San Antonio Injury Lawyer Blog

A recall of more than 2 million baby cribs was initiated over fears of personal injury to infants. The majority of the cribs involved in the recall were "drop side" cribs - cribs that have a side rail that slides downward to allow a parent easier access to pick up or lay down a child. However, the sliding side rails can dislodge or detach, creating gaps large enough to allow a child to become entrapped and suffocate. There have been no deaths reported as of yet, however, at least one child was found unconscious and required hospitalization.

Defective products that have been linked to injuries and deaths need to be properly investigated and thoroughly examined in order to preserve a claim against a negligent manufacturer. For details on this current crib recall, vist the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) to determine whether you may have one of these recalled items.

Auto accidents in San Antonio may increase until Chrysler vehicles with defective brakes are repaired. A recall of certain Jeep Wranglers manufactured from 2006 through 2010 was instituted because wear in the brake tubes could cause a brake fluid leak. Enter recall ID# 10V2346000 under the search function for more details.

The risk of a serious auto accident is increased because of the potential leak. A brake fluid leak in the affected Jeep Wranglers could cause a failure in the braking system with serious consequences.

Any auto accident involving Jeep Wranglers wherein the driver of the jeep complains about brake failure should be investigated for a possible product defect.

Most Texas drivers know that driving while intoxicated is a serious danger to all people on the roadway and can cause serious personal injury and death. Likewise, it is becoming increasingly more obvious that driving while texting is dangerous, and is occurring at an alarmingly increasing rate. What many may not realize, however, conduct that almost everyone engages in was addressed in a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and stresses that driving while talking on a cell phone is also dangerous. Yes, just talking on the phone distracts a driver’s attention.

Published data supports the theory that driving while distracted is the equivalent to driving while intoxicated. However, according to the article most people do not feel as though talking on a cell phone is any more dangerous than talking to other passengers. This belief is misguided. Studies have shown that talking on a cell phone affects the brain differently than talking to passengers. For additional information, see Strayer DL, William JA. Driven to Distraction: dual-task studies of simulated driving and conversing on a cellular telephone. Psychol Sci 2001: 12:462-466.

Talking on a cell phone while driving affects the brain differently than talking to passengers and is inherently more dangerous to everyone on the roadway.

The Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has come under increasing criticism for its handling of drug and medical device approvals as well as its inability to make sure that products already being sold are safe. We have also been critical of the agency’s ability to protect the public.

In a May 19th article in the New England Journal of Medicine ("NEJM") the authors recognize the many shortcomings of the agency. However, the article points out that many new initiatives are making the FDA more transparent. This transparency, in theory, should make the FDA more responsive to dangerous drugs and other defective products. In an initial step, this past January the FDA released a web-site providing answers to fundamental questions about the FDA.

Without an honest, transparent assessment and evaluation of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and consumer products, the safety of the public is at risk. If the FDA does not effectively contribute to this process, more individuals will be injured, maimed, or killed as a result of products that otherwise should never have been approved for sale to the public.