When consumers purchase products, they expect that the product has gone through extensive safety testing and a rigorous approval process before it is introduced to the public. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and dangerous products often find their way into consumers’ homes, resulting in serious consequences. Our Virginia personal injury law firm has successfully represented many clients who were injured because of a dangerous or defective product and understands how challenging these cases can be.
Recently, there has been one particular product that has been getting a lot of media attention because of the number of incidents that have caused harm to both people and their pets. There have been thousands of cases reported of injuries to both pets and their owners caused by the Seresto Flea and Tick Collar. These collars are used to kill both fleas and ticks but have also been causing injury and death to a significant number of pets. Many owners have also become ill due to the collars.
The collars contain two pesticides that are released to kill fleas and ticks that may be on dogs and cats, flumethrin and imidacloprid. Imidacloprid is used in many other types of pesticides, but flumerthrin is only used in the Seresto collars. Although the two pesticides together are effective in killing both fleas and ticks, the combination is also showing that they can be harmful to both humans and animals.
There have been thousands of reports of cats and dogs suffering hair loss, lethargy, and rashes. Many pets have also suffered seizures, stopped breathing, and dies. There have been more than 1,000 reports of people who have experienced fatigue, headaches, hives, and skin irritations after coming into contact with the collars. More serious symptoms that people have suffered include vomiting, heart arrhythmia, and seizures.
First introduced in 2012, these collars are one of the top-selling flea and tick collars both online and in retail outlets. However, since they have been put on the market, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received more than 75,000 reports of harm to people or animals. More than 1,600 of these reports include pets that have died.
The EPA has not taken any steps to inform the public of the potential dangers of using these collars, despite the ever-increasing number of victims coming forward. Some victims are currently in the process of filing dangerous product lawsuits against the company that manufactures the collars.
Let Our Virginia Beach Personal Injury Firm Help
At Shapiro, Appleton & Washburn, our Virginia product liability attorneys know how devastating a defective product accident can be for a family. Our personal injury firm represented the estate of a man who was killed when the lawnmower he was on exploded and burnt him to death Not only was the manufacturer aware that the plastic fuel tank and fuel line connection was insecure, but they had designed a new fuel tank within a year after the victim had purchased his mower and never alerted consumers of the prior defect.
The company also denied there were any other reports of fires caused by their lawnmower, but an intensive investigation by our attorneys revealed not only were there other reports, but that the company was fully aware these reports existed. The jury found in favor of the victim’s family with an award of $2.5 million.
If you or someone in your family has been a victim of a defective or dangerous product, call our firm today at 800-752-0042 for a free and confidential case evaluation.
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An experienced personal injury attorney with dual licensure in Virginia and North Carolina, Eric Washburn received a B.B.A. in Finance from James Madison University—initially worked in the information technology field before obtaining his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. Once an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Danville, Va., Eric has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a “Rising Star” Super Lawyer in Virginia since 2014.
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