FDA Warns about Health Risks from Teething Medication – Houston Child Injury Lawyers
The Food and Drug Administration is warning parents and Houston product liability lawyers about the health risks from using popular brands of teething medication. According to the agency, teething drugs that contain benzocaine have been linked to infant deaths.
The agency is warning that benzocaine, which is in most popular teething medications, can have dangerous health effects. Benzocaine is a painkiller, but according to the agency, it has also been associated with a rare, but potentially serious condition called methemoglobinemia. In this condition, there’s a vastly reduced supply of oxygen carried through the bloodstream. In very severe cases, infants may be at risk of death.
In the US, benzocaine is available in liquid and gel form, under the names Orajel, Baby Orajel, Anbesol and other brands. It is also available in spray form and as lozenges. These are typically used to treat teething pain. However, these drugs are also used by adults to treat canker sores and relieve gum irritation.
However, the agency is warning that methemoglobinemia has been linked to benzocaine at varying levels. Even teething products containing 7.5% concentration of benzocaine has been linked to the fatal condition. Most of these cases involved children under the age of two. According to the Food and Drug Administration, parents must watch out for the following symptoms
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Shortness of breath
- Gray color for skin
- Rapid heart rate
- Blueness of the nails or lips
- Headache
Typically, these symptoms appear within hours or even minutes of using benzocaine. Even a single dose of the product is enough for symptoms to turn up.
Even adults who use gels and lotions containing benzocaine must follow precautions. Use the recommendations on the label of the product. Keep the product out of reach of children. Avoid using these products frequently.
Parental Example Can Help Prevent Houston Teen Accidents
To Houston car accident attorneys, it’s always been a given that parents can do much to inculcate strong driving habits in their teenage children. A new study by Ford Motor Company shows just how much example and emulation matters in creating a generation of safe teenage drivers.
The study indicates that more than 75% of teenage and tween drivers admit to being strongly influenced by the parents’ driving behavior. Appallingly, more than 82% have seen their parents show poor driving practices at the wheel. What’s more, parents seem to be oblivious to their bad driving behavior. More than 95% of the parents in the survey were confident about their driving abilities, rating these abilities as good. However, more than half of the children in the study, including teenagers and tweens had found it necessary to draw their parents’ attention to their poor driving, including speeding and cell phone use while driving.
This indicates a disconnect between how parents see their driving abilities, and the reality of their driving skills. It also means that teenage drivers may be at a much higher risk of picking up such poor driving practices from their parents, because parents have no idea they are setting such a bad example.
Most parents we know wouldn’t dream of driving under the influence, but many would consider talking on the cell phone or text while driving with their children in the car. Such practices are a bad example for teenagers, setting the tone for possibly dangerous driving behaviors as an adult motorist. Parents can do much to foster safe driving practices in their children, and the best thing to do would be to set a good example by driving safely. Always obey traffic laws, never use cell phones while driving, and drive at safe speeds.
Unsecure Wi-Fi Access and Child Pornography Charges – Houston Criminal Defense Lawyers
Houston criminal defense attorneys have been coming across a number of instances recently involving men charged with accessing child porn on the Internet after their Wi-Fi servers were compromised and illegally accessed. These instances should serve as a warning to Houstonians who believe in leaving their Wi-Fi routers unsecured.
In New York and Florida, FBI officers have conducted raids on homes where they traced downloaded child porn. However, the officers soon found after investigations that the homeowners were not the ones who had downloaded the images. Neighbors who managed to gain access to the Wi-Fi routers, downloaded thousands of images of child porn, alerting the FBI. In most of these cases, the officers were able to investigate and determine that other people had accessed the porn through Wi-Fi routers.
Leaving Wi-Fi routers is a widespread practice in Houston. Most people who do so believe they are being generous to outsiders who wish to access the Internet by leaving their Wi-Fi routers open. However, this habit is isn’t without its pitfalls. Your Wi-Fi router could be used for illegal activities, including downloading child pornography. According to the Computer Emergency Readiness Team, users can make their networks invisible by disabling a function that announces the presence of wireless access points to others. If you have an open wireless router, you must know that you will not be able to quickly determine if someone else is accessing your router for illegal activities.
Child pornography charges are some of the most serious crimes that you can be charged with. These belong to a category of crimes in which persons may be assumed by society to be guilty until they are proved innocent. Secure your Wi-Fi routers, and protect yourself from unauthorized access to your WI-F networks.
Houston Police Analysis Reveals Black Motorists Pulled over More Often – Houston Criminal Lawyers
An analysis of the Houston Police Department’s most recent data shows that black drivers continue to be pulled over more often than people belonging to other groups. This is even as the Houston Police Department continues to insist that race has nothing to do with persons who are stopped by police.
According to the data, in 2010, 494,000 people were stopped by Houston police. Out of these, blacks comprised approximately 33%. In comparison, the black population in Houston last year was just 23%, making for a skewed proportion.
