D.C. Personal Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Gabriel Assaad : Assaad Law, PLLC: D.C. Injury Law Journal

McDonald's fast food eateries in Washington D.C., Virginia and across the nation stopped selling popular Shrek Forever After promotional glasses this weekend. More than 12 million of the colorfully-painted themed glasses were recalled when the toxic metal cadmium was discovered in the paint. Cadmium can be added to paint to produce the colors yellow and red. According to McDonald's, about 7 million of the defective glasses have been sold since the Shrek promotion began on May 21.

A known carcinogen, cadmium jewelry marketed to children has been the subject of several U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls since the first of the year. While the tainted jewelry was all manufactured in China, the cadmium-laced glasses were made at the Arc International plant in New Jersey. In the wake of earlier cadmium jewelry recalls, the CPSC is currently working to develop new standards for toxic metals in consumer products. When an anonymous tip and subsequent laboratory testing revealed the presence of cadmium in the McDonald's glasses, the food giant issued the precautionary recall of the defective products.

In addition to causing cancer, cadmium is known to cause bone softening and severe kidney problems and can impair brain development in young children. There is concern that long-term exposure to low levels of cadmium through repeated use and washing of the Shrek glasses could cause serious personal injury. Washington D.C. and Virginia personal injury attorneys warn parents to immediately stop using the glasses. Refunds are available on McDonald's website or by calling 800-244-6227.   

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Over the past 10 years 32 children have been suffocated or strangled to death in personal injury accidents involving drop-side cribs. Parents in Virginia, D.C. and across the nation have been lobbying for safer crib standards. In the last few years, infant and toddler deaths caused by the defective design of drop-side cribs have increased. Recently, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission promised to take action, announcing last week that mandatory product liability safety standards for baby cribs would be imposed later this year. Additionally, the manufacture and sale of cribs with sides that drop down will be banned.

A feature in Virginia and D.C. nurseries for decades, drop-side cribs have been implicated in serious personal injuries and dozens of deaths. The risk of personal injury occurs when faulty product design causes the drop-side to unexpectedly snap down on a baby's head or limb. Repeated stress on metal or plastic hardware as the side of the crib is raised and lowered can also cause stress on poorly manufactured parts, causing the drop side to come off its tracks and separate from the crib. When this happens, infants can fall or roll into the gap created and suffocate or hang to death.

When enacted, the drop-side crib ban is expected to be retroactive, forcing hotels and licensed day care centers to replace all drop-side cribs. If your child has been injured in a drop-side crib accident, a Virginia or D.C. personal injury attorney can advise you of your rights.

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An old hazard has reappeared to threaten the health and safety of families in Washington DC and Virginia. Banned from use in the United States in 1977, lead paint is again in the news. Dust kicked up by remodeling projects has often been found to contain harmful particles of old lead paint in quantities capable of causing serious personal injury, particularly to children. Lead levels in the dust from remodeling projects have become such a potential health hazard that the Environmental Protection Agency this month implemented new regulations that require remodelers and contractors to be trained and certified in techniques that reduce potential lead paint dust hazards.

The EPA estimates that 40% of American buildings contain lead paint, often layered under multiple coats of newer non-hazardous latex or oil-based paints. When buildings are renovated, construction can grind old lead paint into tiny dust particles that escape into the air where they can be inhaled. Lead paint is particularly toxic to young children and can cause brain damage; behavioral, learning and growth defects; hearing loss and headaches. Exposed adults can experience high blood pressure, nerve disorders, muscle and joint pain, memory loss and reproductive problems.

The new EPA regulations apply to homes, schools and child-care facilities built before 1978, an estimated 38 million buildings. If you are concerned about how a recent remodeling project has impacted your family's health, seek the advice of an experienced Washington DC and Virginia personal injury attorney.

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Bag-shaped baby slings purchased by Washington DC parents to nurture their infants could wind up killing them. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission this week issued a recall for popular SlingRider and Wendy Bellissimo infant slings. Sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Babies R Us and other stores, the bag-style baby slings were responsible for the asphyxiation deaths of 3 infants last year alone. Washington DC parents are warned to stop using bag-shaped infant slings immediately.

While other types of infant slings have not been associated with personal injuries or fatalities, bag-style fabric slings pose a serious risk to Washington DC infants. When used with young infants who have not yet developed muscle control, the fabric from which these infant slings are made can press against the baby's mouth and suffocate him. But defective product design is not the only problem cited. Inadequate consumer instructions fail to properly warn parents about the potential dangers of using the slings with infants under the age of 4 months. They also fail to instruct parents about the proper placement of the infant into the sling. As parents move about, the child can shift in the sling, forcing the baby into a C shape with his face pressed into the side of the fabric sling. Tragically, tiny infants lack the muscle control to move their heads and suffocate.

A Washington DC personal injury lawyer can assist parents in obtaining information about personal injury and defective product claims

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A potential client called me today and use the prescription birth control drug NuvaRing and obtained a blood clot.  In research of the drug I obtained the following list of side effects from NuvaRing's website:

The common side effects reported by NuvaRing® users are:

• Vaginal infections and irritation
• Vaginal secretion
• Headache
• Weight gain
• Nausea

In addition to the risks and side effects listed above, users of combination hormonal birth control methods have reported the following side effects:

• Vomiting
• Change in appetite
• Abdominal cramps and bloating
• Breast tenderness or enlargement
• Irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting
• Changes in menstrual cycle
• Temporary infertility after treatment
• Fluid retention (edema)
• Spotty darkening of the skin, particularly on the face
• Rash
• Weight changes
• Depression
• Intolerance to contact lenses
• Nervousness
• Dizziness
• Loss of scalp hair

Call your doctor right away if you get any of the symptoms listed below. They may be signs of a serious problem:

• Sharp chest pain, coughing blood, or sudden shortness of breath (possible clot in the lung)
• Pain in the calf (back of lower leg; possible clot in the leg)
• Crushing chest pain or heaviness in the chest (possible heart attack)
• Sudden severe headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, problems with vision or speech, weakness, or numbness in an arm or leg (possible stroke)
• Sudden partial or complete loss of vision (possible clot in the eye)
• Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice), especially with fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, dark colored urine, or light colored bowel movements (possible liver problems)
• Severe pain, swelling, or tenderness in the abdomen (gallbladder or liver problems)
• Sudden fever (usually 102°F or more), vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, fainting, or a sunburn-like rash on the face or body (very rarely, toxic shock syndrome)
• Breast lumps (possible breast cancer or benign breast disease)
• Irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting that happens in more than 1 menstrual cycle or lasts for more than a few days
• Urgent, frequent, burning and/or painful urination, and cannot locate the ring in the vagina (rarely, inadvertent insertions of NuvaRing® into the urinary bladder)
• Swelling (edema) of your fingers or ankles
• Difficulty in sleeping, weakness, lack of energy, fatigue, or a change in mood (possible severe depression)
   

In addition, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in an abstract from the ASH meeting (Blood, ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts, 2007 110: Abstract 3994) highlighted cases of women who developed complications while using NuvaRing®.

As the previous administration has passed legislation to protect pharmaceutical companies from litigation, who is protecting the consumers from drugs that can cause severe injury.  NuvaRing can cause Deep Vein Thrombosis Clots) and Pulmonary Embolism, Stroke and/or Heart Attacks -- serious and fatal side effects.

The manufacture of NuvaRing has to be held responsiblie if their drug is unsafe.  The women who have may have been injured by NuvaRing must be heard... If you have taken NuvaRing and have had a stroke, bllod clot or heart attack, you have a voice.

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