Protecting What's Right

Following the recent string of product recalls for healthcare manufacturer Johnson & Johnson, the company has faulted lax cleaning procedures and other issues at a manufacturing plant as the culprit for massive recalls of over-the-counter medications, such as Tylenol. The company said it was voluntarily recalling nearly 50 million more units of consumer medications.

Just last week, Johnson & Johnson recalled packages of various kinds of Tylenol, Benadryl, Rolaids and other products and last month, the company recalled all batches of Softchews Rolaids made by an outside manufacturer after wood and metal bits were discovered in the tablets.

J&J’s image has been recently tarnished by repeated recalls totaling nearly 200 million bottles in the past year and could be faced with criminal charges from the U.S. Department of Justice. The recalls have also impacted the company’s bottom line, and has led J&J to seek buyers for some of its brands.

Just last week a federal judge said that he expects the first lawsuits against Japanese automaker Toyota about alleged acceleration issues to go to trial in 2013.

U.S. District Judge James Selna, who oversees the consolidated economic class action and personal injury lawsuits in the litigation, gave the date in a status hearing last week.

Plaintiffs in the suit allege that issues with the Toyota’s throttle-control system led to unexpected acceleration.

Toyota, meanwhile, maintain that plaintiffs have been unable to prove that a design defect is responsible for the acceleration issues. The company has tagged driver error, faulty floor mats and sticky gas pedals as other possible culprits.

General Motors Corp. is recalling approximately 243,000 crossover vehicles because of a potential problem with seat belts in rear seats not latching safely.  Vehicle owners are urged to have their dealers inspect seatbelts in the second row of three-row vehicles.  Occupants might believe the seat belts are safely latched, when they in fact may not be.

The problem may occur when the seat is returned to an upright position after being folded flat.

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Automaker Mazda is recalling approximately 215,000 cars because of a steering problem that poses a safety hazard and a risk of crash.  The recall is coming over a year after Mazda issued a recall in Japan for the same problem.

Autos subject to the recall are Mazda 3′s and Mazda 5′s with model years 2007, 2008, and 2009.

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Hundreds of millions of eggs produced by Wright County Egg in Iowa have been recalled following over 200 cases of salmonella poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The eggs, which were distributed around the country, were linked to salmonella outbreaks in California, Colorado, and Minnesota.

The eggs were sold under the brand names Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Farms, and Kemp.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating a potentially serious defect in the 2010 Kia Soul–a problem with the steering shaft that could cause the driver to not only lose the ability to steer, but also possibly interfere with the brake pedal.

The investigation is based on a complaint involving a two-month-old vehicle.  The agency’s probe into the problem is at the “preliminary evaluation” stage.

For the full story, go to USA Today.

Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety and Center for Auto Safety, together with the mother of two young women killed in a car crash, have filed a petition with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to order Enterprise Rent-A-Car to repair every vehicle involved in a safety recall prior to renting them to customers.  The California sisters, both in their early 20s, were driving in a PT Cruiser rented from the company when a fire in the engine compartment caused them to crash with an 18-wheeler.  The vehicle had been recalled by automaker Chrysler four months prior due to the safety hazard, but the vehicle they were driving had not yet been repaired.  A California jury awarded their family $15 million against the car rental company.

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Honda has announced yet another recall concerning ignition lock problems that could cause the vehicle to roll and crash unexpectedly.  The latest recall involved 2003 and 2004 models of the Honda Accord, Civic, and Element.  A part inside the ignition switch can wear out, allowing the key to be removed when the transmission is not in “park” and causing the safety hazard.

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Automaker Nissan is recalling over 50,000 of its Cube hatchbacks in the U.S. and Canada because of the risk of fuel spills during rear-end collisions.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) discovered the problem while conducting tests on the vehicles.  More fuel spilled than allowed by federal standards during rear end crash tests at 50 miles per hour that caused the hatchback to flip onto its side.

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