Recalls

Nestlé USA’s Pizza Division today announced the voluntary recall of select production codes of four different frozen pizzas sold in the U.S. These include:

• California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) Crispy Thin Crust White®, UPC 71921 98745; production codes are 3062525951, 3062525952 and 3063525951.
• California Pizza Kitchen® Limited Edition Grilled Chicken with Cabernet Sauce, UPC 71921 00781; production code is 3059525952.
• DiGiorno® Crispy Flatbread Pizza Tuscan Style Chicken, UPC 71921 02663; production codes are 3057525922 and 3058525921.
• DiGiorno® pizzeria!™ Bianca/White Pizza, UPC 71921 91484; production code is 3068525951.

The voluntary recall is limited to frozen pizzas with these specific production codes, which were distributed nationwide. No other production codes/dates, sizes or varieties of CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN or DIGIORNO pizzas are affected by this recall. The reason for the recall is that the pizza may contain fragments of clear plastic. Nestlé USA is taking this action after a small number of consumers reported that they had found small fragments of plastic on the CPK Crispy Thin Crust White pizza. According to Nestle, this is directly related to a particular lot of spinach they received from one of their suppliers. Although no complaints have been received to date on the other three varieties that used this spinach, they are recalling these additional varieties in an abundance of caution.

Pizzas are already being removed from grocers’ freezers.

Nestlé USA also is reaching out to consumers to ask that they examine their freezer inventory for the specific packages of DIGIORNO and CPK varieties affected by this recall.

To locate the production codes for these specific pizzas, the consumer simply needs to look for a blue or pink rectangular box on one of the side panels of the pizza box. The production code is on the second line of the printed code and is the first ten digits of the number. Consumers should look for the following production codes:

• CPK Crispy Thin Crust White: 3062525951, 3062525952 and 3063525951.
• CPK Limited Edition Grilled Chicken with Cabernet Sauce: 3059525952.
• DiGiorno Crispy Flatbread Pizza Tuscan Style Chicken: 3057525922 and 3058525921.
• DiGiorno pizzeria! Bianca/White Pizza: production code is 3068525951.

Consumers who may have purchased the recalled CPK and DIGIORNO pizzas with the identified production codes should not consume the pizza, but instead should contact Nestlé USA Consumer Services at 800-456-4394 or nestlepizza@casupport.com for further instructions. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., E.T. and this Saturday, May 4th from 12 noon – 8 p.m. E.T.. Nestlé will provide a replacement coupon to reporting consumers and also may make arrangements to retrieve the pizza for further examination.

Nestlé USA is dedicated to food quality, and the health and safety of its consumers. For these reasons, the company initiated this recall. They say:  ”We apologize to our retail customers and consumers and sincerely regret any inconvenience created by this voluntary product recall.”

The Honda Fit wasn’t quite fit for sale. This week, Honda announced that it is recalling about 44,000 of its 2012 and 2013 model year Fit Sport cars. The reason has to do with the car’s electronic stability control system, and the fix may be as simple as reprogramming the software.

According to an article in The New York Times:

Electronic stability control systems use sensors and a computer to determine if the vehicle is moving in a direction at odds with what the driver is doing with the steering wheel. The system then applies the brake on single wheels to try and correct the movement.

This type of scenario commonly happens when there is something on the road that affects the tires’ ability to grip, such as when you drive on black ice, or if there is oil or other chemical spillage on the road. But stability control can also kick into gear if you have a tire blow out, or other rare events.

The government has required electronic stability control on most consumer vehicles–all except the true “heavy-duty” trucks. These systems are estimated to reduce the number of single-vehicle accidents by about 34%, and the number of single-vehicle S.U.V. crashes by nearly 60%.

What happened with the Honda Fit Sport is that the car’s stability control system was programmed using one kind of tire–the Bridgestone Turanza. But then some Fit Sports came with Dunlop SP tires, which handle differently. For people who own a Honda Fit with Dunlop tires, a simple software update will recalibrate the stability control system and fix the problem.

