What You Can Do & How a Lap Band Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Lap Band injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has suffered a Lap Band complication, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free Lap Band lawsuit consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Medical Device Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Lap Band Complications

More than 15 million Americans are considered severely obese. In 2009, approximately 220,000 Americans had weight-loss surgery — a six-fold increase from 2000, when just 36,700 underwent the surgery. The FDA has approved the Lap-Band for a very select group of people: adults with morbid obesity, which means a BMI of at least 40 (for example, a woman who is 5’5” and weighs 240 pounds has a BMI of 40). The Lap Band is also approved for people with a BMI of 30, if they also have an obesity-related disease.

Is Lap Band surgery safe or effective?

A study published in the Archives of Surgery followed 82 patients over 12 years after Lap-Band surgery. The study had the following results:

• After six years, 48% of patients failed to lose weight and had to have the device removed, most often because the band had begun to erode into their internal organs.
• 42% had long-term complications, such as an infection or an enlarged stomach pouch
• 27% required re-operations, often because the band ate through the stomach wall

Though Lap-Bands are marketed as a long-term implant, the high rate of complications and failures leads to a high rate of follow-up surgeries.

Trends in Bariatric Surgeries in California Hospitals

The findings of a recent study titled Trends in Bariatric Surgeries in California Hospitals 2005-2009 looked at weight-loss surgery data from hospitals in the state.

It is important to note that this information excludes a lot of data, because it only looks at Lap Band surgeries inside hospitals. Most Lap Band surgeries are not performed in hospitals, but are instead performed in Lap Band surgical centers. Nearly twice as many Lap Band surgeries are performed outside a hospital as are performed inside a hospital.

• The number of Californians undergoing weight-loss surgery in a hospital increased by 6.8%, with an average of 13,614 surgeries performed per year in 94 hospitals.
• There was a four-fold increase in the number of Lap Band surgeries between 2005-2009
• 13% of weight-loss surgery patients had some kind of complication following surgery
• 6.5% of weight-loss surgery patients were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, compared with 2.6% for patients undergoing other surgeries
• 1.5 per 1,000 patients died within 30 days of surgery, with about 40 inpatient deaths between 2005 to 2009
• 80% of patients were female, with an average age of 44 years. 68.4% were white non-Hispanics.

The researchers concluded that the risk of death was relatively low (1.5 per 1,000 patients), but there was a significant risk of complications and hospital readmission.

Other Studies of Lap Band Complications

• Belgian Study: Within 12 years, nearly half of Lap Band patients had their bands removed. The bands were often removed because patients failed to lose weight, they regained weight that they had previous lost, unpleasant heartburn or vomiting, band slippage, or erosion of the band into the stomach.
• German Study: Within 14 years, 30% of patients needed additional operations
• Australian Study: Within 2 years, one out of three teenage patients needed follow-up surgeries, often because they stretched their stomach

What are Lap Band Complications?

The Lap Band is a medical device used in weight-loss surgery. The device consists of a silicone ring that a surgeon places around the upper part of a patient’s stomach. The ring is attached to a tube, which rests just under a patient’s skin. When the surgeon injects fluid through the tube to the ring, the ring tightens or loosens. When the ring is tightened, it creates a pouch in the upper part of the person’s stomach. The pouch is about the size of a walnut.

There are several types of Lap Band complications that can occur after a person undergoes this surgery. A patient must make dramatic changes to his or her diet, eating habits, and lifestyle. This may be incredibly difficult for morbidly obese people who have already failed to lose weight using other methods. If they do not make changes to their habits, however, they risk seriously damaging their stomach or esophagus.

If a person with a Lap Band over-eats, the food will back up into the esophagus and cause the person to vomit. Over time, vomiting can cause serious damage to the esophagus and stomach. Eating too much food can also stretch the stomach pouch, which is a serious problem and will require an additional surgery to remove the Lap Band.

