Disease outbreaks like the emerging coronavirus pandemic that erupted out of Wuhan, China, during the first weeks of 2020 affect much more than people’s health. For instance, one of my first thoughts when I read that health care services conglomerate Cardinal Health recalled millions of…
The government is issuing a recall for a surgical stapler after reports that seven patients were seriously injured, and one died. According to news reports, the medical device, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit, is used to simultaneously cut and staple tissue back together…
Roughly 20 years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) created a controversial program for medical device manufacturers to submit alternative summary reports regarding known risks involving their devices. This program allowed device manufacturers to hide reports from the general public; reports containing information of…
Over the past several years, there have been more than 42 million vehicles recalled that were equipped with 52 million defective Takata airbags, that affected at least a dozen vehicle brands. The defective airbags could explode potentially send shrapnel into the face and body of…
A spate of news stories in mid-December 2019 filled in many of the remaining gaps in the story of who drove and financially benefited from pushing addiction to the powerful opioid painkiller OxyContin. Details of how members of the Sackler family, owners of the drug…
As consumers, we depend on government agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), that are tasked with making sure dangerous products stay off the market to do their job and protect us. Unfortunately – and often tragically –…
Getting hurt on the job in Virginia usually entitles you to seek workers’ compensation benefits. Some restrictions apply. For instance, a select few employers such as railroads are exempt from participating in the workers’ comp program, and you cannot receive workers’ comp if you were…
Since last month, 156 people have become ill with E. Coli food poisoning throughout 10 states. Two of those victims live right here in Virginia. Twenty of the victims needed to be hospitalized. Fortunately, there have been no deaths reported from this outbreak. The Centers…
Many residents and visitors to Virginia enjoy cycling for both exercise and recreation. There are also a lot of cyclists who use their bikes for transportation. In order to protect from injury in the event of a bike accident, it is important for cyclists to…
Many expectant parents spend hours and hours researching all the different infant products on the market, ensuring they buy the safest products for their new baby. Despite all this time spent, thousands of baby products are recalled every year because of injuries and death to…
