’s air conditioning) while eating meals or enjoying occasional cold drinks or special treats;
• On larger rides, try to have at least one adult accompany each group of kids to prevent unnecessary horseplay. Since even a gentle or playful push can cause a child to lose their footing and suffer a serious injury, be sure to tell children and teens that there will be “zero tolerance” regarding horseplay. Offenders will be “grounded” for the remainder of the day if they fail to act safely;
• Tell children to always remain seated on rides until they’re told they may disembark. Always keep at least one chaperone with each group of children boarding the rides so they can check and be sure all safety bars have been locked before the kids have taken off on any ride;
• Keep sick children at home. Since health problems can quickly worsen, never let sick children or teens visit amusement parks. Make sure that at least one chaperone has been designated to carry all medications for the children who suffer from chronic conditions;
• Immediately report dangerous staff (or visitor) behavior to park officials. If workers aren’t properly handling their safety tasks, report them at once. Likewise, it’s wise to privately report any suspicious behavior (including illegal drug use) by other park visitors to the park officials so that no one’s safety will be compromised.

If every child is carefully supervised at amusement parks, injuries can be minimized. All kids deserve the chance to one day recall how much fun they had eating cotton candy, ice cream and other treats while visiting with friends and waiting for more rides on rollercoasters, Ferris wheels and other special attractions.

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years.  Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

Elizabeth Smith, J.D., M.A., is a freelance writer who has successfully written about general health, safety, legal, medical and business topics for over twenty years. She has also served as the author and co-author of two professional legal texts.

by Elizabeth Smith

For many years, most of us thought that drunk drivers presented the greatest threat to our safety on America’s roads and freeways. Then texting drivers grabbed our attention as they kept sending out written messages to others, refusing to admit the dangerous nature of their behavior.

Now, we’ve got a rapidly growing, new crop of problem drivers out navigating the nation’s roads. Many of these people view their medical marijuana as a healing agent and not as a drug frequently used by others to simply get “high” or comfortably disoriented.

Hopefully, some of the following information will help convince many marijuana users to start handling their drugs in a safer manner. No one should have to suffer a serious traffic injury or die just because others were too lazy to wait for an extended period of time after using marijuana to drive their cars.

2004 NHTSA Study Addressed How Marijuana Use Can Affect Driving Skills

In an April 2004 report (DOT HS 809 725) entitled, “Drugs and Human Performance Fact Sheets,” the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) commented on how marijuana (and drugs made using its active agents) can affect a driver’s skills and abilities. (The following statements are set forth on page twelve of that publication.)

• Marijuana is the second most frequently detected psychoactive substance among driving populations;
• Cannabis or marijuana has been shown to impair performance on driver simulator tasks and on open and closed driving courses for up to approximately three hours after it’s been used.” [Emphasis added];
• The driving performances of those who have used marijuana reveal “increased reaction times, impaired time and distance estimation, inability to maintain headway . . . subjective sleepiness [and] motor incoordination,” among other problems [Emphasis added];
• Marijuana may particularly impair monotonous and prolonged driving; and
• People who have recently smoked marijuana may require an increased amount of time to evaluate situations and determine appropriate responses.

Current Statistics Regarding Marijuana Use and Driving Accidents

In a recent article published by The Los Angeles Times, writer Ralph Vartabedian looked at how marijuana smokers are impacting road safety. He says that California currently blames about 1,000 annual deaths and injuries “directly on drugged drivers.” (See: “Stoned Driving is Uncharted Territory.”)

Vartabedian also states, “Fatalities in crashes where drugs were the primary cause and alcohol was not involved jumped 55 percent over the 10 years ending in 2009.” California’s law enforcement officials attribute much of the state’s current drug usage to the medical marijuana laws passed during the last decade.

Those officials may be right. Since early 2004, California has issued more than 55,000 medical marijuana identification cards. (See: The California Department of Public Health’s Web site page entitled, “Medical Marijuana Program.”)

