Hardesty, Tyde, Green & Ashton, P.A. blog

Friday, December 18, 2009

Simplicity Crib Deaths

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued multiple recall notices for various models of cribs manufactured by Simplicity Inc. and SFCA, Inc. of Reading, Pennsylvania. The warnings and recalls began in 2005 and have been linked so far to 11 deaths and 25 additional incidents involving injury or potential for serious injury. The problem relates to plastic hardware which the manufacturer used to secure the side of the crib. Over time, the hardware can break or deform allowing the side to push out, creating a space between the side and the mattress. A baby can roll into this space and suffocate or otherwise be severely injured.

The manufacturers appear to no longer be in business. Some of the cribs manufactured by Simplicity include the Graco logo and Winnie the Pooh motif. The affected cribs were sold between January 2005 and June 2009. Parents are warned to immediately stop using Simplicity cribs because of the serious hazard they pose to babies. More information from the CPSC on the crib recall can be found at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/simplicity.pdf.

If you have a family member who has suffered injuries from a Simplicity crib or any other defective crib, please call us for a free case evaluation.

posted by Attorney Frank Ashton at 5:53 AM

Monday, December 14, 2009

Paxil Settlements

According to recent court records, the manufacturer of Paxil, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, has paid nearly $1 billion to settle a variety of lawsuits for injuries allegedly caused by the drug. Paxil has been on the market in the United States since 1993. It is used primarily to treat depression, anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). During this period of time, thousands of patients have reported problems which they relate to use of the drug. These problems generally include: suicide, birth defects and addiction/withdrawal. In 2005, the FDA required the manufacturer to add a black-box warning to the package insert indicating that use of Paxil had been associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts by adolescents. A black box warning is the strongest label warning which can be placed on a prescription medication.

If you or a loved one has experienced significant problems after using Paxil, you may have a products liability claim against the manufacturer or a medical malpractice claim if the drug was improperly prescribed by a doctor. Call us for a free consultation.

posted by Attorney Frank Ashton at 6:06 AM