Kansas City, MO Personal Injury Blog

A serious hepatitis A outbreak has been linked to a tainted frozen fruit product sold at Costco stores. The defective product is called "Organic Antioxidant Blend" and is manufactured by Oregon-based Townsend Farms. Authorities say that pomegranates used in the fruit mix are a likely source of the hepatitis virus.

Heptatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection which is frequently spread by food containing small amounts of contaminated feces. The strain of the virus found in the berry mix is most commonly associated with the Middle East and North Africa, which is why authorities suspect that Turkish-processed pomegranate seeds are what tainted the frozen fruit mix.

Tanning beds have been linked to increased cancer risks and should be labeled as potentially dangerous medical devices according to a report issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA recently proposed changes in how it regulates tanning beds using ultraviolet sun lamps.

"The proposals are to enhance oversight of these devices, and to require labeling to include a recommendation designed to warn young people under the age of 18 not to use these devices," the FDA announced.

The U.S. Postal Service recently released a list of the most dangerous cities for mailmen. Although the dog chasing a postman is a longtime cliché, the USPS says that it considers vicious dogs to be a "serious threat" to its employees.

St. Louis, Missouri, is the 8th most dangerous city for postal employees. That city saw 32 dog attacks on postmen in 2012. Wichita, Kansas, rounded out the top 15 with 20 attacks on mail carriers last year.

A popular migraine medicine has been linked to lowered IQs in children. Officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have warned women that the drug Depakote has been shown to have adverse risks for the children of women who take the drug while pregnant.

The FDA has moved the drug from its Category D classification to Cateory X. This means that federal officials believe that the risks associated with taking Depakote now outweigh the risks. It is unclear where any pharmaceutical product liability litigation will arise out of this case.

According to a new lawsuit against Merck, the drug manufacturer's popular Fosamax product is dangerously defective. A woman is suing the company claiming that she suffered serious fracture injuries involving her femur after receiving a Fosamax prescription to treat osteoporosis.

Fosamax is a bisphosphonate drug that Merck markets as a treatment for bone diseases. It works by reducing the body's "bone turnover" rate. However, according to this lawsuit and some medical research, Fosamax also allows the body to keep mineralizing old bones. Because the drug inhibits turnover while simultaneously boosting mineralization, it allegedly makes bones more brittle and vulnerable to breaks and fractures.

After thousands of patients have suffered serious injuries and complications from metal-on-metal hip replacement devices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration appears to be on the verge of intervening. Two recent developments indicate that the FDA will be acting to protect patients from devices made by DePuy Orthopedics, Stryker, Zimmer and other companies.

Both of these developments occurred on Jan. 17, 2013. First, the FDA issued a safety communication to orthopedic surgeons, health care providers and patients. The safety communication warns that metal-on-metal hip implants involve "unique risks." Most significantly, the metal components can shed particles and ions into the body - causing medical problems throughout the body. While experts do not fully understand all of these risks, many patients have suffered bone and soft tissue damage.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association questions the level of care that patients in rural hospitals are receiving. The study added to a growing body of research which indicates that patients receiving care in rural hospitals are more likely to die than patients at urban hospitals.

So-called "critical-access" hospitals are heavily subsidized by the government because they serve rural populations. It appears that despite this funding these hospitals are still unable to keep up with new technologies and best practices that can improve patient outcomes.

Federal officials have cited an Illinois-based manufacturer after a worker was amputated at a Sullivan, Illinois, manufacturing plant. OSHA officials proposed $93,500 in fines against Agri-Fab Inc.

The company manufactures attachments for the lawn and garden industry. Products include lawn sweepers, spreaders and snow throwers.

Trial lawyers Daniel Thomas and Jonathan Soper were recently honored during the 2013 Missouri Lawyers Awards for winning a landmark "bullycide" case against a Missouri school district that allowed one of its students to be bullied.

The attorneys were named "Legal Champions" by Missouri Lawyers Weekly after taking on the Blue Springs School District for allowing 12-year-old Brandon Myers to be bullied by his peers. The boy hanged himself after relentless harassment from his classmates over his cleft palate and speech problems.

"It was a very difficult case," said Danny Thomas, a partner at the Independence law firm of Humphrey, Farrington & McClain. "Up until recently, I would say it's probably one of the most difficult cases of my career."

Although the financial portion of the settlement is confidential, this was the largest bullycide case settlement in the history of the country. Brandon's family hopes this case encourages schools across the country to be more proactive in addressing bullying.