Firm Announcements

Product Liability

BEASLEY ALLEN LEGAL NEWS | March 18, 2010

Had Toyota executives listened to U.S. Transportation officials in 2007, a lot of sudden acceleration accidents could have been prevented and a lot of people saved from injury and death. Investigators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pressured Toyota to install a brake override system in all of its vehicles, but the car manufacturer resisted, according to a story published in the Los Angeles Times.




Recalls

BEASLEY ALLEN LEGAL NEWS | March 18, 2010

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with manufacturer Tumi, today announced a voluntary recall of about 5,000 Mobile Power Packs used to charge small electronic devices including mobile phones, MP-3 players, Blackberries and PDAs, citing a risk of fire hazard. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.




Product Liability

March 15, 2010

This map lists sudden acceleration complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that involve cars and trucks produced by Toyota and are reported to have resulted in at least one fatality.




Pharmaceutical

BEASLEY ALLEN LEGAL NEWS | March 15, 2010

Pain management can be a serious health issue for cancer patients, separate and apart from their underlying cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health. Finding an effective treatment for these patients can be harrowing. Many are put on opioids, drugs that decrease one's perception of and reaction to pain, as well as increase one's pain tolerance.




Recalls

BEASLEY ALLEN LEGAL NEWS | March 15, 2010

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) black box warning has been added to the anti-blood clotting medication Plavix (Clopidogrel Bisulfate), alerting patients and health care professionals that some people who take the drug may not be able to effectively metabolize the medication and thus may not receive the full benefits of Plavix. An estimated 2 to 14 percent of the population are poor metabolizers of Plavix.




Recalls

BEASLEY ALLEN LEGAL NEWS | March 15, 2010

A recall of ready-to-eat meat products due to possible salmonella contamination spurred by an earlier recall of an ingredient used in processed foods, has sparked another recall, this on four McCormick & Co. products. The products contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), a flavor enhancer, that was recalled on March 4, 2010 recall by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The recall on the McCormick & Co. foods was initiated because the HVP ingredient was added after salmonella prevention steps were applied.




Pharmaceutical

BEASLEY ALLEN LEGAL NEWS | March 14, 2010

Cephalon peddled potent and potentially harmful painkillers as if they were "actual lollipops," according to the U.S. Attorney's office. The statement was released following an investigation into the drug company's marketing activities. Cephalon was also slapped with a $425 million penalty.




Recalls

BEASLEY ALLEN LEGAL NEWS | March 12, 2010

Nearly 2 million chicken and beef products from two different distributors are being recalled because the foods may be contaminated with salmonella, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).




Recalls

BEASLEY ALLEN LEGAL NEWS | March 12, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is advising parents and caregivers to be cautious when using infant slings for babies younger than four months of age. In researching incident reports from the past 20 years, CPSC identified and is investigating at least 14 deaths associated with sling-style infant carriers, including three in 2009. Twelve of the deaths involved babies younger than four months of age.




Product Liability

BEASLEY ALLEN LEGAL NEWS | March 11, 2010

Reports have surfaced today that Toyota officials were forced to turn over a memo produced by its own factory workers in 2006, which raised their fears about safety issues in the manufacturing process. According to the TimesOnline, the memo is a "smoking gun" that proves management was made aware of a looming disaster due to an emphasis on profits over production standards.