One lesson for all of us: If you have a car with an electronic stability control system–and if your car is model year 2011 or later, chances are you do–then make sure you check the specs before purchasing new tires.

This week, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) released updated safety recommendations for metal-on-metal hip replacement devices. This is the FDA’s most comprehensive set of recommendations to date.

What’s the Problem with Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants?

While all hip replacements pose risks for patients, research has shown that metal-on-metal hip implants carry unique risks. In metal-on-metal hip implants, the metal ball and the metal cup slide against each other during walking or running, causing tiny bits of metal to “shed” from the device. Metal can also be released from other parts of the implant where two implant components connect. Any time the metals rub, some tiny metal particles to wear off of the device around the implant, which may cause damage to bone and/or the soft tissue (e.g., muscle, cartilage) surrounding the implant and joint. This is sometimes referred to as an “adverse local tissue reaction (ALTR)” or an “adverse reaction to metal debris (ARMD).”

Soft tissue damage may lead to pain, implant loosening, device failure and the need for revision surgery (a surgical procedure where the implant is removed and another is put in its place). Some of the metal ions released will enter the bloodstream and travel to other parts of the body, where they may cause symptoms or illnesses elsewhere in the body (systemic reactions).

Presently, the FDA does not have enough scientific data to specify the concentration of metal ions in a patient’s body or blood necessary to produce adverse systemic effects.  In addition, the type and severity of physical symptoms and illness seem to be specific to individuals, with different patients having different reactions to the metal particles.

Recommendations for Patients Considering Hip Implants

According to the FDA, people considering a hip replacement should be aware that every hip implant has benefits and risks, and that they should discuss options for surgery or other treatments with their physician.

When discussing your options for hip surgery with a surgeon or physician, some questions you should ask include:

• What are the benefits and risks of each type of hip implant system (metal-on-metal, metal-on-polyethylene, ceramic-on-polyethylene, ceramic-on-ceramic, and ceramic-on-metal total hip systems, as well as, resurfacing hip implants)?
• Why is a metal-on-metal hip implant the best for your situation?
• What are the surgeon’s outcomes and personal experience in performing surgical procedures with metal-on-metal hip implants? If the surgeon recommends a resurfacing hip system, what are the surgeon’s results and personal experiences with the recommended hip resurfacing system?
• What are the surgeon’s outcomes and personal experience in performing surgical procedures with other types of hip systems?
• What symptoms can you expect to experience after surgery and for how long?
• What types of activities, if any, should be limited or restricted with a metal-on-metal hip implant?
• What results can you expect after surgery with a metal-on-metal hip implant?
• Which specific symptoms should you report after the surgery?
• What types of reactions may occur due to the implant and/or metal ions and how would they be evaluated and treated?
• If you end up with a complication related to the metal-on-metal hip implant, how likely is it that the implant would need to be removed and what would be the consequences?

Metal-on-metal hip implants are usually NOT recommended for some people due to an increased risk of adverse local reactions. These include people who have kidney problems…have allergies or sensitivity to metals…have a suppressed immune system…are currently receiving high doses of corticosteroids (such as prednisone)…or are women of childbearing age.

Recommendations for People Who Already Have Metal-On-Metal Hip Implants

You and your doctor should pay close attention to any signs or symptoms that may be associated with metal-on-metal hip implants. These include:

• Pain or swelling at or near the hip
• A change in walking ability
• A noise from the hip joint
• Local nerve palsy
• A palpable mass or lump at the hip
• Infection
• Hypersensitivity
• Skin rash (not just at the hip)
• Neurological changes, including sensory changes (auditory or visual impairment)
• Change in psychology (depression)
• Thyroid dysfunction (neck discomfort)
• Fatigue
• Weight gain

If you know that you have one of the recalled hip replacement devices… OR if you have severe pain around your hip… OR if you have been told that you have a defective hip replacement, call HensonFuerst Attorneys for important information about your rights. You may have a legal case and we will fight to help you collect compensation for the injury caused by the faulty medical device.

