Product Recalls

June 9, 2022

Peanut Butter Recall Tied To Salmonella Infection Impacts Other Products

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reporting that additional products are being impacted by a nationwide peanut butter recall.

According to federal health agents, the original J.M. Smucker peanut butter recall also impacts products such as protein power snacks, baked goods, and others. At least 18 other companies have issued their own recalls following the original peanut butter recall campaign.

Partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), FDA officials are investigating the defective products and Salmonella outbreaks associated with the products. Originally, infections linked to Jif peanut butter products were tied to samples that tested positive for the same strains of bacteria found on most of those who fell ill. Victims told officials they had consumed the product prior to falling ill.

December 5, 2018

Volkswagen Recalls Thousands Of Vehicles Over Faulty Instrument Clusters

By Kirk Bernard

Volkswagen has launched a recall recently that impacts thousands of newer cars across the United States.

According to automaker, 73,000 of the 2018 and 2019 Atlas and Tiguan SUVs as well as 2019 Jetta sedans are being recalled. The vehicles come with instrument clusters that may fail to provide audible warnings when the key is still in the ignition. If this happens while the door is open, the risks of theft or crashes will increase.

The company reported that that dealers will have all instrument clusters in the impacted vehicles fixed for free.

April 27, 2018

Audi’s Latest Recall Concerns Fire-Related Risks

By Kirk Bernard

Every now and then we hear about accidents caused by vehicles showing equipment issues. And every now and they we fear that not enough car owners are being alerted about open recalls.

For that reason, we often talk about open recalls that impact a great number of Washingtonians and Americans in general.

According to a series of news reports, Audi has launched a recall campaign impacting over 340,000 vehicles nationwide. These units could end putting drivers and occupants in risk of being in a car fire.

March 23, 2018

Mercedes-Benz Car Owners, Beware Of New Accident-Related Recall

By Kirk Bernard

Mercedes-Benz has announced that a new accident-related recall campaign is underway. This announcement matters because it impacts drivers across the United States. To Seattle and other Washington locations, this also matters because the issue could increase the risk of an auto accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mercedes-Benz has recalled all units of the 2017 E300 4Matic, E300, and E43 AMG vehicles that have been fitted with LED headlights.

These vehicles come with low beam headlights that may not be able to illuminate the roadway enough because of a misadjustment. As a result, the driver may not see obstacles and other cars ahead well enough to avoid a possible collision.

September 7, 2010

DePuy ASR Hip Replacement Recall

By Kirk Bernard

By now, you may have already heard about the DePuy ASR Hip Replacement product recall. If you are one of the unfortunate recipients of this defective product, you may be left wondering what to do next.

Within 5 years of receiving a DePuy Hip Resurfacing system, it’s reported that 12-13% of patients need to have revision surgery to correct the damage. If you’ve been experiencing pain, malalignment, infection, dislocation or bone fracture, there’s a good chance that you fall within the category of recipients necessitating correctional surgery.

Because the poorly designed piece exhibits a dangerous amount of friction between the two metal components, tiny fragments of chromium and cobalt ions are released into your body’s soft tissue.

March 2, 2010

Seattle Toyota Auto Accident Victim’s Case Raises Questions

By Kirk Bernard

Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles over auto product defects – primarily sticky gas pedals, defective floor mats that can slip and jam the accelerator, and brake issues. Based on news reports, outside experts even speculate that electromagnetic interference may have caused several incidents of unintended acceleration in recalled Toyota models. Now, the auto maker is facing a government inquiry over whether it tried to delay or avoid a recall in the first place.

Parents of a Seattle resident are one of many who are asking questions about how and why their son died. According to a KOMO News report, like many injured victims or grieving families, the bereaved parents are wondering whether sudden acceleration caused by a sticky gas pedal in the victim’s Toyota Tundra may have caused the fatal car accident on Oct. 17, 2007. The crash occurred when the pickup truck inexplicably crashed head-on into a tree.

Recently this victim’s parents found out that his Tundra was on the recall list as well. They now rightly believe that had Toyota paid attention to the problem, recalled the vehicles and fixed the defects, their son would have been alive.

