Articles Posted in Product Liability

Recently, the United States Public Interest Research Group Education Fund published a report by Teresa Murray, a consumer watchdog with the nonpartisan consumer advocacy nonprofit PIRG. The report demonstrates: (1) the CPSC isn’t financed well enough to completely protect consumers from dangerous products, (2) the CPSC isn’t authorized to immediately warn or recall items without the consent of a manufacturer, and (3) manufacturers don’t back up recalls by letting consumers know through marketing that they should stop using defective items.

Murray analyzed recalls involving 292 products that were recalled last year and the 3600 complaints about those products. She learned that the products remained on the market for months, even as more and more consumers were injured by them. Consumers would file numerous complaints prior to recalls. The companies would sometimes delay in providing notice to CPSC of the dangers. Nothing was done for months or even years.

While the CPSC website tells consumers to make sure the products they buy are safe before purchasing, it doesn’t contain the full spectrum of reports that consumers make to manufacturers. This omission can make you, as a consumer, feel more secure than you are. For instance, though Horizon had received 874 reports that its treadmill unexpectedly changed speeds or halted and more than 70 people got hurt in those incidents, there were only 8 reports of malfunction that were made public. Similarly, 429 different products were linked to 62 deaths, almost 1600 injuries and over 23,000 non-injury producing defects. But of note, and by way of comparison, the CPSC public data collection reported only 13 deaths, 135 injuries and 96 breakdowns in those products.

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Several companies have faced lawsuits related to injuries caused by their hair relaxers. Recently, the bankruptcy judge responsible for overseeing their Chapter 11 bankruptcy extended the deadline by which consumers with certain types of cancer can file claims against the company. The number of claims against the company and other similar companies based on the link between uterine cancer and chemical hair relaxers are growing. If you’ve developed uterine cancer that you believe is related to use of a hair relaxer, you should call the experienced product liability attorneys of Moll Law Group to see whether you have a viable claim. Billions have been recovered in cases with which we’ve been involved.

Call Moll Law Group About Your Hair Relaxer Claim

The original deadline to institute the hair relaxer claims occurred in October after publication of a study that demonstrates a link between certain chemical hair relaxers and uterine cancer. However, United States Bankruptcy Judge David S. Jones extended the deadline to April 11, 2023. If you believe you have a claim, you can file it by this date. The judge acknowledged that most mass torts allow customers to file claims for more than a month-long window but doesn’t want to prolong the company’s exit from bankruptcy by pushing the deadline further out.

Revlon’s attorney, meanwhile, has said he doesn’t believe there is a connection between its product and cancer, and that, in fact, claimants should be vetted further. The company’s own representative did not comment on the NIH study, which examined data from almost 33,500 women to find that those who often used hair straightening products were more than twice as likely to get uterine cancer than those who didn’t. In the study, around 60% of the consumers who had straightened their hair chemically were Black women.

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Recently, four plaintiffs moved under 28 U.S.C. § 1407 to consolidate nearly 60 hair relaxer lawsuits filed both in the Northern District of Illinois and the Northern District of California in the Northern District of Illinois. The centralized litigation involves 9 lawsuits pending in four districts. There are 44 federal lawsuits in another 15 districts that are related. There were about 24 potential tag-along actions. Manufacturers who have been sued include L’Oréal USA and Strength of Nature Global, and Revlon Consumer Products Corp. If you were injured by hair relaxer made by any of these defendants, you should call the seasoned Chicago product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group.

Call Moll Law Group About Dangerous Hair Relaxer

In their motion, plaintiffs indicated that they supported transfer to the Northern District of Illinois, though they also suggested other venues for the potential transfer. The defendants opposed the motion to consolidate but agreed that the cases should be centralized in either the Northern District of Illinois or Southern District of New York.

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), before whom the motion was brought, found that consolidation would be most convenient and promote an efficient, fair resolution. It remarked on common factual questions with regard to lawsuits that allege, based on a National Institute of Health (NIH) study, that women who frequently used chemical hair straightening or relaxing products made by the defendants were more than twice as likely to get uterine cancer as those who did not. The hair relaxers include phthalates such as di-2ethylhexylphthalate and other chemicals that are believed to disrupt the endocrine system.

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Reports made to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) claim that the air fryers made by Cosori, one of the most popular brands, catch on fire. The company has recalled the affected air fryers. According to the consumer agency, the recall has been issued because there is a faulty wire connection inside the air fryers. This may result in air fryers smoking, melting, burning, and otherwise overheating. Ten of the reports made to the CPSC involved burns and other minor injuries; there was also property damage reported. If you were injured by a Cosori air fryer, you may be wondering whether you have any recourse. Call experienced Chicago product liability lawyers at Moll Law Group to determine your legal options. Billions have been recovered in product liability lawsuits with which we’ve been involved.

Call Moll Law Group About an Air Fryer Claim

Amazon, Target, Home Depot, and Best Buy sold the recalled air fryers online from June 2018-December 2022 for $70-$130. The models were sold in many different colors including blue, white, gray, black and red. If you have an affected model, you can register your air fryer online to get it replaced or you can call 1-888-216-5974.

