Safety should always be a top concern for manufacturers and distributors. These companies are legally obliged make sure the items they produce are safe for consumer usage. Any defective or unsafe products can cause serious damage if not identified and recalled in a timely manner. Failure to do so can result in personal injury lawsuits from manufacturer negligence. Here is a quick briefing of  some of the most recent recalls and product liability news:  

Recent Food and Product Recalls

  Murry’s Inc. Chicken Nuggets: Murry’s Inc., based out of Lebanon, PA, has recalled approximately 20,232 pounds of gluten-free breaded chicken nugget product due to a positive test for Staphylococcal enterotoxin. The recall was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service last week. The affected product is 12-oz. boxes sold under the name Bell & Evans  with a best by date of March 25, 2016.   Niagara Bottling Company: Niagara drinking water has been recalled due to a possible E.coli contamination. It is reported that one of the company’s water sources, Far Away Springs, failed to reveal that a water sample tested positive for the virus. Niagara Bottling Company voluntarily recalled all water bottled at the Hamburg and Allentown facilities  in Pennsylvania between June 10 and June 18, 2015. The company bottles water under numerous brand names, including Acadia, Acme, Big Y, Best Yet, 7-Eleven, Niagara, Nature’s Place, Pricerite, Superchill, Morning Fresh, Shaws, ShopRite, Western Beef Blue, and Wegmans. No cases of E.coli connected to the possible water contamination have been reported.   Wish Bone Salad Dressing: Thousands of Wish Bone salad dressing products have been recalled because of mislabeling. The bleu cheese dressing was bottled and labeled as ranch dressing. This can pose a serious threat to consumers with food allergies because the bleu cheese dressing contains eggs and dairy. These ingredients are not appropriately labeled on the ranch dressing bottles. While this is not a danger to much of the population, those with egg allergies in particular can suffer skin rashes, congestion, vomiting, and anaphylaxis from consuming egg products.   Japanese Takata Airbag Recall Expansion: The Japanese Takata airbag recall has been expanded to include driver front and side airbags found to deploy defectively or rupture when deployed. The original recall was for airbags found to deploy too forcefully, resulting in the discharge of plastic and metal shrapnel that that killed five U.S. consumers. Honda, Toyota, and Nissan are just some of the companies affected by the recall, involving 33.8 million automobiles overall.  

Recent Product News

  A new law regarding the use of a product often on the liability radar, car seats, will go into effect this September. Legislation was signed by Governor Chris Christie last month to will govern the use of car seats beginning September 1, 2015 in the state of New Jersey. The law sets requirements for when and how long children must remain in car seats depending on age. Previously, many of these decisions have been left up to the discretion of parents in the state. Violators of the new law will face $25 to $75 fines, up from the prior $10 charge. Read the highlights of the law below:  

• Birth to two years: All children under two years of age that weigh less than thirty pounds must be protected by a five-point harness and  in a car seat that faces the rear of the vehicle.

• Ages two to four: Children under age four that weigh less than forty pounds must be protected by a five-point harness in a car seat placed in the back seat of the vehicle. A rear-facing position is recommended but not required.

• Ages four to eight: Children under eight years old and under 57 inches must be secured in a car seat or booster seat. It is recommended that children ride with the security of a five point harness until they outgrow the product’s height and weight requirements.

• Vehicles without a back seat: Children must be secured as described above and the passenger side airbag must be turned off. Children cannot ride in the front seat if the airbag can not be disabled.

  If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or illness caused by a defective product in New Jersey, you may be eligible to file a product liability claim  or personal injury lawsuit against a negligent manufacturer. The Hayes Firm will review your case at no charge and recommend a local lawyer if further legal action is realistic. Please contact us for a free consultation.