Future Efforts to Protect American Drivers

Unfortunately, there isn’t a current national standard for determining how much marijuana a driver can safely smoke before becoming a hazard to others. Although various states are trying to protect their citizens under different safety standards, none of them have found one single, reliable method for evaluating safe marijuana usage for their drivers.

Until much more scientific research and testing can be completed, medical marijuana users must carefully monitor their own driving habits. Everyone else must keep relying on all of our law enforcement officials to crack down a bit harder on those drivers they stop and find are clearly impaired due to their recreational use of marijuana and other drugs.

Elizabeth Smith, J.D., M.A., is a freelance writer who has successfully written about general health, safety, legal, medical and business topics for over twenty years. She has also served as the author and co-author of two professional legal texts.

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years. Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

All of us need to put safety first when deciding whether to use treadmills, recumbent bikes, hand weights or other exercise equipment. For that reason, our firm recently reviewed the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC’s) list of recalled exercise products in an effort to help our readers avoid purchasing or using any potentially dangerous equipment. In addition to familiarizing readers with a number of questionable exercise products, this article concludes with helpful tips on purchasing repair contracts and refurbished equipment.

We suggest that you print out the following list of exercise equipment and then compare it to all of the products you’re currently using either at home or at your favorite gym. The products have been grouped according to the types of injuries they may cause.

Recalled Exercise Equipment That Can Cause Falls or Other General Injuries

• Coulter Ventures recalled Rogue Fitness Barbell Brackets due to general injury risks; 2011;
• Perfect Fitness recalled Perfect Pullups due to fall injury risks; 2011;
• EB Brands recalled Resistance Stretch Tubing due to general injury hazards; 2011;
• Powertec recalled Leverage Gyms for repairs due to injury hazards; 2010;
• Inversion Benches were recalled by ICON Health & Fitness due to fall risks; 2010;
• Thane recalled Elliptical Exercise Gliders due to fall hazards; 2009;
• Horizon Fitness and LIVESTRONG™ Fitness Elliptical Trainers were recalled by Johnson Health Tech North Americadue to fall risks; 2010;
• Nautilus recalled Bowflex Home Gyms due to general injury risks; 2009;

Nautilus also recalled Exercise Units due to fall hazards; 2009;

• Cybex International recalled some of its Treadmills due to fall risks; 2008; and
• Stamina Products recalled Inversion Therapy Tables due to fall risks in 2008.

Recalled Exercise Equipment Posing Contusion, Laceration or Crushing Risks

• Dick’s Sporting Goods recalled Fitness Resistance Tubes due to risks of

  contusions and lacerations; 2011;

• Paramount Fitness recalled Leg Curl Fitness Machines due to risk of

crushing hazards; 2009; and

• Reebok International Ltd. recalled some of its Exercise Cycles due to risks of

laceration injuries in 2008.

General Reminder: Purchasing Repair Contracts for Home Exercise Equipment

In general, it’s often wise to go ahead and purchase in-home repair contracts for all major exercise equipment purchases. It’s far too easy to injure this type of equipment when trying to box it up and mail it back to a manufacturer. Also, always ask sellers what types of repair contracts they offer and how they handle repairs during early warranty periods versus those that may become necessary once your extended service repair contract becomes effective.

Give serious thought to purchasing name brand exercise equipment from a local retail or department store that offers their own in-home repair service plans. If the seller doesn’t offer a reasonable fee for setting up your equipment, along with a warranty for that service, consider hiring a reputable local company to do that for you.

Warning: Purchasing and Using Refurbished/Used Exercise Equipment

Although major manufacturers frequently sell some of their own refurbished exercise machines and equipment to the public, we think it may be best to just go ahead and invest in buying brand new pieces of equipment since they usually come with the longest warranty coverage. Be very hesitant about buying used exercise equipment from anyone trying to sell theirs online or in your local newspaper. The sad fact is that private individuals often won’t tell you about their product’s flaws, leaving you with little recourse once you’ve paid for your purchase. Stated differently, saving a few dollars by buying used equipment from a stranger can easily lead to later injuries and major medical fees due to undisclosed flaws.

