According a recent article on Dotmed.com, this past year has seen a massive number of medical device recalls. According to ExpertRecall, a company tasked with tracking food, drug and device recalls, a whopping 123 million such devices were recalled in the most recent quarter of the year, representing a nearly…
Articles Posted in Defective Products
FDA Approval Process Allows Defective Devices to Get By
A recent study has found a major flaw in the Food and Drug Administration’s process that approves medical devices. At least four dangerously defective medical devices were expedited through FDA’s approval process with minimal testing. The four devices were the DePuy ASR hip implant, transvaginal mesh, heart rings, and defibrillator…
FDA meets to discuss danger of metal-on-metal hip devices
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced it would be meeting with a panel of orthopedic experts to more fully explore the growing body of evidence showing that metal-on-metal hip devices have a higher failure rate than other similar devices, typically made of plastic or ceramic. The FDA’s chief scientist…
FDA Moves To Track Medical Devices
The FDA made a major announcement recently which will make medical devices a lot like mass-produced consumer devices such as cars and microwaves. The new proposed rule will require that each medical device manufactured be given a unique code which will help with tracking and hopefully assist the agency in…
Software Failures To Blame For Many Medical Device Recalls
The Food and Drug Administration just released some surprising news that it found poor software quality is to blame for many of the recalls that have been seen in the medical device industry. The FDA’s research revealed that such glitches were responsible for 24% of all such recalls. Given this…
Magnets present terrible danger to unsuspecting children
A few months ago one unfortunate couple made a purchase they’ll likely regret for the rest of their lives: a bag of magnets. They were shopping near their hometown and came across some high-powered magnets that could be used to form various shapes. The couple bought them for a little…
The danger of being on the cutting edge
Who doesn’t love a new gadget? Whether it’s the latest iPhone or a new videogame console, we all love our technology. Sometimes, though, this rush can be to our determent. A good example of the danger of rushing involves the da Vinci Surgical Robot. According to the manufacturer, Intuitive Surgical,…
Carnival Rides Caused 4 Deaths in the U.S. in 2007
Traveling carnival rides are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commision (“CPSC”), but this federal agency has not required safety improvements from any ride manufacturers during the last eight years. The agency, which is responsible for overseeing the safety of 15,000 products in addition to the safety of amusement rides,…
Brain Injury Caused by Stanley Works Nail Gun Results in $3.4 Million Verdict
A 51 year old construction worker using a Stanley Works nail gun, which was sold to him by Home Depot, suffered seizures and paralysis after a nail from the gun ended up embedded in his brain. The manufacturer said that the nail gun, known as a Model N79 or “contact…
Philadelphia Verdict in Death from Infant Tylenol Upheld
A July 2006 verdict awarding the parents of a one-year who allegedly died from liver failure caused by an overdose of Infant Tylenol was upheld by a Philadelphia appeals Court this month. At trial, the parents alleged that their son died after an overdose of acetaminophen resulted in liver failure.…