What’s most important: DO NOT contact any medical device manufacturer, or SIGN RELEASES OF YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS to any company before you talk with a lawyer. Don’t “register” or attempt to file a claim on your own. Let a lawyer handle everything. Big corporations look out for their own financial interests, not the interests of people who may have been harmed.

If you are worried about your future health, or if you would finally like your questions answered, call us at 1-800-4-LAWMED. Or, visit our website at www.lawmed.com for more information.  At HensonFuerst, your health is at the top of our priority list. We dedicate ourselves to protecting individuals from the greed and callousness of large corporations. Let us work for you.

Life Doesn’t Wait…get help today. Call HensonFuerst.

RESOURCES

Click any of these links for more information:

FDA Guidelines

Stryker Hip Replacement Recall

DePuy Hip Replacement Recall

Hip Replacements Fail, Sometimes Without Symptoms

Diagnosing Hip Replacement Injury

Another hip replacement recall.  Stryker Corp. has recalled two hip replacement devices: the Rejuvenate, and the ABG II modular-neck stems.

The devices are being recalled because of risks of corrosion and “fretting,” or corrosion made worse by abrasive wear. The company says that the corrosion “may result in adverse local tissue reactions manifesting in pain and/or swelling.” Other adverse effects can include bone damage, tissue death (necrosis), or metallosis–when metal debris causes inflammation in the surrounding tissue. This type of inflammation may cause long-term, or even permanent damage.

HIP REPLACEMENT DANGERS

In 2010, we told you about a recall of two hip replacement devices by DePuy Orthopaedics:  the ASR XL Acetabular System, and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System. The recall was due to higher-than-usual failure rates, which caused thousands of patients to require second surgeries to replace the replacement. (To read that original blog, click here:  DePuy Hip Replacement Recall Raises Mores Questions)

Now, the Stryker recall.

At this point, many experts are saying that people who have had any brand of metal-on-metal hip replacement should contact their physicians and request testing to make sure that their hip replacement devices aren’t harming them. That’s especially true if you have had a Stryker or DePuy hip replacement.

WHAT TO DO

If you already know that you received one of the recalled Stryker or DePuy hip replacement systems, we recommend two things:

1. Schedule a follow-up appointment with your surgeon, even if you’re not currently having symptoms. It is possible that you could have early signs of failure before you recognize the pain. Your doctor will be able to evaluate how your hip is functioning and whether the recalled implant is in need of replacement.

In that visit, your orthopedic surgeon may also want to test for the presence of microscopic metal particles around your hip. Metal particles are a sign that recalled implant is failing. 

2. Call HensonFuerst Attorneys for important information about your rights. If you or someone you care about received one of these defective joint replacement components, we would like to speak with you right away.  You may have a legal case and be able to collect compensation for the injury caused by a faulty medical device.

What’s most important: DO NOT contact Stryker or DePuy, or SIGN ANY RELEASES OF YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS to any company before you talk with a lawyer. The hip replacement companies are asking patients to register with them and receive a claim number. DO NOT DO THIS YOURSELF. Let a lawyer handle everything. Big corporations look out for their own financial interests, not the interests of people who may have been harmed.

HensonFuerst Attorneys is continuing its investigation into hip replacement failure rates. If you have questions and would like answers, call us.

If you are worried about your future health, call us.

If you can’t get straight answer from your surgeon or hospital, call us.

With HensonFuerst, your health is at the top of our priority list. We dedicate ourselves to protecting individuals from the greed and callousness of large corporations. Let us work for you. Our attorneys are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year at 1-800-4-LAW-MED (1-800-452-9633). Or, visit our website at www.lawmed.com for more information. You can also fill out a free online consultation form for an immediate evaluation of your case.

Life Doesn’t Wait…get help today. Call HensonFuerst.

