While the assistant professor has concluded that wiring failure in recalled Toyota cars is connected to sudden acceleration, Toyota has denied such claims of electronic flaw. Based on the article, the automaker referred to the assistant professor’s study as “completely unrealistic under real-world conditions.” Through the webcast, Toyota is supposed to present their defense by re-creating the study and providing rebuttals made by experts from Stanford University’s Center for Automotive Research.

Auto manufacturers are responsible for designing, testing, and creating vehicles that are free of defect or flaw before putting them on the market. The assistant professor involved in the Toyota throttle study asserts that automotive electronics may cause a vehicle to experience problems if the components are not properly tested to respond to extreme vibrations or temperatures.

Reglan works by increasing muscle contractions in the upper digestive tract. This speeds up the rate at which the stomach empties into the intestines. Reglan is also used short-term to treat heartburn caused by acid reflux in people who have used other medications without relief of symptoms. The drug is used in people with diabetes which can cause nausea, vomiting, heartburn, loss of appetite and a feeling of fullness after eating.

The Reglan black box warning states that patients using the medication as a long-term treatment for gastrointestinal disorders are at risk for tardive dyskinesia. Those who are at risk for this serious Reglan side effect are the elderly, particularly women who have been taking Reglan for extended periods of time. Tardive dyskinesia typically causes the following symptoms:

• Grimacing


• Lip smacking


• Rapid eye blinking


• Involuntary movements of the fingers, hands, arms, face, legs and shoulders


• Pursing of the lips


• Trouble breathing, swallowing talking or walking

The sad fact remains that these symptoms are almost irreversible since there is no known treatment for tardive dyskinesia. If you or a loved one has developed tardive dyskinesia after taking Reglan, please contact the skilled injury lawyers at Page Cagle for a free consultation and evaluation of your case. You may be able to seek compensation for your injuries and loss. Call our St. Louis product liability attorneys at 866-620-5757 today to find out how we can help.

The Center for Disease Control indicates that dogs bite 4.5 million Americans each year. Keep in mind that these are just the cases that are reported. Countless dog bite instances are left unreported. The most common victims of dog bite attacks and mauling incidents are children. This is due to the fact that children often miss a dog’s warning signs more easily than adults do. Education is a much-needed action for preventing severe instances of dog bites.

Research shows that Missouri dog bites occur more frequently in the spring and summer months than in winter months. This is because during the springtime and summer, children are more likely to be outside and around animals. If a dog has bitten your child in Missouri, clean the wound thoroughly and talk to your pediatrician about possible rabies infections.

Recalls and corrections have become commonplace in recent months. Chrysler is attempting to fix this safety hazard before there are any personal injuries due to faulty manufacturing. This proactive move by Chrysler may have been inspired by the recent woes of Toyota and Honda. Honda recently had to recall almost half a million of their vehicles due to defective airbags, which caused a number of personal injuries and one reported fatality. Toyota recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles for defective gas pedals that caused unintended acceleration. Car manufacturers are required by law to ensure the safety of their vehicles.

Failing to yield right-of-way is a common cause of Missouri auto accidents. We see this problem occur most commonly in accidents that take place at street intersections. Very often, these types of accidents will involve a driver who fails to yield right-of-way to another or a driver who runs a red light. Both of these circumstances are serious traffic violations under Missouri law. The driver who failed to yield right-of-way in such cases could be determined to be at fault for the accident and could be held liable for injuries, damages and losses suffered by the victims of a car accident. In such cases, victims could seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of surgery, physical therapy or other related damages.

The Missouri Highway Patrol reported that the bus had its flashing lights on and stop arm extended. The driver of the truck was allegedly speeding and unable to stop the vehicle in time. Four students from the bus and the student driver were transported to the Cedar County Memorial Hospital for minor injuries. There were 16 total students on the bus at the time of the crash.

In 2001, several European countries convened to discuss warnings for Levaquin, as it is the most tendon-toxic in the group of fluoroquinolones. The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products agreed that further studies were needed.

The leading manufacturer in Europe of levofloxacin (the European counterpart of Levaquin), Aventis, agreed to fund two epidemiological studies in order to examine the drug’s toxic effects on tendons. Aventis then enlisted Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development (PRD) to co-author a U.S. study on fluoroquinolones and tendon rupture as well, thereby promoting the largest epidemiological study to date.