According to officials, police do conduct more patrols in predominantly African American neighborhoods, as well as minority neighborhoods in general. However, not all of the stops lead to an arrest. In 2010, the Houston Police Department pulled over 175,000 black residents, and 18% of them were released. Out of the remaining, 40% were ticketed and 17% were given warnings.
According to the Houston Police Department, the increased number of stops in predominantly African-American neighborhoods has to do with the fact that there are more calls from residents in these areas complaining about illegal activity, like drug crimes. Therefore, Houston police officers deploy more units in these areas, and as a result, residents of these areas feel like they’re pulled over more often.
Being arrested can be a traumatizing experience for any Houstonian. Persons in a situation like this may feel confused, and anxious. If you’re been arrested for a crime in Houston, contact the Houston criminal defense attorneys at our firm.
Texas DPS Investigates Fatal Motorcycle Accident – Houston Injury Lawyers
The Texas Department of Public Safety is currently investigating a fatal motorcycle accident that occurred in Montgomery County. The accident involved two motorcyclists who were killed when they were struck by a pickup truck driver. The two had been riding with a large group of motorcyclists near state Highway 115.
The two motorcyclists sustained fatal injuries. The other motorcyclists were not injured in the accident. The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating what caused the driver to plow into the group of motorcyclists.
As more and more motorcyclists around Texas gear up for riding season, Houston motorcycle accident attorneys would advise motorists to watch out for motorcyclists at all times. A motorcyclist may be easy to miss, and could also easily fall into your blind spot. It’s important for drivers to look out for motorcyclists in these spots, especially behind your vehicle or near busy intersections. Look out for motorcyclists when you’re backing out of a parking lot.
Motorcyclists are at risk of severe injuries in accidents. Even a helmeted motorcyclist may suffer serious head and brain injuries in an accident, which can even prove fatal. A helmet can do nothing to protect a motorcyclist from other kinds of injuries, like spinal cord injuries, fractures and amputations. These injuries are frequently seen in motorcycle accidents.
Most motorcycle accidents are caused by motorists who fail to look out for motorcyclists or fail to yield right-of-way to them. These continue to remain the most important factors in motorcycle accidents. It also doesn’t make it easier for motorcyclists that drivers these days are more distracted than ever before. You’re less likely to see a motorcycle if you are engaged in other activities while driving.
$212 Million Botox Injury Verdict against Allergan – Houston Personal Injury Lawyers
It is the biggest Botox-injury related verdict that Houston defective product attorneys have come across. This week, a jury in Virginia handed over a $212 million verdict to a man whose lawsuit claimed that he had been left with brain injuries as a result of Botox injections.
The 67-year-old man had been prescribed Botox to treat his hand tremors and writer’s cramp. The man suffered an autoimmune reaction to the toxin, which left him with a brain injury. As a result of the brain injury, the man, who owned a successful design business earlier, has been left unable to take care of himself. He is now totally dependent on others to care for him.
The man filed a lawsuit against the makers of Botox, Allergan, alleging that the company had failed to warn patients about possible side effects, including autoimmune reactions that result in brain injury. Allergan denied that the man’s brain injury had anything to do with Botox, saying that its product has been tested extensively.
The jury obviously didn’t agree with Allergan. It has handed over a $212 million verdict against Allergan, including $12 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages.
The $200 million in punitive damages is likely to be in question because of a cap on punitive damages in Virginia. However, for Allergan, the fact that there has been such a massive verdict against it based on injuries caused by the use of its best-selling wrinkle smoothing drug, is likely to create trouble.
It’s not the first time that Houston defective product attorneys have come across injuries caused from Botox side effects. Last year, a jury awarded $15 million to a person who claimed that he had suffered botulism poisoning from the use of Botox. Also last year, Allergan agreed to pay $600 million to settle a federal probe into off-label marketing of the drug. Doctors are allowed to prescribe a drug for off label purposes, but are prohibited from marketing the drug for unapproved purposes. In this case, the plaintiff’s writer’s cramp would constitute an off-label use. With this plaintiff’s victory, it is likely that the floodgates of Botox injury lawsuits will now open.
CPSC Announces New Safety Standards for Toddler Beds – Houston Child Injury Lawyers
Houston defective product attorneys have found that much of the attention on children’s product safety has been focused on defective cribs. Now, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has developed new standards for toddler beds too. As part of the provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the federal consumer safety agency has announced new standards for toddler beds that will prevent injuries from falls, strangulation and entrapment hazards.
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 ordered the Consumer Product Safety Commission to develop new standards for a variety of children’s products, including cribs and toddler beds. The agency has already set new standards for crib safety, announcing a ban on drop side cribs, and has also turned its attention to other children’s products, including infant carriers. This week, the agency announced new standards for toddler’s beds.
There have been several reports of injuries and deaths involving toddler beds. According to the CPSC, it is aware of at least 122 incidents that occurred between 2005 and 2010. Out of these, four children died, and 43 children were injured from these toddler beds.
The CPSC’s new standards mandate that the upper edge of the guardrail be at least 5 inches above the mattress of the bed, and that the spindle and slat stress testing standards for toddler beds be consistent with current testing requirements. These guidelines also mandate that manufacturers include warning labels that caution parents about the risks of entrapment and strangulation hazards from toddler beds.
