Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Half of all traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the United States are caused in accidents involving automobiles, motorcycles, and bicycles, says the National Institutes of Health, the medical and behavioral research arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Approximately 20 percent of serious head injuries are the result of violent acts, such as gun shot wounds and beatings. TBIs are commonly found in babies and children who have been violently shaken. In older people, head injuries associated with falling are the top cause of TBIs.

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We reported earlier that the Peanut Corporation of America’s Blakely, Georgia plant knowingly shipped out a dozen batches of peanut products that had tested positive for salmonella. As the federal government’s investigation continues, the likelihood that company mangers will face criminal charges appears to grow.

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Officials from the Food and Drug Administration discovered that the Peanut Corporation of America found salmonella bacteria while conducting internal tests several times in 2007 and 2008 but knowingly sold its products anyway. The contaminated peanut butter products were shipped 12 times in those two years, according to company documents examined by the FDA.

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Paula Lawlor, founder of the nonprofit organization People Safe in Rollovers, is being honored by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego as Consumer Advocate of the Year. Lawlor is a resident of Del Mar, California in San Diego County. She has worked as a consumer safety advocate for 10 years, pressuring government and automobile manufacturers to improve the strength of automobile roofs.

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Widespread economic turbulence and the threat of a global recession have created an atmosphere prime for fraud and white-collar crime, according to a report released by risk consulting company Kroll, an operating unit of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.

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According to the Food and Drug Administration, 485 people in 43 states and Canada have been sickened by an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium, which has been traced to products containing contaminated peanut butter originating from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). Authorities also believe the contaminated peanut butter has lead to about 100 hospitalizations and may be responsible for six deaths.

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A group of FDA scientists recently sent a six-page letter to Barack Obama’s transition team venting consternation over their agency’s corruption and mismanagement. It’s not the first time FDA scientists have sought the help of Washington, pleading for a shakeup, but the number of complaints and the overall tone of the latest letter indicate agency insiders are eager to grab some of the new President’s much promised change.

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Energy efficiency is a great way to save money and help the planet at the same time, and replacing all your old incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) is a great place to start conserving energy. CFL bulbs, however, contain varying degrees of the toxic metal mercury, and should be handled with extreme caution. CFL bulbs are perfectly safe to use, but every precaution should be taken to make sure the bulbs do no break.

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced another voluntary recall of window blinds that may be unsafe to use, especially in homes or other areas where children can be found. The blinds were distributed by Cost Plus Inc., of Oakland California and sold in Cost Plus and World Market stores from February 2006 to August 2008.

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Nearly everyone who has filed an insurance claim has played that exasperating game of tug of war with the adjuster on the other line who digs his feet in and won’t issue a check without a fight. The battle usually takes place over questions of liability, but interpretation of the policy can sometimes be a factor. Should your claim involve complex and easily misinterpreted terms such as “fire” and “smoke,” you had better watch out.

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