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years. Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

Since many of us need to remain very active on our computers, it’s important to avoid using potentially harmful equipment. Far too many computer products pose fire, burn and shock hazards to consumers. You simply cannot fully protect yourself by just turning off a machine that’s been running for a long period of time. In order to help consumers avoid using harmful computer equipment, our firm recently reviewed the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC’s) list of computer-related equipment recalled during the past five years. We then created the following list of computers and related goods that should help our readers avoid using any potentially dangerous equipment. We hope you’ll share this list with others in your home or office.

Recalled Computers and Related Parts Posing Fire, Burn or Shock Risks

• Acer recalled Notebook Computers in January of 2010;
• Laptop Power Adaptor were recalled by Comarco in April of 2010;
• HP expanded its recall of specific Notebook Computer Batteries in May of 2010;
• Sony recalled its VAIO Laptop Computers in June of 2010;
• Toshiba recalled its T Series Notebook Computers in September of 2010;
• Acer America Corp. recalled Desktop Computers in March of 2009;
• HP recalled notebook computer batteries in May of 2009;
• Sony recalled Computer AC Adapters in October of 2009;
• Lenovo recalled ThinkPad Notebook PC Extended-Life batteries in March of 2007;
• In April of 2007, Acer America Corporation recalled Notebook Computer batteries;

This recall was updated and revised in July of 2008—Actual fires led to this recall;

• Oki Data Americas recalled Digital Color Printers in October of 2007;
• Toshiba recalled Notebook Computer batteries in August of 2007;
• Sony recalled Notebook Computer batteries in October of 2006 due to actual fires;
• Lenovo and IBM recalled ThinkPad Notebook Computer batteries in September of 2006;
• Apple recalled batteries sold in earlier iBook and PowerBook Computers in August of 2006;
• Dell recalled Notebook Computer batteries in August of 2006;
• Specifically identified Lexar JumpDrive Computer Storage Devices were recalled in July of 2006; and
• HP recalled Notebook Computer batteries in April of 2006.

Once you’ve made sure that you aren’t using any of the recalled products named above, we suggest that you start reviewing the CPSC’s list of recalled computers and related equipment about every six months. That way, you can minimize the chances that you’ll ever be harmed by any hazardous equipment.

Should you ever discover that you are using a recalled computer product, be sure to contact the manufacturer immediately to see what type of remedy may be available. (Readers interested in reviewing all of the specific CPSC recalls issued for the items listed above can visit the following link to the CPSC Web site: http://www.cpsc.gov/cgi-bin/prod.aspx Be sure to search under“computer equipment.”)

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years. Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

There’s been a marked increase in the number of recalled shades and blinds during the past few years. Far too many children keep getting their necks and heads caught in the cords and drawstrings of these products while playing. Serious strangulation risks can develop in just a matter of seconds.

Roman shades are frequently involved in many of the recalls. However, roll-up blinds pose their own share of risks. To help consumers make sure they’re not still using any of these products, we’ve surveyed all of the recalls from the past few years and compiled a representative list of many of the recalled brands.

We suggest you print out this article and walk through every room in your home, making sure you can’t find any of the listed shades or blinds. Our children and seriously disabled family members are counting on us to remove all dangerous products from our homes.

The first list set forth below names the recalled shades and blinds in alphabetical order, according to the store names whether they’ve been sold exclusively. The second list names the manufacturers, in alphabetical order, of the various blinds and shades. Should you find any of these recalled products hanging in your home, we suggest you take them down immediately. (Note: We’ve posted a link to the comprehensive list of all of the CPSC recalled shades and blinds we reviewed from recent years at the end of this article.)

