GlaxoSmithKline recently announced that it will be selling Alli, an over-the-counter diet drug launched in 2007. They claim they are dropping the drug, along with several other over-the-counter brands, to focus on other global priorities.

The pharmaceutical giant believed that the drug could be the company’s next best thing, and rolled it out with an extensive marketing campaign that included television, print, and Internet ads, as well as an interactive website and book with diet advice and recipes.

Sales of Alli, which is a weaker, non-prescription form of the diet drug Xenical, have continued to decline since 2007. It is thought that warnings by the company of sudden and uncontrollable diarrhea if the correct diet was not adhered to, followed by reports last year that some of those who had taken the drug experienced liver damage, have had a negative impact on sales.

Several public interest groups have asked that both Alli and Xenical are banned due to reports of liver damage. While GlaxoSmithKline maintains that the drugs are safe when taken as directed, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently said that both drugs should contain warnings about the rare reports of severe liver injury. The agency, however, also admitted that it wasn’t certain that the drugs caused the injury.

When consumers take an over-the-counter or prescription drug, they assume it is safe. When a drug causes medical problems and complications that the consumer is not warned about, and that result in serious injury, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the drug may be responsible. If you or someone you love has been injured by Alli, Xenical, or any other over-the-counter or prescription drug, you may be due damages. Schedule a free and confidential appointment with a Pennsylvania injury attorney, to discuss potential compensation.

A supplier in Northern California is recalling 64,000 pounds of chicken and pork products due to food poisoning concerns. According to an Associated Press news report, Taylor Farms Pacific of Tracy is recalling the foods because some broccoli in the products was found to be contaminated with listeria. The recall came after routine testing discovered the contamination. The recalled items were produced between February 6, 2011 and February 23, 2011 and shipped to several locations in California, Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming. So far, there have been so reports of illnesses linked to these products.

Food Poisoning Trends

Food poisoning and recalls relating to food contamination have significantly increased in the United States over the last five years. The Department of Health and Human Services reports that each year, 5,000 people die after consuming contaminated foods. It is also a fact that food safety inspections have dropped considerably in recent years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspects fewer than 25 percent of food production facilities each year. Inspections of foreign food producers are even more rare or possibly, non-existent, leaving most food producers to police themselves.

Listeriosis Symptoms

Listeriosis is the bacterial infection that is caused by listeria bacteria. The most common symptoms of listeriosis are nausea, diarrhea, fever and muscle aches. Symptoms may start a few days after you have consumed the tainted food. However, sometimes, symptoms may not surface for as long as two months after you have eaten the contaminated food. If the infection spreads to the nervous system, you may experience other symptoms such as headache, stiffness, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. Listeriosis can have devastating consequences for pregnant women. An infection during pregnancy may result in a miscarriage. Listeriosis has the potential to cause death or serious injury.

Liability Issues in Food Poisoning Cases

If you have been sickened after eating a product, it would be a good idea to "preserve the evidence" if you have any of the tainted food left over. Make sure you package it and mark it so no one else consumes it. It would also be a good idea to get prompt medical attention, especially if you have food poisoning symptoms. If you are pregnant and believe you may have consumed a product tainted with listeria, contact your doctor right away. Also, report the incident to your local health care agency. An experienced California personal injury lawyer who has successfully handled food poisoning cases will be able to better advise victims about their legal rights and options.

Seriously injured in a California food poisoning incident? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?

Call your best friends in the legal industry after a food-borne illness. Call 866-990-8787. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.

Call a BISNAR | CHASE California personal injury lawyer, for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.

Due to the success of KABC's new radio broadcast, product defect expert Brian Chase will be returning to answer caller's questions. The program is designed to help victims of catastrophic injuries to obtain free legal advice from the best in the business, without the pressure of signing a retainer.

Brian Chase, who has litigated dozens of jury trials, has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients, and has the highest rating possible for ethical standards and professional abilities from Martindale-Hubbell, was asked to serve as the show's official and exclusive personal injury expert to field personal injury and product liability questions and to discuss some of his firm's most high profile cases with "Larry on the Law" listeners.

A 27-year-old man sustained a fatal job injury after he was electrocuted while working on a pool in Palm Desert. According to a news report in The Desert Sun, the incident occurred at The Lakes Country Club on Country Club Drive, the morning of August 19, 2010. The contract worker was apparently standing on the steps of the pool when a damaged extension cord with exposed wires came into contact with the metal handrail and electrocuted him. Security personnel performed CPR and the authorities were called to the scene. But the man was pronounced dead at the hospital. Cal-OSHA officials are investigating the accident.

I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved this man. His grieving family members and friends will certainly be in my thoughts and prayers.

Workplace Fatalities Statistics

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008, 404 Californians died on the job. According to the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health's web site, in 2005, 24 workers died after being electrocuted on the job.

