Memphis Personal Injury Law Blog

With the multitude of weight loss supplements available in Tennessee stores, it is often difficult to choose one that would not only be effective but also safe to use. It becomes even a bigger problem when manufacturers add undeclared controlled substances that can be life-threatening to some consumers of such unsafe products. The Food and Drug Administration recently released information about the recall of one such product. A voluntary recall was announced by Fit Firm and Fabulous of its Ultimate Herbal Slimcap capsules. This followed an analysis by the FDA that determined that the product contains Sibutramine. Although Sibutramine was…

Many vehicle owners in Tennessee may not be aware that there might be recalled tires on their vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board admits that it and the tire manufacturers may be to blame for the system of handling tire recalls that is far from perfect. Until an effective manner is found to manage and monitor recalled tires, product liability claims will continue to be filed in the civil courts. The NTSB launched an investigation last year following a horrific accident that claimed the lives of two and injured eight. The two individuals who died in this crash were reported…

Tennessee residents who have purchased touchless kitchen faucets from Home Depot stores may be interested in a recall announcement involving about 4,500 faucets of two different brands. It has been determined that a short circuit can occur in the battery box that powers the faucet’s sensor. The defective products have reportedly been linked to six incidents of malfunction that were reported to the importers, and in cases in which injuries occurred, product liability claims may follow. The affected brands are Schön and Glacier Bay, and both contain sensors that detect movement when a person’s hand is waved in front of…

People are injured just about every day by dangerously defective products. Some products have even killed users. Product liability law involves holding the manufacturer and others in the stream of commerce liable for the injuries and deaths of consumers that are caused by dangerously defective products. Who can be held liable? After a product is manufactured by a business, it’s usually bought by at least one other business, and then the product ultimately ends up in the hands of the consumer. That’s the chain of distribution. Liability for placing dangerously defective products into the hands of a consumer can be…

When it comes to the safety of their children, Tennessee parents cannot be too careful. Clearly, purchasing over-the-counter medication for children should not put their lives on the line. If unsafe products are not identified and recalled before distribution, the consequences can be severe. Perrigo Company announced a recent recall of over-the-counter medication that relieves mucus congestion in children. The medication is packaged with a dosing cup, and Perrigo says the cup manufacturers recently recalled some of the cups. This prompted Perrigo to issue a voluntary recall of 4 oz. bottles of Guaifenesin DM in both grape and cherry flavors….

Two fatal accidents in which auto defects are suspected occurred on New Year’s Eve. Five people lost their lives in the first accident that took place in another state, and three more died in an accident in Tennessee. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agreed to investigate the first crash and has now been asked also to look into the Tennessee accident to determine whether these deaths were caused by unsafe motor vehicles. At 11 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, 7-year-old twin boys and their parents were stopped in a minivan at a red traffic light at an intersection on…

Following the death of two women in a rental car and a decade-long battle by their parents, President Barack Obama signed a measure into law recently that prevents the majority of rental companies to rent vehicles that are the subject of recall actions. Before selling or renting recalled vehicles, the company must ensure that the vehicles are safe to drive. This law will ensure that drivers nationwide, including here in Tennessee, are not exposed to unsafe motor vehicles obtained from car rental companies. The legal battle ensued in Oct. 2004 when two sisters, ages 24 and 20, traveled in a…

It is almost impossible to imagine the holidays without decorations. However, every year thousands of people nationwide, including here in Tennessee, end up in emergency rooms due to injuries caused by holiday decorations. Although some injuries result from people not being mindful of the potential dangers, unsafe or defective products may be to blame for some injuries. Some of the dangers are hidden in products that are regularly used to spruce up homes at these jolly times. One of those is spray-on “snow” foam  that contains methylene chloride as is in most aerosol paints. Artificial trees, made with PVC, may…

In 2012, the Food and Drug Administration approved a Sanofi product called Auvi-Q, which is an epinephrine auto-injector used to treat allergic reactions. Sanofi recently revealed that it was determined that the injectors were defective, and 490,000 packs of these unsafe products that were distributed nationwide, including in Tennessee, were recalled. The company said there were two injectors in most of the recalled packs. The company estimates that approximately 200,000 U.S. consumers have these injectors in their possession. Auvi-Q is an item that people keep for emergencies or first-aid care, and it is often used to administer life-saving medication. Severe…

Automotive manufacturers must ensure that the vehicles they offer to consumers nationwide, including in Tennessee, are safe to operate. Their responsibility does not end with the engine, but encompasses the body and interior to prevent personal injury suffered in unsafe motor vehicles. A man in another state recently filed a lawsuit against an authorized dealer and manufacturer of automobiles following the 2001 death of his wife. The driver of another car that allegedly caused the accident in which his wife died is also named as a defendant. In the capacity of administrator of his wife’s estate, the man asserts that…

Manufacturers of consumer products are required to produce and market products that will not pose safety hazards to consumers. Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission monitors consumer products, recalls commonly only occur once consumers have suffered injuries caused by defective or unsafe products. Such injuries sometimes lead to product liability claims being filed by injured consumers. Tennessee consumers may want to take note of a recent recall. The manufacturer of Instant Pot pressure cookers recently recalled some of its products after receiving reports of three instances in which consumers were injured while using the pots. The manufacturer said that electricity…

Tennessee residents who use energy drinks for an extra boost may be interested to learn about the potential health risks some of these drinks present. The manufacturers of Rockstar energy drinks are being sued for product liability by a consumer from another state who claims to have suffered adverse medical consequences after consuming the company’s products. Rockstar markets its energy drinks as fit for people from all walks of life, and, to provide all the benefits it promises to consumers, the suit claims it contains unsafe levels of caffeine. The suit states that the defendants know of the fact that…