Exclusive Sellers of Recalled Shades and Blinds During Recent Years

• Ace Hardware/Big Lots: 2009 Recall of Roll-up Blinds manufactured by Lotus & Windoware;
• Big Lots: 2009 Recall of Matchstick Roll-up Shades by International Merchandise;
• Blair: 2010 Recall of Roman Shades;
• IKEA: (1) 2008 Recall of all Roman Blinds – A child’s death prompted this recall; (2) 2009 Recall of Roman Blinds prompted by a near strangulation; (3) 2010 Recall of all Roman Blinds and all Roll-up Blinds;
• Jo Ann Fabric and Craft Stores: 2010 Recall of all Roll-up Blinds;
• JC Penney: 2009 Recall for repair of Roman Shades and Roll-up Blinds; Recall prompted by near strangulation of child;
• Land of Nod: 2009 Recall to Repair Roman Shades made by Airtex Designs Group;
• Lowe’s Stores: 2010 Recall to repair Roman Shades and Roll-up Blinds; Recall prompted by two near child strangulations;
• Target:2009 Recall to repair Victoria Classics Roman Shades;
• Walmart:2009 Recall to repair Roll-up Blinds and Roman Shades;

Alphabetical List of Recalled Shades/Blinds by Names of Manufacturers

• American Vintage Group: 2009 Recall to repair Faux Wood Blinds;
• Draper Inc: 2009 Recall of Roman Shades;
• Ethan Allen: 2010 Recall to repair Roman Shades;
• Hanover Direct/Domestications: 2010 Recall of Roman Shades, Roll-up Blinds and Roller Blinds; Recall prompted by the strangulation death of a child;
• Lutron Electronics: 2010 Recall to repair Roman Shades;
• Oriental Furniture: 2010 Recall to repair Roman Shades and Roll-up Blinds;
• Smith & Noble: 2010 Recall of Roman and Roller Shades; Recall prompted by a near strangulation; and
• Vertical Land: 2009 Recall to repair Window Blinds; Recall prompted by the strangulation death of a child

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years. Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mercedes-Benz has recalled over 136,000 of its popular M-Class SUV’s due to complaints that the cruise control was not disengaging when average pressure was applied to the brake pedal.  According to the agency, an “unusually high” amount of force is required to disengage the throttle control that keeps the vehicle accelerated at a designated speed.  The recall affects M-Class vehicles from model years 2000 to 2002.  Owners of these vehicles should contact Mercedes to have the issue corrected.

Obviously, this type of manufacturing defect represents a serious safety concern.  Even a momentary inability of a driver to slow a vehicle at high speeds can result in a major crash resulting in death or serious personal injuries.  Toyota drew national attention recently when a sticking accelerator was blamed for a runaway vehicle and crash that killed a CHP officer and his family.

Consumer products must be designed and manufactured in a way that ensures they are reasonably safe when used in the manner intended.  Manufacturers and sellers of products must also provide warnings to consumers of the dangers associated with use of their product.  If a manufacturer or distributor sells an unreasonably dangerous product, or fails to provide a reasonable warning of a danger associated with a product, and that product kills or injures someone, it has a legal obligation to pay the victims for the associated losses.

Demas & Rosenthal, LLP, has successfully investigated and pursued hundreds of claims of victims injured or killed because of defective products.  If you believe you or a loved one has been the victim of a defective product, the product itself is key evidence and it is critical that you preserve the product in the condition that it was in at the time of the injury.  If you have possession of the product, do not let anyone touch it until you have spoken to a California product liability attorney.  If another party has possession of the product, immediately send them a letter stating you believe the product is evidence and not to dismantle, alter or destroy the product.  In all product liability cases, it is critical to speak to a qualified California personal injury attorney immediately.

California product liability attorneys can successfully obtain compensation for injured individuals. Demas and Rosenthal, LLP successfully represents victims who have been seriously injured or killed as the result of defective products. If you sustained injuries due to a defective product, contact the California product liability attorneys at Demas & Rosenthal to discuss your rights.