Band erosion is another serious complication, in which the Lap Band eats into the stomach tissue. If the band is not removed, it can perforate the stomach wall, which will require additional surgeries to fix. Common anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aspirin increase the risk of band erosion.

Death is another serious Lap Band complication. At least 40 people died in hospital Lap Band surgeries between 2005 and 2009. Most Lap Band surgeries are performed outside a hospital, however, where data is lacking. Since 2009, there have been five confirmed death in Southern California surgical centers associated with 1-800-GET-THIN, according to lawsuits, autopsy reports, and other public records.

Do I have a Lap Band Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting injury cases caused by Lap Band complications in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has experienced a side effect after having Lap Band surgery, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Lap Band Lawsuit Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

What You Can Do & How a Skecher Shape-Ups Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting lawsuits against Skechers Shape-Ups in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by this shoe, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free Skecher Shape-Ups lawsuit consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Do Skechers Shape-Ups Work?

Skechers Shape-Ups are made with a rounded sole, intended to increase the heel-to-toe motion of the foot while a person is walking. This effectively changes a person’s gait. The company claims that this promotes weight loss, helps tone your muscles, improves cardiovascular health, and reduces stress to your knees and ankles. They have been advertised by famous celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian and former NFL quarterback Joe Montana.

The shoes have a rolling bottom that mimics walking in sand. They are deliberately unstable and force a user to use more muscles to balance themselves as they walk, forcing them to use more energy and burn more calories while they walk.

But do they really work?

Scientists have found no evidence that shoes with a rounded sole provide any significant benefit over a traditional athletic shoe. There is no evidence that they are more effective than going to the gym and doing a traditional workout. In fact, some experts warn that these shoes can have serious health risks, because the round sole makes the shoes inherently less stable than shoes with a flat sole. Some people wearing the shoes have suffered from stress fractures, broken bones, serious falls, and other serious injuries. The risk is especially high for older Americans. Even people who are not at high risk of falling have been injured. Some of these people have decided to file a lawsuit against Skechers Shape-Ups, seeking compensation for their injuries.

Skecher Shape-Ups Lawsuit

Though most people who wear Skechers Shape-Ups have had no problems, a few have been seriously injured. The shoes pose a risk of stress fractures, broken bones, and serious fall injuries, and the shoe company is now facing lawsuits against Skechers Shape-Ups in California from people who have been injured and are now seeking compensation.

If you decide to contact a lawyer at The Schmidt Firm, LLP for a free consultation, you may decide to file a Skecher Shape-Ups lawsuit. Others who have filed a lawsuit against Skechers Shape-Ups are seeking compensation for their pain, suffering, medical expenses, and lost income while they were recovering from their injuries.

Injuries from the use of Skechers Shape-Ups can include:

• Stress Fractures: Also known as “hairline fractures,” these occur when a weight-bearing bone suffers repeated, unusual impacts, causing small cracks. People who are out-of-shape who suddenly start exercising have a higher risk of developing stress fractures.
• Slips and/or Falls: Because it is harder to maintain balance, some people have suffered catastrophic falls. A major fall can cause a wide range of injuries.
• Muscle/Tendon Strains: This type of injury often occurs during a fall, when a person moves suddenly to avoid seriously injuring themselves, and pulls a muscle. Strains can occur suddenly, or gradually over time by over-stressing a muscle.
• Ligament Sprains: A sprained ankle is caused when a person’s ankle twists too far in one direction, causing serious injury to the ligaments. Sprains can also occur by falling and landing on the arm, or twisting a knee.
• Broken Bones: A serious fall can cause a bone fracture, particularly in older Americans.

Lawsuit Against Skechers Shape-Ups

If you watch the TV program Good Morning America, you may have seen an interview with Holly Ward, a 38 year-old Ohio woman who wore her Skechers Shape-Ups walking shoes while she worked as a waitress, and also while she worked out. After just five months of wearing the shoes on a regular basis, Ms. Ward developed severe, debilitating stress fractures in both of her hips. On TV, she said, “The extended use of these shoes has injured me catastrophically.”