On January 15, 2010, Johnson & Johnson expanded its recall to cover all lots that may have been affected by the contaminated wooden pallets, regardless of consumer reports. The recall was also extended to include products such as Junior Strength Motrin IB, Children's Tylenol Meltaways, Benadryl, Extra Strength Tylenol, Extra Strength Tylenol Rapid Release, Motrin IB, Regular Strength Tylenol, Rolaids, Simply Sleep, St. Joseph Aspirin, Tylenol Arthritis and Tylenol PM.

Many of the recalled lots were manufactured at one of Johnson & Johnson’s main manufacturing sites located in Puerto Rico. Users of the products have reported side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; though no serious medical problems have been reported.

FDA officials also reported that Johnson & Johnson was aware of consumer complaints as early as September 2008, though it did not thoroughly investigate until late 2009.

Officials determined that those who got sick all shopped at Costco (a Daniele salami supplier) prior to becoming ill. Researchers tested a sample of the Costco salami and it was positive for salmonella. Since salami does not usually contain the bacteria, investigators were led to believe that black pepper was the contaminating factor.

According to the CDC and the FDA, the levels of contamination for pepper and spices are generally low; however, black pepper is more likely to carry salmonella compared to other spices because it is sun-dried in order to retain its outer skins. The direct correlation between Daniele International and the salmonella outbreak is still under investigation; therefore, the company has not taken full responsibility for the outbreak.

The recall was issued in order to replace the airbag inflator that can cause the airbag to overinflate, and according to the report, result "in metal fragments passing through the airbag cushion material and possibly causing injury or fatality to vehicle occupants." So far, the malfunction has been linked to eleven injuries and one fatality.

The cars that currently fall under the airbag recall include 2001 and 2002 model-year Accord, Civic, Odyssey, Pilot, CL, CR-V and 2002 Acura TL vehicles. The Japanese-only models that are included in the recall are Inspire, Saber and Lagreat. If Honda contacts you about the recall, you should contact an authorized dealership as soon as you receive your notification.

After escaping, the father made several attempts to re-enter the home to rescue his two daughters, who were trapped on the second floor. Due to heavy smoke and flames, he was unable to succeed. One of the trapped family members, a 13-year-old girl, was located near a window and was easily rescued once fire officials arrived at the scene. Unfortunately, firefighters were unable to reach the second daughter, who was 10-years-old.

The fire severely damaged the home, causing the roof to collapse the structure completely. The surviving family members were rushed to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation and other minor injuries. The cause of the fire is undetermined.

Toyota spokesman, Brian Lyons, stated, “The pedal may become harder to press and may become slower to return when released. In the worst cases, it may become stuck in a partially depressed position.” Toyota also claims that unintended acceleration due to gas pedal malfunction is “rare and infrequent,” but can occur after gas petal mechanisms endure excessive use.

Toyota says that owners will be notified when a solution is available and urges people to brake firmly in order to regain control of their vehicle if the gas pedal should become stuck. In such an event, the car should be driven to the closest safe location, turned off, and a Toyota dealer should be contacted.

The following vehicles are currently being recalled: 2009-2010 Toyota Rav4, Corolla, Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia.

Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious crime under Missouri law. Under Missouri Revised Statutes section 577.060.1.: "A person commits the crime of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident when being the operator or driver of a vehicle on the highway or on any publicly or privately owned parking lot or parking facility generally open for use by the public and knowing that an injury has been caused to a person or damage has been caused to property, due to his culpability or to accident, he leaves the place of the injury, damage or accident without stopping and giving his name, residence, including city and street number, motor vehicle number and driver's license number, if any, to the injured party or to a police officer, or if no police officer is in the vicinity, then to the nearest police station or judicial officer."

Levaquin belongs to a group of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones that have been known to cause tendon injures. Studies suggest that fluoroquinolones can degrade tendon cells by causing apoptosis, or cell death. The damaged cells weaken and can then tear or rupture more easily. Many of the people who take Levaquin are 60 and older, the same group of people who are most at risk for tendon injury while taking the drug.

The three plaintiffs also contend that treatment for Levaquin side effects include corticosteroids – the same drug that greatly increases the risk of tendon rupture when combined with this antibiotic. The suit declares that the defendants did not properly highlight the drug’s tenotoxic effects in their marketing campaigns. Instead, Levaquin’s safety record and minor adverse side effects such as diarrhea and nausea where more prominently advertised while the severe warning of tendon rupture did not receive any special attention.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that between 1996 and 2006, there were 96 school bus crashes nationwide in which at least one school bus occupant died. More than 50 percent of those crashes involved another vehicle. In the 41 single-vehicle crashes, 48 occupants, 14 drivers and 32 passengers died.