Baby Deaths Linked to Infant Formula Additive

The FDA has warned parents, caregivers, and health care professionals to be aware that infants of any age may face an increased risk of developing a life-threatening condition if fed a thickening product called SimplyThick which is manufactured by a company of the same name.

The FDA claims that since May 2011 the agency has identified 22 infants who developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a condition in which tissue in the intestines becomes inflamed and dies, after being fed SimplyThick. Seven of those infants died.

According to the FDA, parents should watch for the following syptoms in their infants and contact a health care professional if any of these symptoms occur:

• bloated stomach;
• greenish-tinged vomiting; and
• bloody stools.

While SimplyThick has warned its customers about risks its product may pose to premature infants it has not yet updated its warning to reflect the risk its product poses to infants of any age.

Pictures of this potentially dangerous product may be found here.

New Tires can be Old and Dangerous

We all know that car passenger tires need to be changed from time to time, either due to deterioration from normal wear and tear or due to some unpreventable damage from a nail or other hazard in the road.

What consumers may not know is that even before your tires show wear or damage they may already be dangerous or defective due to their age. Moreover, when you replace your tires, your new tires may be old and defective even though they haven't traveled a mile on the road. The tire industry has readily acknowledged that the older the tire the more likely it is to fail and cause serious injuries.  Accordingly it is important to protect yourself and your loved ones by researching the age of the tires that are currently on your car and those that are to be installed. 

Finding out the age of your tire is fairly simple, each tire is stamped with a Department of Transportation (DOT) number.  Tires made after the year 2000 have a four digit code that conveys this information- the first two numbers will read from 01-52 which represents the week of the year they were manufactured; the last two numbers will, for example, read 05 which means it was manufactured in the year 2005.  So a DOT number of 2005 means the tire was made in the 20th week of 2005. 

You can read about how dangerous old tires are here, and find out more information about how to read the information on your tires here. 

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car crash you should promptly investigate whether the reason behind the crash is a defective tire.  The personal injury trial attorneys of Tekell & Atkins, L.L.P. will assist you in this investigation free of charge.    

Study Confirms Distracted Driving Higher Among Teens

  The Bridgestone tire company recently commissioned a nationwide survey on distracted driving that showed that:

• many young drivers are in denial about their distracted driving tendencies;
• girls are far more likely to engage in distracted behavior behind the wheel than boys; and
• parents often set bad examples.

A New York Times article summarizing the survey can be found here.

The survey results confirm the overwhelming amount of research proving the dangers of driving while distracted. Prior studies are discussed here, here, here, and here.

If you want to know more about the dangers of distracted driving or would like to arrange a special presentation on the dangers of distracted driving for your community, school, or civic group please contact Aaron M. Mutnick of Tekell & Atkins, L.L.P. at 254-776-5095.

Rearview Cameras Mandatory?

A recent New York Times article has reported that Federal regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are proposing a rule that would require automakers to put rearview cameras in all passenger vehicles by 2014 to help drivers see what is behind them.  As the Times reported, about two children die every week and another 50 are injured when someone accidentally backs over them in a vehicle, and more than two-thirds of the time a parent or other close relative is behind the wheel.