Do I have a Skecher Shape-Ups Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Skechers Shape-Ups induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured after wearing these shoes, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Skecher Shape-Ups Lawsuit Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

What You Can Do & How a Skechers Shape-Ups Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Skechers Shape-Ups induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured while wearing these shoes, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free Skechers Shape-Ups lawsuit consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

What is the problem with Skechers Shape-Ups?

The shoes are intentionally designed with a round sole, which changes the way a person walks. Advertisements claim that the shoes can promote weight loss, help tone your muscles, and improve cardiovascular health. The company markets a “for-work” version of the shoe, which is designed for “industry professionals who want to get in shape while on the job.”

It is unclear whether the shoes are safe for long-term use.

Recently, a 38 year-old Ohio woman named Holly Ward filed a Skechers Shape-Ups lawsuit, alleging that her hip fractures were caused by long-term use of the shoes. She wore the shoes during her waitress shifts and also during exercise. Ms. Ward was recently featured on the TV show Good Morning America, where she claimed that, “The extended use of these shoes has injured me catastrophically.”

Stress Fractures

A stress fracture, also known as a hairline fracture, is a small crack in a bone, often caused by unusual and repeated stress on a bone. It almost always occurs in weight-bearing bones, such as the tibia (shin bone), metatarsals (bones in the feet), femur (thigh bone), or hip.

A stress fracture may have very few symptoms. Often, people suffer only mild pain at first, which gradually grows worse over time. Doctors can diagnose a stress fracture using a CT scan, MRI, or bone scan. Treatment of stress fractures in weight-bearing bones requires that the person rest for long periods of time. If you have suffered a stress fracture caused by Skechers Shape-Ups, you may have been out of work for quite some time while the stress fracture healed. If you file a Skechers Shape-Ups lawsuit, you may be entitled to compensation for the money you lost while you were healing.

A stress fracture is different from other types of bone fractures, which are caused by a severe impact and a large break in a bone. It is caused by repeated, small traumas, which gradually exhaust the bone’s ability to repair itself.

People who are out of shape may be at an increased risk of developing a stress fracture. If they go from sedentary, to a sudden burst of exercise, the abnormal stress on their bones can cause fractures.

Symptoms of a Stress Fracture

The most common locations of stress fractures are in the bones of the foot. They are also common in the heel, lower-leg bone, top of the mid-foot, and hip.

• Pain that develops gradually, becoming worse with time
• Pain that increases with weight-bearing activity
• Pain that occurs during normal activities
• Tenderness where the fracture is
• Bruising

What Should I Do?

• After you seek medical attention for your injuries, stop wearing Skechers Shape-Ups.
• Do not throw away your shoes. Keep them in a safe place. If you have a Skechers Shape Ups lawsuit, they will be very important evidence in your case.
• Contact an experienced Product Liability lawyer at The Schmidt Firm, LLP for a free case consultation. If you were injured while you were performing normal activities, you may have a Skechers Shape-Ups lawsuit for your stress fracture.
• Contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission to report your injury to the federal government. This agency collects information on people who have been injured after using dangerous products.

Do I have a Skechers Shape-Ups Stress Fracture Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Skechers Shape-Ups induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has experienced a stress fracture or other injury after using Skechers Shape-Ups, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Lawsuit Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

What You Can Do & How a Skechers Shape-Ups Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Skechers Shape-Ups injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by this product, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free Skechers Shape-Ups lawsuit consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

What are Skechers Shape-Ups?

Skechers Shape-Ups are a walking shoe with a round sole, a revolutionary patented design intended to change the way a person walks, thus firming different muscle groups. If you own a pair of these popular walking shoes, you’ve probably seen ads that promote them as a way to lose weight, tone muscles, improve posture, improve cardiovascular health, and reduce stress on knees and ankles.

Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and former NFL quarterback Joe Montana have appeared in advertisements, promoting the shoes as a way to improve a person’s health.