There are alternatives to the Cosori air fryers if you wish to buy a different air fryer. However, if you were injured, you may be wondering if you have any remedies. It may be appropriate to bring a product liability lawsuit against Cosori. This type of lawsuit can be pursued when a product is dangerous because of manufacturing, design, or marketing defects.

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Recently, the company Bentex recalled children’s clothing after a violation of the Federal Lead Paint and Lead Content Ban was discovered. The clothing presents a lead poisoning hazard to children: the ink painted on the recalled clothes contains lead levels that exceed the federal standards, presenting a lead poisoning danger to children. Lead can be toxic, so it is crucial to check whether your children’s Bentex clothing has been affected. If your child was made sick by Bentex children’s clothing, you should call the trustworthy Chicago product liability lawyers of the Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in product liability lawsuits with which we’ve been involved.

Consult Moll Law Group About Your Child’s Bentex Clothing Injuries

Young children can suffer lead poisoning if they are exposed to lead beyond a certain level and face serious medical harm. Bentex recalled around 87,000 units of its clothes on November 23, 2022. Recalled clothes were printed with 9 different Disney themes. Their item and batch numbers can be found on the neck of the clothes or their side labels.

Recalled clothes included:

• Infant girls’ polyester 2-piece set printed with Minnie Mouse and white and yellow flowers through size 18;
• 2-piece sets for toddler girls that are printed with Minnie Mouse and gray shorts with black polka dots and Minnie Mouse heads;
• Toddler girls’ 2-pieces through 4-6X with Winnie the Pooh and “Hello Hunny” printed on them
• Girls’ 2-piece for sizes 4-16 printed with Disney Descendants characters and the words “Wickedly Fierce”;
• Children’s 100% cotton green long-sleeves 2-piece sets for infants and newborns that are printed with baby Yoda and frogs;
• 2-pack of newborn boys’ cotton shorts printed with Mickey Mouse from sizes 4-7;
• 3-pack of 100% cotton sweatpants with Mickey Mouse printed on them;
• Winnie the Poo and Tigger cotton 2-piece sets;
• Infant girls’ 2-piece set printed with “Best Buds” and Minnie Mouse.

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Mockingbird recently recalled its single-to-double strollers. They recalled the strollers because the lower side of the stroller frames have the potential to crack and create a fall hazard for children. Around 149,000 stroller units were affected. Consumers were asked to immediately stop using the strollers and contact Mockingbird to get a free frame reinforcement kit. However, if your child was injured due to a fall in a Mockingbird single-to-double stroller, you should give the experienced Chicago product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group a call. Billions have been recovered in lawsuits with which we’ve been involved, and we are tenacious advocates for consumers.

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Mockingbird has received 138 reports of cracks in the frames of the affected strollers, which are made of aluminum and come in black or silver, with canopies that are black, light blue, green pink, or dark blue. So far, 8 injuries involving bruises, cuts, and scratches have been reported in connection with the Mockingbird.  The recall impacted only Mockingbird single-to-double strollers with lot numbers between 20,091 and 22,602. To determine whether you have a stroller that has been recalled, you should look for the lot number, which will be printed on a white product label on the inner left side of your stroller’s frame.

Affected Mockingbird strollers were sold at Target, along with online retailers like mockingbird.com, goodbyegear.com, and babylist.com. If you have a recalled stroller, you should stop using it until you get a frame reinforcement kit that the company will send you once you report you have an affected stroller.

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Polaris Industries recently recalled certain models of its snowmobiles due to the risk of fires. The Pro-Ride, AXYS, and MATRYX snowmobiles were affected. It was found that electrostatic discharge within the fuel tank could ignite vapors while the snowmobile was being operated. This could result in the tank of the snowmobile bursting and starting a fire. The company has stated it will repair the affected units, about 138,000 of them sold within the United States. You can put your VIN number into www.polaris.com/en-us/off-road-recalls/ to determine whether your snowmobile has been recalled. However, it may be necessary to pursue more complex legal remedies if you or a loved one was injured or killed as the result of a burst tank in the recalled Polaris snowmobiles. Give the seasoned Chicago product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group a call to determine whether you have a viable claim.

Call Moll Law Group About Injuries From a Defective Polaris

Models recalled were certain 2013 and 2014 Pro-Ride snowmobiles, Polaris Model Years 2021 -2023 MATRYX, and model years 2015 through 2022 AXYS. These snowmobiles came in custom color combinations as well as black, with Polaris printed on the chassis. If you have an affected snowmobile, you may be able to schedule a free repair by calling Polaris or an authorized Polaris dealer. The company has asked all consumers to stop riding the vehicles, but it has advised that if you need to start your snowmobile, you should ensure that your fuel tank is full. If it’s not full, Polaris says you’ll need to fill the tank with fresh gasoline before moving it safely.

Thirty reports of fuel tanks bursting, including 16 fire events and a second degree burn, have been made.

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