The sale of controversial fad diet products containing a human hormone found in pregnant women was made illegal earlier this week after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the products from being sold over-the-counter. According to CNN News, both the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to seven companies that manufacture “homeopathic” products containing human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, saying the products can no longer be sold online or in stores.

Labels on the products call for those taking them to adhere to a strict low-calorie diet. A person on the program will only consume 500 calories a day in conjunction with the hormone to lose a large amount of weight very quickly. Some advocates say they have seen some users lose upwards of 30 pounds in a month’s time.

The government says the weight loss pills’ claims are unsubstantiated and that the hormone combined with the low calorie diet puts patients at a higher risk of:

• Blood Clots
• Cystic Ovaries (Women)
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Enlarged and Sore breasts (Men)
• Gallstones
• Heart Arrhythmias

The FDA has not approved any products containing HCG for weight loss purposes, and there is no clear evidence that the claims of weight loss can be associated with the hormone.

The Ohio Defective Product Attorneys with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy advise anyone using HCG diet pills to stop immediately. If you have suffered any ill side effects from taking diet pills containing HCG, contact an experienced attorney today.

Three northeast Ohio counties are listed as having the highest number of vehicle accidents caused by collisions with deer. Many area drivers are concerned for their safety; unfortunately, while there are several products on the market claiming to deter the animals from your vehicle, experts and crash victims alike are claiming these products don’t work.

According to News Channel 3, Richland County topped the list with 650 collisions last year, followed by Stark and Summit Counties with 630 and 552 accidents.

Why so many, you ask? Unchecked populations in rural areas are the best answers researchers can give.

What can you do to protect your self? Several companies offer products, such as “deer whistles” that mount to the front bumper of your car, which are supposed to scare the animal away; however, many people say that they do not work because a deer’s natural reaction when threatened is to not move. Retailer with Gander Mountain, Bill Holcomb, says the products are “directional. They cause the deer to stop, and the last thing you want is for a deer to stop in front of you.”

The Ohio Defective Product Attorneys with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy want to hear from you on our Facebook page if you have a story about a collision with a deer you were involved in or have any information on better ways to deter the animals from your car.

Cincinnati’s Local 12 News recently did an expose depicting one woman’s battle with her insurance company and hospital. The report told the story of a woman who had rotator cuff surgery in February of this year, and was expecting to pay about $100 for the procedure after her insurance company paid their share.

When she received the bill following the procedure, she was shocked. There was around $3,000 in total charges for medical equipment used to fix her shoulder, meaning her part of the co-pay was roughly $600. The charges were the result of three small anchors that were implanted during the surgery to hold her shoulder in place.

The woman has questioned the charges with both the hospital and her insurance company to no avail. She says after discussing the parts with the manufacturer, she has found a more than 100% mark-up by the hospital on the part.

The insurance company did not question the billing and paid its portion of the bill to the hospital, but the woman has refused to pay her portion. She has taken her complaint up the chain of command at the hospital to the Chief Financial Officer, who vigorously apologized but insisted that the cost for the pieces of hardware were justified.

If you are questioning the charges of a recent procedure you had at a hospital, get an experienced Ohio Personal Injury Attorney with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy handle your case.

Medical testing is a controversial subject. Patients want to believe that the products they are prescribed are safe and will help them recover, but is that really the case? With all kinds of medical devices being recalled, do you feel you can trust the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the devices that doctors use in treatment?

For example, the DePuy hip implant, recently taken off the market due to its status as an Ohio defective medical device, passed FDA inspections for safety only because it was similar to a hip implant already on the market. It was not tested in humans before the FDA’s acceptance of its use, according to Drug Watch.

Another Drug Watch article claims a study shows that most recalled defective medical devices are not put through the rigorous testing that drugs must go through before hitting the market.  The FDA does not currently require human testing of devices that already have similar devices on the market, as was the case with Ohio defective medical device DePuy hip implant.

Do you think this is a problem for the FDA’s reputation and for citizens concerned about Ohio defective medical devices and the doctors who treat patients with them?

If you’ve been injured because of an Ohio defective product, tell the Ohio defective product lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy about your loss.

Read more:

http://www.drugwatch.com/news/2011/02/15/most-recalled-medical-devices-lacked-fda-testing-study-finds/

http://www.drugwatch.com/news/2011/01/26/fda-rules-allowed-depuy-hip-implants-go-untested-remain-place/

Bicycles have been manufactured for a long time, but that doesn’t exempt them from defective product safety hazards.