Though some people say the shoes are effective ways to tone new muscle groups, others are critical of the products. Nowhere in the advertisements is there safety information that would warn people about possible injuries they may suffer by wearing a shoe that changes a way a person walks. For older Americans, people who are out of shape, or people with pre-existing balance problems, they may be at higher risk of serious injuries caused by wearing an unstable shoe. Even people who have no pre-existing balance problems have been injured because the toning shoes were simply more unstable than a normal shoe.

Are Skechers Shape-Ups safe?

The biggest danger of wearing an unstable shoe is falling, particularly for older Americans. A serious fall can be life-threatening or permanently disabling. Other people who may be at higher risk of injury caused by the shoes include people who suffer from vertigo, poor balance, or weak ankles. People who already have an abnormal gait, such as inward-pointing toes, may be at a higher risk of serious ankle injuries. Even people who have no problems walking normally may seriously hurt themselves, because a shoe with a round sole is less stable than a normal shoe.

Potential Injuries:

• Slips and Falls
• Head injuries
• Broken bones (particularly legs and ankles)
• Muscle strains
• Torn ligaments
• Hamstring injuries
• Achilles tendon strains and sprains
• Pulled muscles
• Knee injuries
• Stress fractures
• Hip injuries
• Ankle injuries

Many people have suffered acute injuries, including broken bones and torn ligaments. Others complain that long-term use of the shoes has caused serious injury to leg muscles, ligaments, bones, joints, or tendons.

The effect of long-term use of the shoes is unclear. Skechers does not provide safety information about whether the shoes are safe to use as regular footwear, or whether their use should be limited to a muscle-toning work-out. Recently, a 38 year-old Ohio woman named Holly Ward was featured on the TV program Good Morning America. She had been wearing her Skechers Shape-Ups for the past five months at her job as a waitress and during exercise. She later suffered stress fractures in both of her hips. Ms. Ward filed a personal injury lawsuit and is now seeking compensation. If you have been injured, you may also want to file a Skechers Shape-Up lawsuit.

What Should I Do?

• 1. After you seek medical attention for your injury, do not wear your Skechers Shape-Ups.
• 2. Do not throw the shoes away. Keep the shoes in a safe place. They are important evidence in your case.
• 3. Talk to an experienced Product Liability lawyer. You will need advice on how to protect your legal rights and receive compensation.
• 4. Report your experience to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. They collection information on potential safety hazards with products in the U.S.
• 5. If you file a lawsuit, you may be entitled to compensation. Awards may include money for your medical expenses, lost income while you were unable to work due to injury, pain and suffering, and more.

Do I have a Skechers Shape-Ups Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Skechers Shape-Ups induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured after using Skechers Shape-Ups, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Lawsuit Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

Vaginal mesh belongs to a class of implantable medical devices that manufacturers do not have to study before they are marketed to consumers, under the FDA’s 510(k) system, which allows products to reach the market without human testing if there are similar devices already for sale. Additionally, manufacturers also do not need to study patients after they receive the implanted devices.

In 2010, around 185,000 women had surgery to implant vaginal mesh. Of those, an estimated 15% had complications, according to the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. Complications include organ damage. The study in the journal concluded that vaginal mesh was no more effective than traditional surgical techniques, in which doctors use a patient’s own tissue to strengthen the wall and support internal organs.

The FDA has been aware of problems with vaginal mesh for several years. In 2008, the association issued a safety warning to consumers announcing reports of serious complications, but said that the reports were uncommon.

From 2008 to 2010, however, there was five-fold increase in adverse event reports. If you have experienced an adverse event, you may have a vaginal mesh lawsuit. Contact a lawyer at The Schmidt Firm, LLP. We can help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

What is vaginal mesh? It is a medical device that is surgically implanted to fix female incontinence caused by a weakening of the muscles in the lower abdomen. The mesh is intended to provide additional support for the organs. One cause of female incontinence if pelvic organ prolapse, in which the muscles that support the bladder weaken and descend. Incontinence can also be caused by stress urinary incontinence, another type of muscle weakening.