This law firm is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or associated with the Stryker Corp., DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, or any other hip replacement manufacturing company.

For over a year, we’ve been telling you about the problems with metal-on-metal hip replacement devices. Some, such as the DePuy devices by Johnson & Johnson, were recalled due to a higher-than-usual failure rate, causing patients to require second surgeries to replace the replacements. In May 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered all producers of “metal-on-metal” hip replacements to study the implants to make sure patients remain as safe as possible.

You can read those earlier blogs here:

Hip Replacements Fail, Sometimes Without Symptoms

Diagnosing Hip Replacement Injury

Now, according to an article in The New York Times, British help regulators recommend that patients in Britain who received metal-on-metal artificial hips — which were also used widely in the United States — should undergo annual examinations for as long as they have the device to make sure they are not suffering tissue damage or other problems. This recommendation was made out of concern that serious problems could surface 15 or even 20 years after the original surgery.

“By monitoring patients every year, any complications will get picked up earlier and more complex surgery on the patient can be avoided,” said Dr. Susanne Ludgate, the clinical director of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

It has been estimated that about 500,000 people in the United States received an all-metal hip during the past 10 years. Thousands of them have been forced to undergo second surgeries to have the replacements replaced. Hundreds have suffered crippling injuries due to the tissue and muscle tissue damage caused by metallic debris shed by the devices.

In the U.S., the FDA is not changing its recommendation that all hip replacement patients undergo “regular” follow-up with their physicians. That’s good advice…and we recommend that these follow-ups occur even if patients don’t think they have any special problem with their hip replacements. Some people with significant damage to the surrounding muscle tissue don’t have any pain until the injury is severe.

If you have had a metal-on-metal hip replacement that failed early, or if you have had tissue damage due to the device and would like to explore your legal options, feel free to contact the attorneys of HensonFuerst. Someone is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-4-LAWMED…or view our website at http://www.lawmed.com/.

If you have questions, HensonFuerst has answers.

To read the full article in The New York Times, click here:  Britain Extends Monitoring for People with Metal Hips

February 2, 2012

The Drug manufacturing giant, Pfizer, Inc., announced a recall of nearly one million packets of birth control pills Tuesday due to a manufacturing mix-up that could put women at an increased risk of unwanted pregnancy. Reports form WRAL News say that 14 lots of Lo/Ovral-28 tablets and another 14 lots of Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol tablets had placebo tablets placed in the wrong order the tablets are to be taken in.

The mix-up was discovered last year when a customer called after noticing the pills were in the wrong order. The company fixed the problem immediately. Then, in December, Pfizer contacted pharmacies asking them to pull the specific recalled lots from the shelves. The recall was announced publicly on Tuesday only after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made a request that Pfizer do so. Women who have been using affected pills are advised to begin use other forms of contraception immediately.

Experts say that the manufacturing mix-up could put the drug-maker at risk of a multi-million dollar lawsuit. An article by FOX News says the lawsuit could stand on the same grounds as several lawsuits in the past that have been won after a man’s vasectomy did not take and his partner became pregnant.

The North Carolina drug injury lawyers with HensonFuerst are here to answer any questions you may have if you have been affected by a mistake or side effect of a medication prescribed to you by a doctor.

January 5, 2012

Right now in the United States, more people die from drug overdoses than from car accidents, according to new research released last month. According to WECT 6 News, the study concluded that the cause of the surge in fatal overdoses could be linked to the increased use of drugs that have potential for abuse.

The study was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over a 30-year time period. Over the span of three decades, researchers saw an increase of six times as many drug poisoning deaths. In 1980, there were roughly 6,000 deaths associated with drug poisonings. By 2008, that number had capped out at 36,500. That same year, nine out of ten poisoning deaths were drug related, with 77 percent of them being unintentional.

These findings correlate with earlier research that showed the number one type of drug abused in the United States today are legal pharmaceuticals.