Workplace Accident Claims

In this particular case, it is not clear exactly what caused this worker's fatal accident. There are several unanswered questions here. Why were the electric wires damaged and exposed? Who else was at the worksite? Did the club, where the worker was on the job, create a hazardous condition for the worker? Were there any defective products involved? Were any other employees or contractors responsible for the damaged wires at that location? I trust Cal/OSHA investigators will be looking into these and other issues in order to determine precisely what occurred here and why.

In such cases, injured workers or their families will usually be entitled to California worker's compensation benefits from their employer. However, if the accident was caused due to the negligence of another individual or entity, that person or entity can also be held liable for the worker's injuries or wrongful death. In a fatal case, the deceased worker's family can file what is known as a "third-party claim" against the at-fault party. These claims are usually worth many times more than worker's compensation, which is usually inadequate to cover such a major loss. An experienced Riverside personal injury lawyer will be able to advise workers and their families about their legal rights and options.

Is there a danger of serious injury at your workplace? We would like to hear your concerns about the dangers you face on the job every day.

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

The California car accident lawyers at BISNAR | CHASE have always stood up for the rights of our clients, especially against insurance companies that often try to shortchange or stonewall injured victims claiming damages and loss. I heard last week that our friends at Consumer Watchdog are launching a campaign against CBS Outdoor advertising company's decision to take down Consumer Watchdog's billboard on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles warning the public not to trust Mercury Insurance.

What's More Offensive?

This issue even drew the attention of Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, who rightly questions in his column: "What's more offensive?" There's Consumer Watchdog's billboard warning consumers about Mercury Insurance. And then there was a large, 10-story billboard just a few blocks away advertising Absolut Mango. Now, Consumer Watchdog's billboard is gone and the vodka company's towering rendition of an essential part of the female anatomy, still stands. So Lopez asks which image is more obscene or offensive -- the campaign against Mercury or the sky-high rendition of a vagina? Consumer Watchdog's attorneys have demanded the restoration of the billboard because CBS Outdoor took the billboard down, mid-contract.

Our Right to Free Speech

This is not just a consumer rights issue. It's a free speech and First Amendment issue. Everyone deserves their right to free speech. I understand Mercury officials didn't like the billboard message. I support their right to say so. But I also support Consumer Watchdog's right to erect that billboard warning victims who have suffered personal injury or property loss against a certain insurance company.

What I don't understand is CBS Outdoor's apparent caving into whatever Mercury Insurance had to say to get that billboard taken down. CBS took down the billboard before the time expired on their paid ad. That sounds like censorship and breach of contract to me. It would seem to an observer of this issue that CBS Outdoor is taking sides. Also, according to Steve Lopez, neither CBS Outdoor nor Mercury Insurance would talk to him about their side of the story. That sure smells fishy to me.

I urge CBS Outdoor to step up, honor their contract and put up the billboard until the end of the contract period. That would certainly be the right thing to do. For more information about Consumer Watchdog's "Don't Trust Mercury" campaign, please visit this Web site (http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/donttrustmercury/).

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our source for the facts is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, please contact us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. Most of the best law firms will provide accident victims a free consultation.

We cannot fully inform any party or family member about their rights, options or the economic viability of any claim for compensation without a full investigation and consultation. We will not be conducting an investigation into this matter unless we are retained by a party. We will provide a free, confidential consultation to any, not at fault, person named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Luv N' Care Ltd. is issuing a nationwide defective product recall of gel-filled teethers with the brand names "Nuby," "Cottontails" and "Playschool" because the liquid inside the gel-filled teethers has been found to contain a harmful bacteria that can have serious consequences if children ingest the liquid gel. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, the bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus circulans), generally do not cause illnesses in adults. But infants and children with weakened immune systems can experience serious symptoms such as stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea and other illnesses if the teether becomes punctured and they ingest the gel. Consumers who have these teethers are asked to stop using them immediately and either discard them or return it to the place of purchase for a complete refund.

The company apparently issued the product recall after learning that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found Bacillus subtilis in the teether and Bacillus circulans in the gel in samples from two lots they collected. So far, no illnesses have been reported. These gel-filled teethers were distributed through retail outlets nationwide. The products were also marketed on the Internet. The company has stopped production and distribution of these teethers and is notifying its distributors to return the products.

I'm glad that these dangerous and defective products are being recalled. Over the last two years, we have seen plenty of children's products recalled for serious problems including furniture (cribs, bassinets, toddler beds); medications; and lead-tainted toys. It is indeed disturbing that the everyday products that our children use, present such horrible dangers to them. If your child has been seriously injured as a result of any defective product, please contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to find out more information about your legal rights and options.

If you have any questions or concerns about these particular defective products, please contact the company at 1-800-256-2399 ext. 3106 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. central time. If your child has experienced any adverse reactions as a result of using these products, please report it to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program by calling 1-800-332-1088.

Defective product recalls especially those involving lead-tainted toys have been a major concern to the personal injury lawyers at Bisnar | Chase. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced that nine children's product manufacturers, importers and sellers have agreed to pay more than $500,000 in civil penalties. According to a news report in The Journal Gazette, the penalties settle allegations that the companies knowingly "manufactured, imported or sold toys and other children's articles with paint or other surface coatings that contained lead levels in violation of federal law."