The FDA-mandated emergency safety studies will likely take several years to complete. The companies will need to design a study that meets the FDA standards, and then track women who have received the surgical mesh over three years. The FDA sent letters to Johnson & Johnson, C.R. Bard Inc., and 31 other manufacturers of these devices. These manufacturers are now facing more than 650 vaginal mesh lawsuits from consumers who experienced death, injuries, or malfunction with the products.

How do I contact a Lawyer for a Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Vaginal Mesh induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has experienced a side effect cause by vaginal mesh, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

Despite consumer outcry and recommendations for regulators, the window blind manufacturers will probably have the final say about safety standards, unless government regulators step in and make mandatory standards. The process takes years, and involves an extensive cost-benefit analysis.

About one child per month strangles to death on a window blind cord, either in the cord that holds the blinds together or in the cord that hangs down and is used to raise and lower the blinds.

Safety advocates want the industry to enact safety standards that eliminate the risk of strangulation. These designs would remove cords that hang down to a child’s level, and also remove exposed cords within the window shade design.

Manufacturers want to implement tie-down or tension devices. These devices fasten the end of the cord to the wall or windowsill, and feed the cord through a pulley system. They have also proposed a warning label on their products, to recommend that people with child-safety concerns purchase cordless window blinds.

Safety advocates claim that these will not reduce injuries, because the devices break easily and may not be installed properly.

Manufacturers claim that it isn’t feasible to remove cords from window blind design. Cordless technology exists for some types of window shades, but not for large or heavy window blinds.

Often, when safety equipment is invented, consumer advocacy groups and manufacturers are at odds on whether to require the safety equipment. Other examples are airbags and table saw injuries. In the case of airbags, it was not until consumers brought lawsuits against the manufacturers that airbags became standard issue. Recently, a man was awarded $1.5 million in a table saw injury case. If you have a window blind strangulation lawsuit, you may be entitled to compensation.

In 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of Roman Shades, Roll-Up Blinds, and Roller Blinds, after five deaths and 16 near-strangulations over three years. The window blinds have a hanging loop, or internal cords that can entangle a child. Injuries have occurred to children playing in a room with the window blinds, or if the cords hang into a crib, or if a child climbs up to a window, becomes entangled, and falls.

How do I contact a Lawyer for a Window Blind Strangulation Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting window blind induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has experienced an injury caused by a window blind, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Window Blind Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

Osorio injured his hand while using a Ryobi table saw while laying hardwood flooring. He required five surgeries, which totaled more than $384,000 in medical expenses. In the lawsuit, Osorio asked for only $250,000 in damages. The jury decided that to award Osorio $1.5 million instead.

The case set off a flurry of debate. Osorio was working as a flooring installer in Massachusetts in 2004, and before this job, he had never used a table saw before. His boss showed him how to use the device and cautioned him about the dangers. Even so, two weeks later, Osorio was injured while ripping a floorboard on a Ryobi BTS 15 bench-top table saw. He had difficulty using the device, and was pushing a board toward the blade. When he slipped, the blade severely injured four fingers on his left hand.

Click here for more information about a table saw lawsuit.

American manufacturers of table saws have been slow to adopt safety features. Riving knives, a safety device that prevents wood from “kicking back,” have only become standard in the last couple years. SawStop may be next.

Though the SawStop safety device has been available for more than a decade, manufacturers have been slow to adopt it into their new product designs, quoting an unreasonably high cost to consumers (about $100). Consumer advocacy groups have been asking the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), a federal regulatory agency, to require that table saw manufacturers include the new safety devices. The matter has been under review since 2003. It was not until 2011 that the CPSC even agreed to make a decision regarding the safety devices. The Power Tool Institute, a group that lobbies on behalf of table saw manufacturers, asked the CPSC to delay its meeting until 2012.

