18 April

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Fisher-Price Recalls Rock ’n Play Sleeper Linked to Infant Deaths

Fisher-Price recalled all of its 4.7 million Rock ’n Play sleepers on Friday, days after a group of pediatricians urged its parent company, Mattel, to stop selling the product amid reports linking it to multiple infant deaths. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said consumers should stop using the sleeper immediately and contact Fisher-Price for a refund or a voucher. Major retailers sell the product for $40 to $149, according to the agency. The voluntary move by Fisher-Price was a reversal for the company, which issued a joint safety warning with the product safety commission last week after the commission said it was aware of...

04 April

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NY State Budget Cuts City Public Health Funding by $59M

Posted by statenislandesq

in Insurance, Medical Malpractice

The state's $175.5 billion budget includes a $59 million cut to public health funding for the city Health Department, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday. The budget lowered the state's reimbursement for health services provided by the city to a minimum of 20%, compared with 36% for all other municipalities statewide. De Blasio said the funding is used for newborn home visits; clinics that treat STDs, HIV and tuberculosis; and public health response services that have been used for Legionnaires' disease, West Nile and Zika. It is also used to combat opioid addiction and test updated vaccines for diseases such as measles and...

01 April

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Proposal Would Allow Pothole Damage Claims Year-round

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Car Accidents, Injuries, Insurance

Some New York lawmakers are pushing a bill that would require the state to reimburse drivers for pothole-related repairs all year-round. Currently in New York, who is responsible for car damage from potholes depends on the time of the year. If it’s between November and May, when most potholes form, you cannot file a claim. Some state legislators are proposing a bill that would change that. One version of the legislation would create a reporting system that gives the state 14 days to fix the pothole – otherwise it would have to start paying claims. AAA New York says something needs to change...

26 March

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3M to Pay Millions in Lawsuit Over Defective Earplugs

Posted by statenislandesq

in Injuries, Insurance, Recalls

It appears 3M has been ordered (again) to pay out a large sum of money, this time for defective earplugs sold to the military many years ago. The 3M Company has agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle allegationsit knowingly sold defective combat earplugs to the United States military without disclosing defects that limited the effectiveness of the devices, according to an announcement from the U.S. Justice Department last week. The payment settles allegations that 3M and its predecessor, Aearo Technologies Inc., were aware that the earplugs sold to the military were too short for proper insertion into the ears, would loosen,...

19 March

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Johnson & Johnson, U.S. States Settle Hip Implant Claims For $120 Million

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Injuries, Insurance

Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy Orthopaedics unit have agreed to pay $120 million to resolve deceptive marketing claims by several U.S. states over the company’s metal-on-metal hip implants. Attorneys general of 46 U.S. states announced the settlement agreement in statements on Tuesday. They alleged DePuy engaged in unfair and deceptive practices in the promotion of its ASR XL and Pinnacle Ultamet hip implant devices. The states claimed J&J made misleading claims about the longevity of its metal-on-metal hip implants. Patients frequently had to undergo a revision surgery before the company’s advertised timeframe of five years. DePuy in 2010 announced a worldwide voluntary recall of 93,000...

12 March

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Intoxicated Driver Struck 41 Cars

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Car Accidents, Injuries, Insurance

Rhode Island police have arrested a man they say was driving under the influence when he struck more than 40 other vehicles. Police say 45-year-old Christopher Paolissi, of Foster, was “zig-zagging” his pickup truck when he struck 41 vehicles in Providence on Tuesday afternoon. Police say Paolissi was intoxicated, and he was driving about 15 mph when officers stopped him. He was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported. Police Chief Hugh Clements says officers are compiling a “lengthy report” due to the number of vehicles hit. Paolissi is facing multiple charges, including driving under the influence, reckless driving and failure to...

07 March

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Woman Wins $41 Million Verdict in Transvaginal Mesh Trial

Posted by statenislandesq

in Injuries, Insurance

A Lancaster woman was awarded $41 million, including $25 million in punitive damages, by a Philadelphia jury for injuries she suffered from a vaginal mesh device designed and marketed by a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, her attorney announced Thursday. The verdict was the sixth multi-million dollar award in a vaginal mesh product trial in Philadelphia. Suzanne Emmett, 57, was implanted in May 2007 with a mesh product made by Ethicon Inc. to relieve organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. Not long afterward, her attorney said, she began experiencing pain and discomfort and underwent corrective surgery to have the mesh removed. In later years, she had...

14 February

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NYPD: Woman Struck and Killed by Bus in Lower Manhattan

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Injuries, Insurance, Wrongful Death

A federal court clerk from Melville who excelled at law and friendship, winning the love and admiration of her colleagues and professors, died after being struck by a private bus Thursday evening in lower Manhattan, officials said. The driver, Xi Chen, 50, of Manhattan, remained at the scene, and was arrested and charged with failing to yield to a pedestrian and exercise due care, according to the NYPD. Kimberly Greer, 28, was hit while trying to cross Leonard Street in a marked crosswalk about 7:30 p.m., according to police. The court complaint states that video surveillance shows Greer was walking across the street while the pedestrian signal...

05 February

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Medical Malpractice, Sex With Patients and Misconduct: What to Know About Your Doctor

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Injuries, Insurance, Premises Liability

Some New York doctors accused of unprofessional conduct in other states are practicing without a blemish on their records, exposing patients to harm. That’s one of the many findings of a USA TODAY Network investigation of more than 250 doctors across the country who surrendered their licenses in one state to protect their reputations and relocate to another state. The probe comes after The Journal News/lohud exposed flaws in state physician records in New York, as well as concerns about regulators showing clemency to doctors to ensure they keep practicing medicine. What follows are tips for patients who want to learn more about their doctors, along...

03 January

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Old headlights may produce only 20 percent of the light created by new ones

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Car Accidents, Insurance

As your car gets older, its headlights may be giving you far less visibility than you think, according to a new study. Over time, the plastic coating on headlights can become so clouded or yellowed that they give off only 20 percent of the light they had when you first bought the car, the AAA study says. That puts drivers at great risk of crashes as their car ages. The findings reinforce the idea that car owners should routinely check the coating on their headlights and, if necessary, get them restored. (See tips on how to do that below.) There are inexpensive kits...