MORE Kugel Mesh Lawsuits....severe injuries reported

Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Patches have been recalled several times over safety issues caused by product defects. The patches, which are used to treat ventral hernias, contain flexible rings that allow large patches to be folded for insertion through small incisions. Once the patch is in position within the abdominal cavity, the ring pops open allowing the patch to be fastened flatly in place. However, the Food and Drug Administration has received numerous reports of defective recoil rings breaking and exposing jagged, sharp edges. These sharp edges can cause serious internal injuries.

If you or a loved one has suffered the serious side effects of a defective Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Patch, please contact the experienced defective medical device attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates today for a complimentary consultation who can help you recover the compensation you may be due.

Potential Injuries

When a Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Patch malfunctions, serious internal injuries can occur. Some of the injuries caused by malfunctioning Kugel Mesh Patches include:

• Intense abdominal pain
• Bowel perforation
• Intestinal fistulae, or abnormal passages between intestines

If you have been implanted with a Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Patch and are experiencing symptoms such as fever, persistent abdominal pain, tenderness, or other unusual abdominal symptoms, seek professional medical help immediately.

Recalled Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Patches

The following are the Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Patches affected by the recall:

• Composix Kugel Extra Large Oval (7.7" x 9.7") Product code: 0010208
• Composix Kugel Extra Large Oval (8.7" x 10.7") Product code: 0010206
• Composix Kugel Extra Large Oval (10.8" x 13.7") Product code: 0010207
• Composix Kugel Large Oval (5.4" x 7") Product code: 0010202
• Composix Kugel Oval (6.3" x 12.3") Product code: 0010209
• Composix Kugel Large Circle (4.5" in diameter) Product code: 0010204

Toyota settles first wrongful death lawsuit regarding Sudden Acceleration

Toyota Motor Corp. has settled the first in a group of hundreds of pending wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits stemming from the sudden, unintended acceleration by Toyota vehicles.

Agreement was reached in a case brought by the family of Paul Van Alfen and Charlene Jones Lloyd.

They died when their Toyota Camry slammed into a wall in Utah in 2010.  The financial terms cannot be disclosed at this time.

The remaining lawsuits are not affected by the settlement.

Last month Toyota agreed to a settlement worth more than $1 Billion to resolved hundreds of lawsuit claiming economic losses Toyota owners suffered when the Japanese auto-maker recalled millions of vehicles.

If you or someone you know has suffered injured due to a defected car call the experienced product liability attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

BMW Recalling 30,000 X5 Sport Utilities

BMW is recalling almost 30,000 of its diesel-powered 2009-12 X5 sport utilities because the power-assist for the steering may fail, according to a report from the automaker posted on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

BMW says it is possible that a bolt could loosen “due to a number of unfavorable contributing factors, including very low ambient temperatures.”

If the bolt fails, the vehicle would suddenly lose the power assist to the steering. That would require greater effort to turn the vehicle, which the automaker said “may increase the risk of a crash.”

BMW says the recall was prompted by an investigation earlier this year by Transport Canada, the Canadian counterpart to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

There was no mention of any accidents related to the defect. In an e-mail, Matthew Russell, a BMW spokesman, said the automaker wasn’t aware of any accidents related to the loss of steering.

In June, BMW recalled about 2,600 X5 diesel models from the 2012-13 model year because those vehicles could suddenly leak power-steering fluid. That would result in the loss of power assist, and it could lead to a fire in the engine compartment. BMW said the steering gear was not correctly machined.

If you or someone you know has suffered injured due to a faulty product call the experienced personal injury lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Salmonella-linked Peanut Butter Plant forced to shut down

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has shut down Sunland Inc. peanut butter plant in New Mexico whose products, under many brand names, were subject to a wide recall in recent months because of salmonella contamination.  The items were sold by Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Safeway and others.



The company's peanut butter products have been "linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney that has sickened 41 people in 20 states," the FDA said.

The initial voluntary recall began after salmonella was detected in a lot of Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter, which had an SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) number 97111, according to the FDA.

Sunland is the nation's largest processor of organic peanut butter products, the AP said.