The safety invention, called a “SawStop,” runs a small electrical current through the table saw blade. When the blade is in contact with wood (a relatively poor conductor of electricity), the electrical current stays nearly constant. When the blade comes in contact with flesh (a relatively good conductor of electricity), the electrical current in the blade drops. A sensor detects this drop in electricity, triggering a safety mechanism that can stop the blade and retract it within 3-5 milliseconds. An expert who testified during Osorio’s case said that had SawStop been on his table saw, Osorio’s injuries would have been no more severe than a 1/8-inch cut on one finger.

How do I contact a Table Saw Lawyer for a Table Saw Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting table saw induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured after using a table saw, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Table Saw Lawsuit Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

Salmonella is a bacteria that lives in the intestinal tract of humans and other animals. It is usually transmitted to humans by eating foods that have been contaminated with animal feces, often when the food is not cooked to the proper temperature. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Salmonella cause an estimated 1.4 million illnesses and more than 400 deaths every year.

What are the symptoms of a Salmonella infection?

• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain

In serious cases, Salmonella can infect the bloodstream, causing severe illnesses: arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.

The contaminated dietary supplements are sold all over the United States, to individuals, retailers, and health practitioners. Contaminated Gotu Kola products were sold between September 14, 2011 and December 14, 2011. Contaminated Bladderwrack products were sold between July 14, 2011 and December 14, 2011. All freeze-dried capsules were packaged in glass or plastic bottles.

The recall does not affect all Eclectic Institute products — only these specific lot numbers. The lot number can be found on the bottom of the label on the product. The lot numbers being recalled are:

Product Name	UPC Code	Item Number	Lot Number
Centella asiatica	no UPC	1771945	15404
Gotu Kola	23363-30507	3050700G	15404
	23363-30907	3090700G	15404
	23363-30907	3090700	15404
Ginkgo/Gotu Kola combination	23363-31503	3150300	15368 & 15487
	23363-31503	3150300G	15368 & 15487
	23363-31903	3190300	15368
Fucus vesiculosus	no UPC	1773645	15391
	no UPC	1773690	15391
Bladderwrack	23363-30415	3041500	15186
	23363-30515	3051500G	15391 & 15306
	23363-30515	3051500	15391
	23363-30915	3091500	15391 & 15306
	23363-30915	3091500G	15187

If you have been poisoned after using this product, the company recommends that you return the product to the headquarters in Sandy, Oregon, for a full refund. If you have been injured after taking these supplements, you may want to contact an Eclectic Institute dietary supplement recall lawyer. You may be entitled to compensation.

How do I contact an Eclectic Institute Dietary Supplement Recall Lawyer for a Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Eclectic Institute Dietary Supplement induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has experienced a side effect after using this product, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Eclectic Institute Dietary Supplement Recall Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

The table saw amputation lawyers at the Schmidt Firm LLP encourage you to submit a comment to the CPSC regarding the new safety regulations. You can visit www.regulations.gov and use Docket No. CPSC-2011-0074.

Consumer advocates submitted a petition in 2003 to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, asking them to require table saw manufacturers to include safety devices in their products. It has been nearly a decade, and the CPSC has not made a decision.

Since 2000, a safety device called the “SawStop” has existed that could prevent nearly all table saw amputations, but manufacturers have refused to voluntarily place the safety devices on their products, citing an unreasonable increase in price (about $100 per table saw). Recently, a man who filed a table saw amputation lawsuit was awarded $1.5 million after the court found that table saw manufacturers were liable for not including the safety feature. If you have been injured by a table saw, you might want to contact a table saw amputation lawyer. We can help you get the compensation you deserve.

Table saws cause more than 40,000 injuries every year. Approximately 10% of those injuries, or 4,000, result in amputations every year. Fingers, hands, and arms are the most common parts of the body that are amputated. Only 20% of the injuries occur in people who are on the job, where injuries are usually covered by workplace accident insurance. Many people who are injured are unable to work for the rest of their lives, and must undergo multiple painful reconstructive surgeries. If they do not have medical insurance, the price of surgery may reach nearly $500,000.