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, during one recent year, more than 120,000 children under the age of five were harmed by household cleaners. This frightening statistic should remind all of us that while it’s important to keep our homes clean, we’ve got to avoid using any products that can easily harm our children and pets.  After reading this article, we hope you’ll conduct a safety check on all of the household products you’re currently storing on shelves and under sinks. You may also want to check on everything you’re storing in your garage.

The following list names specific types of household products that should never be kept on hand, even though they may help keep things sanitized or kill unwanted bugs.

Avoid These Household Cleaning and Related Products

• Big name brand, conventional cleaners. These are the ones that can quickly cause a cloud of dust to rise up and almost choke the person who’s trying to clean a sink area or bathtub. Other cleaners contain ammonia, which can cause liver and kidney damage. As an alternative, consider buying popular, non-toxic cleaners made by such companies as Method and Seventh Generation. A number of regular grocery stores now stock those alternative brands;
• Regular oven cleaning products. Far too often, these products create toxic fumes that can harm people’s respiratory systems. Oven cleaners can also cause users to suffer chemical burns;
• Air fresheners. Try to avoid using these, even if they claim to only contain “natural” substances. Unfortunately, the majority of air fresheners still contain “phthalates.” These chemicals can cause birth defects in children, as well as reproductive and hormonal problems in adults. People do not need artificial air “fresheners” that can actually irritate their lungs and worsen their asthma;
• Antibacterial soaps. Since many of these contain the common antibacterial additive triclosan, it’s probably best to just use basic soap and water when washing your children’s hands or your own. Research has shown that triclosan gets stored in the human body and can negatively impact the development of a child’s immune system. Furthermore, if too many of us keep using antibacterial products, our society will continue creating new “super-bugs” that are highly resistant to antibiotics;
• Chemical herbicides and insecticides. Considering how many toxins are needed to kill a variety of unwanted bugs and other pests, you definitely want to avoid storing these substances in your home or garage. Many of the best known products for killing ants, roaches and weeds are known to be very harmful to our human respiratory functions and our central nervous systems. Ask a manager at your local plant or landscaping store to suggest a few healthy alternatives. You may also want to consider purchasing these products from Washington state’s Buhach Company, known for its natural, quality pest control products;
• Toxic paints. Although you may be eager to give your house a color facelift after fully cleaning it, avoid purchasing any house paint with questionable additives. Instead, check with your local home repair store for healthy alternatives, keeping in mind that many companies like Eartheasy sell non-toxic paint strippers and other paint products;
• Toxic gardening products. Many local gardening stores and online companies now offer plenty of alternatives to toxic gardening products. It’s no longer necessary to spray home garden vegetables or flowers with toxic substances to keep them growing and looking healthier every day.

Readers needing to locate safe, organic cleaning (and other) products for their homes may want to visit the Organic Consumers Association Web site.

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years. Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

March 2011: CPSC Product Recalls and Related News

Part One of Two

The March 2011 Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC’s) recall list includes a number of products posing fire, burn and shock hazards to the public. Other items can create choking, strangulation, laceration, entrapment and fall risks to consumers.

Our firm regularly reviews these lists to help our readers avoid purchasing or using any dangerous products. Everyone should avoid making major new purchases or accepting goods from others before checking out each item’s safety record.

Part One of our March 2011 review focuses primarily on products posing fire, burn and shock risks to consumers. Part Two looks at items that can create choking, strangulation, fall, crash, entrapment and laceration risks. It concludes with several CPSC news updates.

