The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a recall of all Britax B-Nimble Strollers due to possible brake problems. About 20,000 of these strollers were sold in the United States and close to 800 in Canada. In its notice, the CPSC tells consumersto stop using these strollers immediately and reminds everyone that it’s against the law to try and sell recalled products.

Britax has received about seven complaints regarding the brakes on these strollers.  However, no injury reports have been received. When the stroller brakes aren’t properly set or fully engaged they can move, putting children at greater risk for injuries.

Specific Identity of Recalled Strollers

Britax Child Safety, Inc., of Charlotte, North Carolina, imported these strollers. The company says that these Britax B-Nimble umbrella strollers were manufactured in China and sold online and in mass merchandise and juvenile product stores between September 2010 and June 2011. The strollers were sold for approximately two-hundred dollars ($200).

To help consumers quickly identify the recalled strollers, Britax has said that their  manufacturing dates and model numbers are noted on the right (or left) sides of their lower frames/tubes. The specific model numbers being recalled are:  U311771, U311773, U311775 and U311780. The strollers were sold in the following colors: black and white, green, black and silver and red.

Recommended Protective Action for Consumers

All consumers are asked to stop using these B-Nimble strollers at once and to contact Britax directly to request an “improved replacement stroller.” Consumers can reach Britax       toll-free by calling 1-(888) 427-4829, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). Alternatively, Britax customers can contacta company agent at the firm’s Web site: www.britaxusa.com. (Canadians seeking more information about these same strollers sold in their country may want to read Health Canada’s press release available online at: http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1352).

Further Warnings for All Consumers

If you believe that you own other Britax children’s products, you may want to conduct additional research on the Health Canada and CPSC databases since the company has had other products recalled during the past two years.

One final warning for all consumers: Be extremely careful when buying any children’s products at professional resell stores since recalled items may not always be promptly removed from their sales floors.

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Demas Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group, 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 Law Group, 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group 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 Law Group attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

There will always be a group of people who love nearly every dog breed. Furthermore, when specially trained, some rather large dogs help America’s disabled handle critical daily living tasks. Yet some rather aggressive dogs still need to be watched closely. They should never be given as pets to small children and those who exhibit a poor sense of balance when walking.

To reduce everyone’s chances of being bitten by a dog, it can help to review the breeds most likely to attack a stranger when they feel provoked. Here are five dogs that frequently appear on lists of dangerous canines.

• (1) Pit Bulls. These dogs became more numerous in the United States back during the 19^th century. They tend to be about 18 to 22 inches tall and often weigh between about 30 to 50 pounds. Although many of their owners are their staunchest supporters, pit bulls can become unusually aggressive with strangers and other animals. They often act fearless and won’t stop fighting until they think they’ve killed their opponent.  If you live near this type of dog, be sure it’s kept in a properly fenced yard and never allowed out except on a leash. Since they were originally bred for fighting, you need to keep a watchful eye on them.
• (2) Rottweilers. These dogs were first bred in Germany during the early 19^th century. They can often reach about 25 inches in height and tend to weigh between 80 to 110 pounds. Although they can be excellent guard dogs, they truly need expert training so they won’t suddenly attack a non-threatening person or other animal. Keep in mind that some Rottweilers aren’t shy about using their powerful jaws to protect their owners.
• (3) Boxers. First bred in Germany back in about the mid-19^th century, these canines are related to the bulldogs raised in 16^th century Europe. Many Boxers grow to about 20 to 25 inches in height and weigh between about 50 to 60 pounds. You can easily recognize these dogs since they tend to be square in shape. Care should be taken to avoid playing too roughly with them as it can be very hard for them to calm back down. While they can interact well with most family members, they can still lapse into unexpected aggression.
• (4) Presa Canario Dogs. These canines can be very intimidating, particularly when guarding property. Early training is critical since these dogs can take on humans as prey and easily get the better of them. Presa Canarios were first raised in Africa’s Canary Islands. It’s believed that some of them were once bred with the dogs of visiting English merchants (such as the Mastiff and the bulldog). They can reach about 25 to 26 inches in height when fully grown and weigh between 100 and 125 pounds. Presa Canarios can interact well with most family members and be good guard dogs when properly trained.
• (5) The Doberman Pinscher. At full size, these dogs can stand about 25 to 28 inches tall and weigh between about 60 to 90 pounds. They first became prominent back in 19^th century Germany. They are highly intelligent dogs who were first used by their owners to guard property. Owners must avoid playing roughly with them since it’s easy for Doberman Pinschers to become a bit too aggressive. However, properly trained, they can still give devoted attention to their owners.

As indicated at the beginning of this article, no one is being asked to avoid adopting any of the five dogs named above. Instead, potential owners must simply act responsibly and obtain thorough training for these dogs so they won’t harm innocent people or other animals.

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Demas Law Group remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients since our firm first opened its doors back in 1993. Every Demas Law Group attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

A consumer advisory issued by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that nearly 800,000 Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) baby car seats are now under recall. According to the NTHSA Web site, all of these products were manufactured by the Dorel Consumer Group between May 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009. These car seat models include the infant, convertible and booster child restraint systems and were sold as “stand-alone” seats or with strollers.

Nature of the Risks to Children

Children are most at risk when these car seats’ harness lock-and-release buttons fail to return to their proper locked positions. Once those buttons malfunction, the harness adjustment straps can slide back through the adjusters, creating looser-fitting harnesses (if the children are constantly moving about.) When children’s car seat harnesses aren’t snugly fitted to them, they have much higher chances of suffering serious crash injuries.

Specific Model Seat Numbers and Repair Information

All of the recalled child car seats were sold under such brand names as

Maxi-Cosi, Cosco and Safety First. (The specific model numbers are listed on this page). The Dorel Juvenile Group has agreed to help consumers repair these faulty locking mechanisms by providing them with tubes of lubricant that can be applied to them. Labels will also be provided so that consumers can attach them to the car seats once they’ve been repaired.

Although many caregivers may want to first repair these car seats before using them any further, others can keep using them (prior to making the necessary repairs) as long as they make sure that the harness mechanisms remain in locked positions when necessary. Pulling on the shoulder harnesses can help determine how secure the locks are fastened. (Consumers can contact the Dorel Juvenile Group for more information by visiting the company’s Web site or by calling 1-866-623-3139).

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Demas Law Group 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 Law Group attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.