The SawStop and other table saw safety devices are actually very simple. They run an electrical current through the saw blade that is attached to a current monitor. When the blade is cutting wood (a poor conductor of electricity) the electrical current in the blade remains constant. If the blade touches flesh (a relatively good conductor of electricity) the current in the blade drops. The current monitor senses this drop, and triggers a brake mechanism that immediately stops the blade and retracts it into the machine. The blade can be retracted within 3-5 milliseconds, resulting in a 1/8-inch cut on a single finger, instead of a catastrophic amputation of fingers and limbs.

The situation harkens back to the days when airbags were invented as a safety device in cars. Initially, car manufacturers resisted placing airbags in the cars, citing increased costs to consumers. It wasn’t until people took legal action against car makers that airbags became industry standard in all cars.

How do I contact a Table Saw Amputation Lawyer for a Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting table saw induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured after using a table saw, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Table Saw Amputation Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

What You Can Do & How a Table Saw Injury Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Table Saw Injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured after using a table saw, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free Table Saw lawsuit consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Table Saw Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Table Saws Injury Overview

Every year, there are over 40,000 table saw injuries, resulting in more than 4,000 amputations. Table saws cause more injuries than any other woodworking tool. Although SawStop safety technology has been around for more than ten years, not all table saw manufacturers have adopted it. In fact, the world’s largest tool manufacturers rejected it.

Now these manufacturers are facing dozens of lawsuits brought forth by people whose injuries could have been prevented had SawStop or similar safety mechanisms been in place.

Consumer advocates are asking the Consumer Products Safety Commission, the federal agency responsible for protecting Americans from dangerous products, to require manufacturers to include the new safety mechanism. Though the proposal was introduced in 2003, it has languished due to industry opposition. Table saw design has remained relatively unchanged in the last 50 years, and adding the safety devices would add an estimated $100 to the price of the saw.

The Power Tool Institute, an industry group that represents Black & Decker and Bosch, said that the price of their table saws with the safety devices would “increase dramatically,” eliminating low-priced consumer bench-top saws, and SawStop would have an unfair market advantage.

People who have lost fingers, hands, and arms to table saws have been devastated by their injuries. Those who lack medical insurance suffer an unfathomable amount of pain, multiple surgeries, and a bill that they may never be able to pay so long as they are unable to work.

What is SawStop?

In 2010, Stephen Gass quit his job as a Portland patent lawyer to promote his own invention, SawStop, a device that he believed could save thousands of people from losing their fingers as a result of using table saws.

SawStop is a safety device that can detect skin contact with the saw blade, and stops the blade within milliseconds. The system includes an electronic detection system that sends an electrical signal to the blade. If someone touches the blade, this electrical signal drops, because the human body is a good conductor. Wood, in comparison, is a poor conductor of electricity. When the electrical signal in the blade drops, a digital signal processor triggers a fast-acting brake system to stop the blade. The entire system works in 3-5 milliseconds, or 1/200th of a second.

Watch a video of SawStop in action

Man Awarded $1.5 Million in Table Saw Injury

In March 2010, the Boston Globe published an article about a lawsuit against a table saw manufacturer that failed to include skin-sensing safety mechanism. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of Carlos Osorio, who suffered severe, permanent finger injuries after using a Ryobi table saw. The court found that the table saw’s manufacturer, One World Technologies, was liable for Osorio’s injuries for failing to include the SawStop safety mechanism in the Ryobi table saw. If this safety mechanism had been included in the table saw, Osorio’s injuries would have been limited to a 1/8-inch cut on only one finger, instead of two unusable fingers and three fingers with no feeling, requiring five surgeries and $384,000 in medical expenses. The court awarded Osorio $1.5 million in damages.

Do I have a Table Saw Injury Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Table Saw induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured after using a table saw, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Table Saw Injury Lawsuit Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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