According to MSNBC, Quality Bicycle Products is voluntarily recalling handlebar stems because they could lead to Ohio defective product injuries.

According to the Journal Sentinel, the defective products are at risk for breaking or cracking, which may cause bicyclists using the company’s handlebars to fall  and suffer Ohio defective product injuries.

According to the Journal Sentinel article, all “CroMoto S.U.L. 25.4 and 26.0 threadless handlebar stems and all CroMoto S.U.L. 26.0 quill handlebar stems sold as individual aftermarket units after April 1, 2010” are included in the recall due to their risk of causing bicyclists Ohio defective product injuries.

Salsa Cycles states that the handlebars can be identified by a hash mark on the interior clamp of the product.

Read more:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40910370/ns/business/

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/113073324.html

http://www.salsacromotostem.com/

Have you ever suffered an Ohio defective product injury? Tell the Ohio defective injury lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy about your loss.

During the winter, we depend on many different types of equipment and tools to help  get us through the difficult weather challenges.

One tool we can’t depend on is certain models of Honda snow blowers, according to UPI.

UPI states that 18,500 Honda snow blowers are being recalled due to their risk for Ohio defective product injuries.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that the Honda snow blowers are a fire hazard because the fuel tank could leak and are therefore considered Ohio defective products.

The following models are being recalled, according to Honda Power Equipment: HS724, HS928, HS1132.

Read more:

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2010/12/30/Honda-recalls-18500-snowblowers/UPI-47951293738569/

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11082.html

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/products/recalls/

Do you own an Ohio defective product? Has it caused you Ohio defective product injuries? Tell the Ohio defective product lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, McCarthy & Heller about your loss. Let them help you.

Concerns about protecting patient data and how the registry might effect particular manufacturers are still being addressed.  Data from at least 15 hospitals started to be collected in October.  The advantages of being able to monitor complications from patients and statistically track results could greatly assist implant manufacturers in making modifications to certain devices before the need for a national or world wide recall is necessary.  This registry could be beneficial to orthopedic surgeons and ultimately the patients who already have implants or who are contemplating surgery.  Registries in Sweden, Great Britian and Canada have been able to reduce revision surgeries.

If you know someone with a hip implant, who has suffered from pain or complications, call Nurenberg Paris to learn more about the DePuy hip implant recall.

Eggs have been controversial when it comes to their health benefits. However, cholesterol is not the reason eggs are in question now.

According to NewsNet5, eggs from an Ohio farm could be the source of Ohio defective product injuries due to salmonella. The farm that produces the eggs in question has received funding from a farm that had been connected  to a recent recall.

Though there are no reported illnesses at this time, the eggs could cause Ohio defective product injuries.

Read more.

Have you ever been injured as a result of an Ohio defective product? Tell the Ohio defective product lawyers at Nurenburg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy about your loss.

When you buy a new appliance, you expect it to not only work but also be safe for use in your home. With all the regulations from the government that seek to protect consumers, you would expect that to be the case.

However, one company is recalling its products due to the risk for Ohio defective product injuries, WEWS reports.

Electrolux Home Producers, Inc. is recalling Frigidaire and Electrolux ICON smoothtop electric cooktops and Frigidaire slide-in ranges with rotary knobs and digital displays due to the risk for Ohio defective product injuries.

If you have purchased one of these products, you should contact the dealer or manufacturer because the product could catch fire, causing Ohio defective product injuries and damages to your home.

Read more.

Have you ever suffered injury due to an Ohio defective product? Let the Ohio defective product lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy help you.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission “is aware of three reports of deaths that occurred in these slings in 2009; a 7-week-old infant in Philadelphia, PA; a 6-day-old infant in Salem, Ore; and a 3-month-old infant in Cincinnati, Ohio.”  See the Consumer Product Safety Commission press release dated March 24, 2010 for more details.   Parents are advised by the CPSC to stop using these slings immediately and contact the manufacturer, Infantino.

Other news accounts recommended that you stop using these sling devices as it cradles the infants who have no support in their neck and does not allow them to get enough oxygen.  Do not donate these slings or resell them at garage sales as others may not later be aware of the hazards.

The firm of Nurenberg Paris has years of experience dealing with product defects, including those with children, who have suffered serious injury or tragic deaths.