Pharmaceutical Litigation And Personal Injury Law Blog

A new app aims to better inform medical device owners of recalls

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Defective Medical Devices on Friday, August 16, 2019.

When a recall gets issued for food, toys, consumer electronics or other consumer items, you'll often hear it announced on the nightly news. Sadly, there isn't the same degree of proactiveness among media outlets in getting the word out about medical device recalls. A smartphone app that has recently been released on the market may make it easier for consumers to become aware of device recalls though.

At least 30 Class I recalls of medical devices have been issued so far this year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These devices are classified as such because they could seriously hurt patients or cause their deaths.

How often do dangerous drugs make it on store shelves?

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in pharmaceutical injury on Friday, August 2, 2019.

One of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) responsibilities is to inspect domestic or foreign facilities that manufacture drugs distributed to pharmacies and stores here in this country. This is supposed to keep defective or contaminated drugs from ending up in consumers' hands. The significant amount of warnings, recalls and pharmaceutical injury lawsuits that have been filed in recent years shows that this must not be an effective approach though.

According to Kaiser Health News, there have been more than 8,000 medicines recalled here in the U.S. since 2013.

What's an underride crash and why do they occur?

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Truck Accidents on Friday, July 19, 2019.

If you've ever happened to see underride collision involving a passenger car and a semi-truck, then it's unlikely that you'd forget it. They're one of the scariest types of crashes that you can see out on the road. According to Crash Forensics, at least 25% of fatal truck-involved collisions result from under riding types of incidents. Crashes of this sort can be avoided.

There are two primary types of truck underride crashes. There are rear and side ones. They can occur at any rate of speed. These types of collisions often occur because a trailer or truck isn't very visible as they move from a shoulder into an active traffic lane. They also occur when truckers slow for railroad crossings or when they attempt to get off on an exit on the highway.

ADA Violations in College

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in General Legal on Tuesday, July 9, 2019.

The Americans with Disabilities Act has dramatically improved millions of lives since its inception in 1990. One of the most important aspects of this legislation has been protecting young adults' access to college education without being discriminated against based on their disability. In recent years, this fundamental right has fallen by the wayside as universities across the country engage in a recurring pattern of discrimination. Prospective students who face this threat are rightfully fearful as they watch the American dream slip through their fingers.

Medtronic insulin pumps recalled for cybersecurity flaws

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Defective Medical Devices on Thursday, July 4, 2019.

On June 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the recall of various Medtronic MiniMed insulin pumps. It was discovered that they have the potential to be hacked. The recall includes the Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm and Medtronic MiniMed 508 insulin pumps.

In their press release, the FDA noted that they'd discovered that another MiniMed insulin pump could connect to one of these devices wirelessly. The FDA warned that if this were to happen, someone else besides the health care provider, caregiver or patient could gain access to and change a pump's settings.

Prescription Opioids: Over-Abused and Over-Prescribed

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Pharmaceutical Liability on Wednesday, July 3, 2019.

Prescription opioids have become a menace to the American public. Highly addicting drugs like Vicodin, Oxycontin, codeine, and morphine have swept the country in recent years. While some youth take these drugs recreationally for the high they give, many others have become addicted after being overprescribed these medications for a sports or other bodily injury. Countless individuals across the country have fallen prey to the addicting nature of these drugs. The problem has become so widespread that in October of 2017, President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency.

3M Dual-Sided Combat Earplugs Lawsuit: "A Resounding Victory Against Manufacturer's Earplugs Causing Hearing Loss."

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Defective Medical Devices on Wednesday, July 3, 2019.

Loud noises and the military go hand in hand. Whether coming from zooming airplanes, the constant crackling of firing weapons, or the persistent humming of large engines powering battleships, the men and women in the armed forces are under siege by the constant bombardment of noise. To protect service members from irreparable hearing loss, military officials require hearing protection around environments that produce deafening noises.

Reconciling Years of Abuse: The Catholic Church Finally Pays For Its Sins

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in General Legal on Wednesday, July 3, 2019.

When the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal first came into the public eye in the late 1980s, the world was shocked and disturbed to learn of the countless children who were sexually abused by their most trusted confidants: local priests and clergy members.

Viruses, Diseases, and Vaccines

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Pharmaceutical Liability on Wednesday, July 3, 2019.

From the time we are too young to even remember, shots are a routine part of visiting the doctor. By the time most children are six months old, they have already been vaccinated for nearly ten harmful diseases, including Hepatitis B and Polio. These vaccinations continue to be administered throughout childhood and into young adulthood. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that vaccinations are the best way to protect infants, children, and adults from at least 16 serious diseases.

Work has to be done to achieve 0 traffic fatalities by 2050

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Truck Accidents on Friday, June 21, 2019.

On June 6, the Texas Transportation Commission (TCC) announced their plans for reducing fatal roadway crashes across the state to zero by 2050. They noted that their initial goal is to reduce these deadly crashes by at least half what they currently are by 2035.

When making their first public statement on the matter, the TCC, part of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), pointed out what motivated them to set this goal. They noted that the state has some of the deadliest highways in the country. There are currently, on average, 3,900 traffic fatalities in Texas per year.