The companies, with this settlement, deny the CPSC's claim that they knowingly violated the law. The lead-tainted items were reportedly recalled in 2007 and 2008 and include toys, metal jewelry, pens, metal water bottles, pencil pouches, sunglasses and Halloween pails and baskets. The firms that were ordered to pay the fines were:

• Cardinal Distributing Co. Inc. of Maryland
• Dollar General Corp. of Tennessee
• Family Dollar Stores Inc. of North Carolina
• Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. of Oklahoma City
• First Learning Company Ltd. of Hong Kong
• Michaels Stores Inc. of Texas
• A & A Global Industries Inc. of Maryland
• Raymond Geddes & Co. of Maryland
• Downeast Concepts Inc. of Maine

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, about 250,000 children in the United States aged 1 to 5 have blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the human body. Because lead poisoning occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently goes unrecognized. Children under 6 face great risks because their growing bodies absorb lead more easily than adult bodies do. Various studies have shown that high lead levels may cause damage to the nervous system, brain injuries, seizures, growth retardation, loss of hearing and learning disabilities. It could even result in death.

A number of children have reportedly suffered from severe brain injury as a result of ingested lead paint from lead-tainted toys – most of them imported from China. Though, these defective product manufacturers are now paying these civil penalties and denying CPSC's claim, I've no doubt in my mind they knew that federal laws were being violated. These products were manufactured cheap and sold for a huge profit to unsuspecting American consumers, who are now the ones really paying the price for these product manufacturers' negligence and disregard for consumer safety. If your child has suffered a serious personal injury or lead poisoning as a result of a recalled or defective product, please consult with an experienced California products liability attorney to find out more information about your legal rights and options.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed the presence of a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria in samples of Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough, which has caused food poisoning, sickening 69 consumers in 29 states including California. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, the E. coli-contaminated cookie dough originated in Nestlé's Danville, Virginia plant. Nestlé recalled 30,000 cases of its hugely popular cookie dough products last month. FDA officials said the bacteria were not found inside the plant or on the equipment, but only in a tub of chocolate cookie dough made at the plant in February. The dough had a June 10, 2009 expiration date.

The FDA initially warned consumers on June 19, 2009 not to eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough because of the risk of E. coli food poisoning. So far, 34 people have been hospitalized as a result of this E. coli outbreak. Nine food poisoning victims have developed a severe complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This is a serious condition that can cause life-threatening kidney failure. Most of these cases apparently develop after several days of diarrhea – often bloody – due to infection with a specific strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli). Both children and adults may develop HUS after E. coli infections.

E. coli infections typically cause serious personal injury. Symptoms include abdominal cramping, vomiting and diarrhea with bloody stools. Young children and the elderly are at the highest risk for becoming infected with E. coli and developing HUS, which can lead to serious kidney damage or even death. So far, no deaths have been reported as a result of these E. coli contaminated Nestlé cookie dough products.

If you have one of these recalled products, please throw them away. If you believe you have contracted E. coli infection as a result of consuming this contaminated cookie dough, please preserve any left over product and package so it can be examined for the bacteria. Do not cook the dough because you might get the bacteria on your hands or on other cooking surfaces. If you have recently eaten the cookie dough and have symptoms of food poisoning such as vomiting, diarrhea or stomach cramps, please contact your doctor right away. If you would like to find out more information about how to pursue your legal rights please contact an experienced food poisoning lawyer who can provide you with information and will also better explain the options that are available to you in your food borne illness case.

Crane Plumbing has issued a defective product recall of 5,500 whirlpool bath tubs because the drain covers in the tubs can entangle a bather's hair in the opening causing their head to be held underwater, posing a drowning hazard. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, these recalled bathtubs are acrylic with six to 12 jets. The Crane logo is printed on the whirlpool and on the air control valve. The tubs were sold at home improvement, retail and wholesale stores nationwide from March 2007 through February 2009 for between $700 and $2,700.

Consumers are asked to stop using these defective products right away and call Crane to schedule an appointment for a service person to come in and replace the defective part. Consumers may also choose to take a free repair kit and directions from the company and replace the part themselves. If you would like more information about this defective product recall, please contact Crane Plumbing at 1-866-876-3632 or visit their Web site at www.craneplumbing.com.

A number of household products that we use everyday without thinking twice may potentially have serious defects that could turn our lives upside down. These bathtubs are an example of how product defects pose a serious hazard in the seemingly safe environment of our homes. It is very important that product manufacturers take every step to design and make their products in such a way that they are safe for consumers to use. And when defects occur, product manufacturers are required to warn consumers about those defective and dangerous products or recall those products. A product recall is no doubt an expensive process for the product manufacturer and may be a tough decision in these hard economic times. But it's the right thing to do.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious personal injuries as a result of a defective product, please contact experienced California product liability attorneys who will fight for your rights and make sure that you get fair compensation for your injuries and loss. Usually, such compensation will cover medical expenses, loss of wages and other related damages.