You Have Rights Blog
Minnesota Hospital Informs 2,600 Patients
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Imagine going to your local hospital for a procedure and learning later that a medical device used doing the operation was not properly cleaned. On June 22, 2010, Hennepin County Medical Center began notifying 2,600 patients that they were treated with a medical device that wasn't properly disinfected, the hospital disclosed, according to a recent Minneapolis Star Tribune news report. The danger to patients is "remote,'' the hospital said, but the discovery nonetheless prompted the manufacturer of the disinfecting equipment, Plymouth-based Minntech, to issue an urgent recall on June 17. The alert warned customers that the problem was due to…
Strollers Recalled by Britax
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
On February 10, 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Health Canada, and Britax Child Safety, Inc. announced a voluntary recall of the following defective baby strollers. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: Britax “Blink” Umbrella Strollers Units: About 14,000 in the United States and 900 in Canada Importer: Britax Child Safety, Inc., of Charlotte, North Carolina Hazard: The stroller’s hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening the stroller. Description: This recall involves all Britax “Blink” single umbrella strollers. “Blink” is printed on…
Toyota Corolla Complaints Being Investigated
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Toyota continues to face scrutiny over recent vehicle recalls. Over the past four months, Toyota has announced three recalls of approximately 8.5 million vehicles due to sticky gas pedals and floor mat interference, which can result in sudden acceleration, and a recall of 133,000 Prius cars and 14,500 Lexus HS250h vehicles as a result of brake complaints. Most recently, the NHTSA began reviewing Toyota Corolla steering complaints, according to a Bloomberg news report. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received more than 80 complaints about Corolla steering for 2009 and 2010 models, according to the agency’s online database. Consumers…
20% of U.S. Nursing Homes Get Poor Grades for Overall Quality
Thursday, January 28, 2010
One in five of the more than 15,000 nursing homes in the United States earn poor ratings for overall quality, according to a USA Today analysis of newly released government data. The newspaper examined ratings for nursing homes based on inspections, complaint investigations, and other sources in 2008 and 2009. USA Today found that nursing home problems exist in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., putting more than 250,000 American seniors who live in nursing homes at increased risks of injury or death caused by negligence, medical malpractice, and medication errors. Nursing home abuse is a leading cause of injury…