March 12, 2010 – 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.

Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling’s fabric can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, blocking the baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.

Many of the babies who died in slings were either a low birth weight twin, were born prematurely, or had breathing issues such as a cold. Therefore, CPSC urges parents of preemies, twins, babies in fragile health and those with low weight to use extra care and consult their pediatricians about using slings.

Two months ago, the Commission added slings to the list of durable infant products that require a mandatory standard. Additionally, CPSC staff is actively investigating these products to determine what additional action may be appropriate. Until a mandatory standard is developed, CPSC is working with ASTM International to quickly complete an effective voluntary standard for infant sling carriers.

CPSC recommends that parents and caregivers make sure the infant’s face is not covered and is visible at all times to the sling’s wearer. If nursing the baby in a sling, change the baby’s position after feeding so the baby’s head is facing up and is clear of the sling and the mother’s body. Parents and caregivers should be vigilant about frequently checking their baby in a sling.

March 10, 2010 – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigations (ODI), Monaco RV is recalling certain Model Year 2010-2011 Holiday Rambler Campmaster recreational vehicles for failing to comply with Part 567, “Certification,” and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, “Tire Selection And Rims.”

The labels that list the trailer’s gross axle weight ratings, tire information, and cargo carrying capacity may be incorrect.  Tire blowout may happen without warning causing a crash possibly resulting in property damage, personal injury, or death.

At the Gomez Law Firm, we have extensive experience representing the victims of auto defects, including roof crush, tire defects and rollovers.  If you or someone you love has been the victim of any defective product, call or write a personal injury attorney  at the Gomez Law Firm today.

March 8, 2010 – Carlsbad Police said Sunday they are investigating the claims of a motorist, who says she may have unwittingly struck a teenaged boy on El Camino Real, but left the scene after failing to spot any victim.

Steven Anthony Kelley, 18, was killed around 9:45 p.m. Friday when he was struck by two vehicles on El Camino Real near Cassia Avenue. He was crossing the street at the time.  He died in an ambulance enroute to McClellan-Palomar Airport, where he was to be flown to a hospital, according to police.

Officers had stopped one car’s driver near the scene, but the first vehicle that struck Kelley kept going. On Saturday, Lisa Hutchinson, 44, came forward as the driver of one of two cars that may have struck the youth, said Carlsbad Police Lt. Jarlath Eppel.

The lieutenant said Hutchinson told officers she drove home and told her husband that she had hit something with her vehicle on El Camino Real, and both people returned to the area but couldn’t find anything when they returned to the area.

Traffic investigators went to their house, took a statement from the woman and impounded her car, he said

Eppel said police will turn their case over to the District Attorney’s Office, where prosecutors will determine whether to charge her in the death.

Police asked anyone with more information was urged to call them at (760) 931-2197.

March 3, 2010 – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with American Electric Lighting, a division of Acuity Brands Lighting Inc., of Conyers, Ga., today announced a voluntary recall of Outdoor Lighting Fixtures.

This recall involves model AVL outdoor lighting fixtures sold under the American Electric Lighting brand name. The light fixtures are intended for use in parking lots, roadways, commercial environments and office communities. “AVL” is printed on the reflector of each light fixture.   Improper wiring in the light fixtures poses a shock hazard to consumers.

No injuries or incidents have been reported.

Approximately 900 fixtures have been sold at electrical distributors and electrical sales representatives nationwide from September 2008 through September 2009 for between $250 and $800.

Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, contact the Defective Product lawyers of the Gomez Law Firm today.

March 1, 2010 – Samira Chalala, 54, of Cypress, was killed after she was hit by a pickup in Long Beach on Wednesday, authorities said.

Chalala was trying to cross 27th Street at Pasadena Avenue, where there was no marked crosswalk, around 6:30 p.m. when she was hit by a 1998 Nissan Frontier, Long Beach Police said.

Chalala was taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, where she later died from her injuries, police said.

Police asked anyone who saw the accident to call Detective Brian Watt at 562-570-7355.

February 18, 2010 – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Baycreek Inc., of New York, N.Y., today announced a voluntary recall of Attitude Gold Children’s Hooded Sweatshirts.

This recall involves children’s hooded sweatshirts in sizes small, medium, large and extra large. The sweatshirts were sold in beige, blue, charcoal gray and black and have a random distress designs. Style number ZZJ-2J, ZZJ-01J, ZZJ-04J or ZZJ-5J is printed on the hangtag.

The sweatshirts have a drawstring through the hood which can pose a strangulation hazard to children. In February 1996 CPSC, issued guidelines (pdf) (which were incorporated in to an industry voluntary standard in 1997) to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled in the neck and waist drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets or sweatshirts.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

Approximately 1,900 sweatshirts have been sold at Burlington Coat Factory and Modecraft Fashions stores nationwide from October 2008 through June 2009 for about $25.

Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, contact the Defective Product lawyers of the Gomez Law Firm today.

February 10, 2010 – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada, in cooperation with Britax Child Safety, Inc., of Charlotte, N.C., today announced a voluntary recall of Britax “Blink” Umbrella Strollers.

This recall involves all Britax “Blink” single umbrella strollers. “Blink” is printed on the metal frame on both sides of the stroller, below the hand grips. The recalled “Blink” strollers have model numbers U261813, U261814, U261815, U261816, U261817, U271813, U271817 and U271815 and were manufactured between May 2009 and September 2009. The model number and manufacturing date can be found on a white label on the stroller frame, near the bottom of the stroller basket.

The stroller’s hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening the stroller.

Approximately 14,000 strollers have been sold in the U.S. and 900 in Canada at Buy Buy Baby and other juvenile product and mass merchandise retailers nationwide in the U.S. and Canada and on the Web at www.Amazon.com, www.babiesrus.com, www.Target.com and www.Diapers.com from July 2009 through February 2010 for about $150.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, contact the Defective Product lawyers of the Gomez Law Firm today.

January 28, 2010 – Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will recall an additional 1.09 million vehicles in the United States over problems with gas pedals and floor mats — a fresh blow to the world’s top automaker as it struggles to salvage its safety reputation.

Toyota’s recall troubles continue to grow, with the total number of vehicles affected by two recalls involving gas pedals growing to at least 5.3 million.

The latest addition to the recalls was announced Wednesday, with 1.1 million vehicles added to the 4.2 million recalled in November to fix a problem in which the gas pedal can become caught on the edge of the removable floor mat, causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably.

A separate recall of 2.3 million vehicles announced last week, involving accelerator pedals that can stick on their own — is being expanded to include an undisclosed number of vehicles in Europe.

In most cases, the same vehicles are involved in both recalls. It was not immediately clear how many different vehicles, in total, are part of the two actions.

The vehicles being added to the floor mat-related recall are the 2008-2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Venza, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe.

General Motors’ Pontiac car is included in the recall because the Vibe and Toyota’s Matrix are similar vehicles that were produced under a partnership between the two companies.

The vehicles originally included in the floor mat-related recall were the 2007-2010 Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2004-2009 Prius, 2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2007-2010 Lexus ES350, 2006-2010 IS250 and the 2006-2010 IS350.

Most, but not all, of the vehicles involved in the stuck pedal recall are also involved in the other recall. They are the 2009-2010 Toyota RAV4, Corolla and Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe; the 2005-2010 Avalon; 2010 Highlander; 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2008-2010 Sequoia; and some 2007-2010 Camry.

Toyota has been working with the pedal supplier and is close to having a new pedal design ready for approval by regulators, a Toyota spokesman said Thursday.

In the meantime, owners who experience sticking or slowness in the movement of their car’s gas pedal should stop driving the car and call a Toyota dealer immediately.

Toyota extended its safety recall of millions of its most popular cars to Europe and China on Thursday in a further blow to the reputation of the world’s largest auto maker.

In China, the world’s biggest auto market in 2009, the carmaker said on Thursday it had submitted an application to recall over 75,000 RAV4 vehicles.

All the cars being recalled in North America, Europe and China have pedals made by supplier CTS Corp.

A further 2 million in Europe would take the total to 8 million, almost the same as its group global sales last year.

A Toyota Europe spokeswoman said the models and exact number of potentially affected vehicles was under investigation but there was no need to stop production.

Cars sold in Japan do not use the parts in question.

January 20, 2010 – Linda Jane Flick, 58, of Flint Springs, was found dead Tuesday inside a mobile home crushed by a large tree that blew over at an East County trailer park during Tuesday afternoon’s blustery rain storm, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The fatal accident in the 15100 block of Olde Highway 80 in Flinn Springs was reported shortly before 3 p.m., San Diego Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Munsey said.

Emergency crews worked for about 90 minutes to extricate Flick from inside her trailer before determining that she was dead, according to Munsey.

 A eucalyptus tree with a 10-foot diameter trunk crushed her home and a mobile home next door.

January 15, 2010 – Ticketed passengers traveling through San Diego International Airport will be able to get the H1N1 vaccine and other preventative shots starting Friday, according to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.

The flu shots, which will be administered by Pacifica Medical, will be offered at four post-security locations in Terminals 1 and 2, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., according to the Airport Authority.

At each kiosk, travelers and airport employees will have the option of receiving vaccines for the H1N1 influenza, hepatitis A and B, pneumonia, typhoid and the seasonal flu.

The cost for an H1N1 vaccine for San Diego County residents will be $13.50, according to the Airport Authority. Out-of-town travelers will pay $15.