The CPSC has been investing more attention towards sleeping environment safety over the past few months. One of the first major steps that the CPSC took to help children sleep safely was a ban on drop side cribs announced in December. These cribs have been traced to several reports of strangulation, suffocation as well as some fall incidents.
Match.com Announces Sex Offender Screening for Users – Houston Criminal Lawyers
Over the past week, Houston criminal defense attorneys have watched with interest a lawsuit to force popular dating website Match.com to begin screening its users for sex crimes. That was followed quickly by the operator of the dating website buckling, and agreeing to include sex offender checks on the website. Such screening is not just useless, but could also be counterproductive as far as rehabilitating sex offenders on probation back into society, is concerned.
The story revolves around a woman in Los Angeles, who was sexually assaulted by a man she met on the dating website. The woman filed a lawsuit against the website, to force it to include sex offender checks as part of its screening process. Within a few days, the operator of the website announced that the website would now begin screening to match usernames with those on the sex offender registry.
There are several reasons why this won’t work. For instance, there’s nothing forcing a person to post their real name on the website. There goes any possibility of matching the name with an existing name on a sex offender registry. Even if the name matches one on a sex offender registry, the addresses would have to match too. It’s far too easy for a person to provide a post box number for a residential address.
Besides, the federal sex offender registry is notoriously unreliable. There are several errors made in registries, including some instances where people who were never convicted of any sex offenses found their names on the registry. Besides, the risks of a convicted sex offender committing sexual assault again are actually quite low. Most users of dating websites are likely to be assaulted by someone who is not mentioned in the registry, than by a convicted sex offender.
Besides, where does this all end? There’s nothing preventing a person tomorrow, for asking for DWI screenings, and inclusion of shoplifting, petty theft and other minor convictions on dating websites.
Fears about Denture Paste-Zinc Poisoning Grow Again – Houston Product Liability Lawyers
Houston product liability attorneys have been reviewing complaints of nerve injuries filed by persons who used popular brands of zinc-containing dental adhesives. As it turns out, the risks of zinc poisoning from using these dental adhesives, may be more widespread than earlier believed.
Earlier last month, the Academy of Gen. Dentistry shot out a letter to dentists around the United States, warning about zinc poisoning from the use of the denture adhesives. Now the Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that accumulation of zinc in the body from denture paste can actually have serious ill health effects.
Several patients, who have developed medical conditions, specifically nerve damage, from the use of the dental adhesives, have filed lawsuits against companies that manufacture these products. The biggest health complaint that people have is linked to nerve damage or neuropathy. Patients, who suffer from neuropathy, may find it very difficult to even walk about, or perform routine daily tasks. In extreme cases, there may be partial paralysis of the limbs.
The Food and Drug Administration has not bothered to classify denture adhesives at a higher level of danger. These adhesives are classified as class I medical devices, which means that they have the least risk of injury. However, now the Food and Drug Administration says that it is asking manufacturers of dental adhesives to modify their products using a substitute for zinc.
GlaxoSmithKline, which manufactures SuperPoliGrip, one of the dental adhesives that have been linked to incidences of zinc poisoning, has already confirmed that it is reformulating its product to make it zinc-free. The other major branded dental adhesive that has been linked to zinc poisoning is Procter & Gamble’s Fixodent. Procter & Gamble is still reviewing the substitution of some other ingredient in place of zinc in its adhesive.
Wrong Way Driver Causes Fatal Fort Worth Gas Tanker Accident – Texas Injury Lawyers
A deadly gas tanker accident on a freeway in Fort Worth, Texas, has been blamed on a wrong way driver who was traveling in the opposite direction on the freeway, under the influence of alcohol. The man has now been charged with intoxication manslaughter.
The 23-year-old motorist was driving a pickup truck the wrong way in the westbound lanes of Interstate 30 in Fort Worth. Soon, the pickup truck crashed into a gas tanker, and the tanker exploded in flames. The tanker driver died at the scene of the accident. The accident occurred on a bridge, and there was some damage to the structure of the bridge from the heat generated by the explosion.
Investigations into the accident have begun. The driver has admitted to having had at least 10 beers before he began driving. Investigators are focusing on where the man consumed that amount of alcohol before the accident. The Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission has begun an investigation into the business where the man purchased his drinks. They have identified one establishment where the man might have consumed his drinks, and are specifically investigating whether the business was negligent in over serving the man.
As Houston DWI lawyers and Houston Auto Accident Lawyers, we always encourage bars, taverns, pubs, restaurants and other establishments that serve alcohol, to remember that they have a responsibility to do so safely. For instance, staff at an establishment must not serve alcohol to a patron they can see is too intoxicated to drive. Failure to do so can result in criminal charges being pressed against the establishment. For instance, an establishment may face misdemeanor charges for serving alcohol to an intoxicated patron. Also, an establishment may face a civil lawsuit for negligently serving a known intoxicated person additional drinks under the Texas Dram Shop Act.