Products Posing Fire, Burn and Shock Hazards

• Milestone AV Technologies LLC, of Savage, Minnesota, has agreed to recall close to 2,500 Sanus Elements Surge Protectors due to faulty grounding of the case and insufficient circuit breaker insulation that can create electrical shock risks for consumers.
• Maruyama U.S. Inc., of Denton, Texas, is cooperating with both Health Canada and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission by voluntarily recalling about 18,000 U.S. gasoline-powered Backpack Blowers and Mister Dusters since their gasoline tanks can start leaking fuel and pose fire risks to those using them or located nearby. (About 750 of these same two devices are being recalled in Canada).
• Sunjoy Industries Group Limited, of Steubenville, Ohio, has agreed to recall about 20,000 Outdoor Wood Burning Fireplaces sold only by Lowe’s Stores in the United States. (About 400 of these same products are being recalled in Canada.) A bronze powder finish on these chimneys can catch fire while they’re in use, creating a fire hazard for everyone in the vicinity.
• Global Equipment Company, of Port Washington, New York, dba Global Industrial, is voluntarily recalling close to 5,000 Global Workbench Power Risers, Power Aprons and Power Shelves. Due to improper wiring, there’s a danger that “reverse polarity” in some of these products’ power cords might create electric shock risks for consumers.
• IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, is working with both Health Canada and the U. S. CPSC in recalling about 94,000 FÖRSTÅ Coffee/Tea Makers in the U. S. (Thirty-four Thousand of these coffee/tea makers are being recalled in Canada). A glass portion of these products can break, creating laceration and burn risks for consumers.
• The Land of Nod, of Northbrook, Illinois, has agreed to recall close to 9,700 “Camp Nod” Lantern Nightlights due to an electrical short in the nightlights’ wiring. This short can create fire and shock hazards for those using the nightlights.
• Burlington Coat Factory, of Burlington, New Jersey, has agreed to recall approximately 7,460 Slow Cookers. Parts in the control panels of these slow cookers can overheat and even melt, creating fire risks for those using them.

Part Two of this March 2011 CPSC recall review looks at items posing choking, strangulation, fall, crash and laceration risks to consumers. Readers interested in reviewing the entire March 2011 CPSC product recall list can visit the following link: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerelmar11.html?tab=recalls

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years. Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

Given how fast baseballs fly during most games, it’s a wonder that pitchers didn’t begin routinely wearing protective helmets long ago. Fortunately, at least one sporting goods equipment company has created a prototype that should work for the smallest little league players all the way up through their adult counterparts in the major leagues.

Need for This Type of Gear

All too often, head injuries cause players of various sports to sustain serious, if not fatal, conditions. Brain swelling, concussions, comas and other less predictable conditions can develop. One such case involved Gunnar Sandberg, a teenage pitcher for Marin Catholic High. After he was struck by a line drive, Sandberg suffered major brain swelling. His doctors had to place him in a medically induced coma to try and diminish the swelling. Sandberg’s injury reminded many sports officials, as well as the general public, that football players aren’t the only ones in danger of suffering traumatic brain injuries. Fortunately, Sandberg’s treatment proved successful. He’ll be returning to the pitcher’s mound this spring, gladly wearing a new pitcher’s helmet.

According to the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), other young people have suffered even more serious baseball injuries. In fact, the CPSC quoted statistics for one year during which 21 children died due to their baseball head injuries. (Another 38 young people died that same year after baseballs hit them in the chest.)

Description of New Pitcher’s Helmet (and Other Possible Future Headgear)

Sandberg and others will be pleased that the new pitcher’s helmet designed by Easton-Bell shouldn’t interfere with their pitching duties. It’s made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) that’s very lightweight and capable of absorbing energy. Easton-Bell scientists designed the helmet after viewing the footage of 5,000 pitchers playing baseball.

Sandberg’s own father seems pleased with the results. After first seeing the new helmet, Bjorn Sandberg said, “A product like this will give us much more confidence when he’s out there.” The helmet looks a bit like a baseball cap enhanced with quality padding in many of a pitcher’s most vulnerable areas.

Other baseball players will get their first chance to purchase one of these helmets by the fall of 2011. Easton-Bell CEO Paul Harrington says that if the baseball pitcher’s helmet quickly catches on with players, the company will begin looking at other sports in need of additional protective head gear.

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years. Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.