Toyota’s recall comes too late for those in situations similar to this family’s. It is too little too late for those who have suffered catastrophic injuries potentially as a result of the unintended acceleration problem. It is too late for those drivers who have been sent to prison because their car went out of control and injured or killed someone. Seattle personal injury attorneys understand that there have been several car accident cases nationwide where drivers tried convincing juries that it was not them, but their car that was to blame. But no one believed them. Some of those cases are now being reviewed by local prosecutors in different parts of the country.
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February 17, 2010

500,000 Defective Cribs Recalled after Infant Deaths

By Kirk Bernard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers about defective cribs, which have been responsible for three infant deaths. According to an Associated Press news report, the federal safety agency is recalling 500,000 drop-side cribs, manufactured by Generation 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS. The plastic hardware on these cribs can break and allow the drop side to detach, creating a space where the child can become entrapped and suffocated. Also, the mattress supports in these cribs can break away from the crib frames creating a gap where children can suffocate.

CPSC has received three reports of children who died after getting trapped and being suffocated in these defective cribs. The victims were an 8-month-old boy from Ohio who died in June 2007; a 6-month-old boy from Indiana who suffocated in a crib and died in October 2003; and another 6-month-old boy from Virginia who died in September 2002 after two missing screws allowed the lower drop-side track of his crib to pull away from the headboard post. These cribs were sold at retailers nationwide including Buy Buy Baby, Kmart and Wal-Mart.

Several consumers and Seattle products liability attorneys are aware of the fact that more than 5 million cribs have been recalled over the last few years because of similar defects and hazards. Almost all of these recalled cribs were drop-side cribs. These cribs were recalled because when the drop-sides detached, an entrapment and suffocation hazard was created. Inferior parts and poor quality control have also contributed to these product defects.
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February 9, 2010

Toyota to Fix Defective Gas Pedals

By Kirk Bernard

So far, Toyota has recalled more than 7 million vehicles over faulty gas pedals and floor mats. The auto maker has also stopped production and sales of eight models, including its top-selling Camry and Corolla models. The first Toyota recall was issued last year after an auto accident in California killed a highway patrol officer and three members of his family. The officer was in a loaner Lexus and the defective floor mat in the car allegedly caused the accelerator pedal to become jammed. The car accelerated out of control at 120 mph, crashed, and caused four fatalities.

Toyota officials say they have come up with a fix for the gas pedals, which has been approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The problem with the gas pedals was that the pedal mechanism could become worn and harder to depress or it could get stuck in a partially depressed position, thus causing sudden or unintended acceleration.

Toyota engineers have been working to insert a spacer in the pedal mechanism in order to increase the tension in a spring and reduce the risk of the gas pedal sticking or staying down. The auto maker has also come under quite a bit of criticism for failing to act quickly on unexpected acceleration issues related to the faulty floor mats. Federal officials say Toyota has known about the problem with the mats since 2007 and has still done nothing to fix it.
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February 4, 2010

Cadmium Contamination: Children’s Necklaces Sold at Wal-Mart Recalled

By Kirk Bernard

About 55,000 children’s necklaces sold at Wal-Mart stores are being recalled because they contain high levels of cadmium, according to a news report in consumeraffairs.com. Cadmium is a toxic metal listed high on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) list of substances most harmful to the environment. Cadmium is toxic when ingested by young children and can cause several adverse health effects including brain, kidney, lung and bone damage.

These defective products, which were manufactured in China, were sold exclusively in Wal-Mart retail stores across the country from November 2009 through January 2010 for about $5. The recalled jewelry is in the shape of a metal crown or frog pendant on a metal link chain necklace in a crown hinged box. If you have one of these necklaces at home, please take it away from your child and return the product to Wal-Mart to obtain a full refund.
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January 26, 2010

Defective Cribs Recalled for Fall and Entrapment Hazard

By Kirk Bernard

Caramia is issuing a product defect recall for about 1,000 “Diane” drop-side cribs. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, the slats on these recalled cribs’ drop side can detach from the top and bottom rails posing fall and entrapment hazards to young children. So far, the company has received 18 reports of the slats detaching. No injuries or fatalities have been reported yet as a result of these product defects.

These cribs were manufactured in Slovenia from September 2002 and June 2004 and sold at Buy Buy Baby and other children’s products and mass merchandise stores nationwide. They were sold for between $240 and $370. If you have one of these cribs in your home, preschool or childcare facility, please stop using them and call the company to receive a free replacement drop side.
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