News Tagged ‘Alabama

Home improvement books recalled for incorrect electrical wiring info

sunset 100x100While most recalls involve products with defects that may cause direct physical harm to consumers, this week the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a of books that give bad advice and may cause consumers to hurt themselves.

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Study links St. John’s wort to increased risk of cataracts

cataract 100x100People who take the St. John’s wort (SJW), an herb and herbal supplement widely used to treat depression, may be at greater risk for developing cataracts, according to a University of Alabama Department of Epidemiology study recently published in the journal Current Eye Research and reported on InjuryBoard.com. The study of more than 31,000 adults aged 40 years and older, which was part of the ongoing National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), found that participants who reported cataracts were 59 percent more likely to report that they had used SJW for at least a year.

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CPSC info center helps consumers living with toxic Chinese drywall

chinese drywallThe federal government has launched a new section of its web site called the Drywall Information Center. The agency developed the section in an effort to field consumer questions and complaints about the influx of tainted Chinese-made drywall to the U.S. that occurred in 2006 and 2007 when domestic drywall supplies ran low.

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Trials to proceed against unresponsive Chinese drywall company

Taishan wbChinese drywall manufacturer Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd., the company accused of producing and then exporting toxic, sulfuric wallboard to the United States, was found to be in default during a preliminary trial in New Orleans after it failed to respond to a lawsuit filed by an Alabama home builder in June. The Mobile-based Mitchell Company, a builder of residential and commercial properties, alleges it used Taishan’s toxic drywall extensively in its homes. The company filed a motion earlier this month asking the court for a default judgment against the company.

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California grower recalls salmonella contaminated lettuce

recalled romaineA California produce grower has recalled romaine lettuce that was distributed throughout 29 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico because of salmonella contamination. Tanimura & Antle, Inc. of Salinas, Calif., issued the after the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture detected salmonella on the lettuce in a randomized test.

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Lack of awareness, resources haunt brain injury victims

tbi 100x100Like everyone whose life has been altered by a traumatic brain injury, Carol Stanley sought answers and needed help. Her son Jason was 19 years old when he suffered from a TBI after being assaulted by three other men in Auburn, Alabama. Despite being shuffled between 3 hospitals and examined by a multitude of doctors, Jason wasn’t diagnosed with TBI until weeks after his . He was x-rayed and treated for other injuries, including a fractured skull and jaw, loss of hearing, nausea and imbalance. His most serious , however, went undetected and untreated.

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FDA announces recall of contaminated gravy and sauce mixes

sauer hq 100x100Another salmonella-related recall was announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, this time for a brand of sauce and gravy mixes manufactured by the C.F. Sauer Company of Richmond, Virginia.

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Birmingham hospital leads Alabama in pediatric brain injury care

sarah jane 100x100The University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) and Children’s Hospital will be named as a “Lead Center of Excellence” by the Sarah Jane Brain Project, a national organization devoted to expanding research and awareness of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury (PTBI), which is the leading cause of death and disability for children 15 years old and younger.

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Beasley Allen files lawsuit in Geo Tracker rollover death case

geo tracker rolloverMONTGOMERY, ALA. – Beasley Allen J. Cole Portis has filed a lawsuit for an Alabama woman whose husband was killed in a vehicular rollover accident while driving his 1993 Geo Tracker. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama Northern Division, and names as Defendants Suzuki Motor Corporation; American Suzuki Motor Corporation; General Motors; General Motors of Canada, Ltd.; Cami Automotive Inc.; Takata Inc.; Takata-Fischer Corporation; Takata Fabrication Corporation; and Key Restraint Sysytems, Inc. Beasley Allen filed the complaint jointly with Robert Riley, Jr. of the Birmingham, Ala. Firm Riley & Jackson.

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Traumatic brain injury: Jason’s story part five

jason 1 100x100Last month we shared the story of Jason Stanley, an Auburn University student who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI)when three other men ambushed and maliciously attacked him in an alleyway. Jason lost consciousness after falling and hitting his head on the concrete pavement, yet one of the assailants continued to kick him in the face, according to a witness. The attack left Jason with a spectrum of physical and psychological problems – a fractured skull, severed nerves, loss of hearing, dizziness, anxiety, confusion, anger, depression – all symptoms of a TBI that took doctors days to discover.

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