The FDA order – which suspends the registration of the plant in Portales, NM, and prohibits it from distributing food for sale – marks the first time the agency has invoked its new authority to suspend the registration of a food production facility, the FDA said.  The FDA said the widespread illnesses "coupled with Sunland’s history of violations led FDA to make the decision to suspend the company’s registration."

Sunland had ceased operations at the plant and intended to restart Tuesday, in hopes of resuming sales of peanut butter products by the end of this year.  Sunland officials said they were surprised by the federal order, are cooperating with the FDA and hope to be back in operation soon, the AP reported.


FDA inspections at the plant in September and October found salmonella in "28 environmental samples (from surfaces in production or manufacturing areas) and in 13 nut butter product samples and one product sample of raw peanuts," the agency said.

The FDA also cited Sunland's own testing results showing salmonella in 11 product lots of nut butter between June 2009 and September 2012.

If you or someone you know become seriously ill or suffered injured due to a defective product or negligence of another call the experienced product liability attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

MONSTER Energy Drink cited in 5 Deaths

Monster Beverage Corp.'s energy drinks have been cited in the deaths of five people in the past year.

The Food and Drug Administration received five death reports that said the victims consumed Monster drinks, Shelly Burgess, and FDA spokeswoman, said yesterday.

The FDA reports are being used by parents who sued Corona, California based Monster last week, claiming the drinks led to caffeine toxicity that killed their 14-year-old daughter.   

Anais Fournier, died on December 23, 2011 from a heart attack brought on by 'caffeine toxicity' after drinking two 24-ounce Monster cans within 24 hours. 

The FDA reported people had adverse reactions after they consumed Monster Energy Drink, which comes in 24-ounce cans and contain 240 milligrams of caffeine - or seven times the amount of the caffeine in a 12-ounce cola.

The wrongful death suit, filed in California Superior Court in Riverside, said that after drinking two 24-ounce cans of Monster Energy on consecutive days, Anais went into cardiac arrest.

An autopsy revealed the teenager, from Hagerstown, Maryland, died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity that impeded her heart's ability to pump blood.

People are asking the FDA to consider caffeine limits on energy drinks after emergency room visits involving such products jumped 1-fold from 2005-2009.

If you ore someone you know has been injured called the experienced defective product attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Air-Bag safety probe expanded....Hyundai Elantra

U.S. safety regulators have added two model years to an investigation of an air bag problem with Hyundai Elantras that cut a car owner's ear in half. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it will look into 2011 and 2013 Elantras in addition to those from 2012.  The agency also upgraded the probe to an engineering analysis, a step closer to a recall. 

The agency started investigating 123,000 2012 Elantras in May, after an Elantra owner said a side air bag inflated in a crash and metal bracket sliced the driver's ear.

If you or someone you know has been injured due to a defective airbag call 1-800-669-4878 to speak with an experienced lawyer. 

What Is the Link between Drugs and Autism?

In the first study of its kind, researchers have discovered a link between SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants and autism. If a pregnant mother uses an antidepressant drug such as Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, or Prozac, especially during the first trimester, the child is more likely to develop an autism spectrum disorder.

SSRI antidepressants are prescribed to treat depression and anxiety in adults, by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain. Evidence suggests that the use of an SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy may affect the unborn child’s development and ability to process and maintain proper levels of serotonin in the brain. Children with an autism spectrum disorder often have difficulty regulating and maintaining levels of serotonin in the brain. The following drugs have been linked to autism spectrum disorder:

• PAXIL


• PROZAC


• ZOLOFT


• CELEXA


• LEXAPRO

The study, released in July 2011, found that after taking other autism risk factors into account, children who were exposed to SSRI antidepressants in utero were twice as likely to develop an autism spectrum disorder, and children who were exposed to SSRI antidepressants during the first trimester were four times as likely to develop an autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorders affect 1 in 110 children in the US and 1 in 70 boys. It is the fastest growing serious developmental disease in the United States, and there is no cure. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) include the following disorders:

• Autism: a neural development disorder marked by impaired social interaction, impaired communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior.

• Asperger syndrome: Most similar to classic autism, except without the delay in language development.

• Pervasive Developments Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS): a developmental disorder that does not meet the criteria for autism or Asperger’s syndrome.

• Rett Syndrome & Childhood Disintegrative Disorder: Other developmental disorders that sometimes fall within the autism spectrum.