A CDC health scientist involved with the study, Dr. Chris Jones, stated that the number of prescriptions that doctors are willing to write to patients today is a major contributing factor to the problem. “Between 1999 and 2010, the sales of these drugs increased fourfold.” he added.

The Raleigh drug injury lawyers with HensonFuerst are an experienced team of attorneys dedicated to helping victims who have been injured at no fault of their own by a prescription drug. If you or someone you know has experienced a similar scenario, call us today to discuss your case.

December 29, 2011

New studies are showing that a drug once used to treat numerous types of cancer may not work. According to WRAL News, recent data presented to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not only led to the organization pulling approval for the use of the drug Avastin® in the treatment of breast cancer, but now also in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

The drug was approved last week for use in advanced ovarian cancer patients despite the findings, but the drug’s manufacturer, Genentech, has stayed mum on whether the company will seek approval for the same in the United States.

Two studies in today’s newest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that the drug only slowed the cancers progression for several months and did not improve mortality rates. On top of this, patients have suffered from numerous drug side effects, including:

• Blood Clots
• Slow Wound Healing
• Severe Bleeding
• Perforations Of The Gastrointestinal Tract

If you or someone you love has suffered ill effects from drugs like Avastin®, contact the experienced team of North Carolina drug injury lawyers with HensonFuerst. They are here to help their clients in every step of the process of filing a claim to get the compensation they deserve.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that two large car manufacturers have recalled vehicles:

Toyota, Lexus

This recall affects more than 420,000 vehicles. Toyota is recalling several different models because the amount of adhesive applied between the outer ring and inner ring in the crankshaft pulley may be inadequate.The outer ring could become misaligned, and may not rotate properly. In some cases, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley, which could result in a loss of power steering and a sudden increase in steering effort. Because this would happen without warning, it could increase the risk of a crash.

The NHTSA says that the recall is expected to begin during early January 2012, but if your vehicle is on the list, you may wish to call your dealership sooner to see if your car can be checked out. If there is a problem, the dealer will replace the pulley with a new one at no charge.

The affected vehicles are:

• 2004-2005 Lexus ES 330
• 2004-2005 Lexus RX 330
• 2006 Lexus RX 400H
• 2004 Toyota Avalon
• 2004-2005 Toyota Camry
• 2004-2005 Toyota Camry Solara
• 2004-2005 Toyota Highlander
• 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
• 2004-2005 Toyota Sienna

If you have questions, you may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331, or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

General Motors Cadillac

This small recall (affecting just 674 cars) is for model year 2012 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured from October 21, 2011, through October 26, 2011. A nut in the brake system may not be torqued to the proper specification, which could result in a loss of ability to brake, which could lead to a “crash without prior warning.”

How do you know if your 2012 Cadillac CTS is affected? The best way to is call your dealership. Ask them to inspect the power vacuum brake boost pushrod retention nut. If necessary, they will adjust the torque. If you have questions, contact GM at 1-800-458-8006, or the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

November 3, 2011

In an agreement reached yesterday, Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will pay the United States Government $3 billion to settle investigations into the company’s sales and marketing tactics regarding it’s drug, Avandia. According to WRAL News, the deal stems from 2004 allegations that the company had price irregularities with the drug and did not fully disclose the dangers of the medication posed in marketing materials.

Documents show that the settlement will cover both civil and criminal liabilities for the company. As part of the agreement though, the company had to change policy and procedure for compensation of it’s sales force. The company says that bonuses paid to representatives of the company will no longer be based on hitting individual sales targets, but will rather focus on the quality of service that customers receive.

The company is hoping that these strategic moves will put to rest much of the controversy the company has faced regarding its business practices. The company says the payment will be made in the next fiscal year and will come from its cash assets. In all, GSK says it has paid out more $6 billion in settlements surrounding the drug Avandia.

The North Carolina Drug Injury Lawyers with HensonFuerst often deal with cases involving drug injuries. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a drug injury, contact HensonFuerst for a free intial consultation today.