Birmingham Legal Blog

Hodedah agrees to recall 26,500 dressers for tip-over risk

On behalf of of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

Four months after the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned that its dressers posed a serious tip-over hazard, furniture brand Hodedah has agreed to recall around 26,500 four-drawer chests recently. The dressers don’t comply with voluntary industry standards for stability.

Consumer advocates have been sounding the alarm on tippy dressers for several years. According to the CPSC, the risk is all too common. A person is injured about every 20 minutes, and a child dies about every two weeks, from furniture and appliances falling on them. Thousands of those incidents each year involve dressers.

Ford Expeditions, Lincoln Navigators recalled for safety issue

On behalf of of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. on Wednesday, May 13, 2020.

Ford Motors is recalling a group of 2020 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators because their Pre-Collision Assist features may be non-functional due to a software error. The driver might not receive any warning that the safety features aren’t working, and that could easily mean crashes.

The Pre-Collision Assist features include:

Forward collision warning (FCW)
Automatic emergency braking (AEB)

CMS orders nursing homes to disclose COVID-19 cases to families

On behalf of of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. on Wednesday, April 29, 2020.

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a new rule for nursing homes. Now, as soon as a nursing home has a single case of COVID-19, it must alert residents and their families within 12 hours.

The nursing home must also report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within 72 hours whenever three or more people develop respiratory symptoms. CMS will then make the information public.

Hyundai Sonata and Nexo recalled for problem with remote parking

On behalf of of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

Hyundai has equipped some of its 2020-model-year vehicles with a system called “Remote Smart Parking Assist.” Without anyone in the car, the vehicle can park itself in a standard perpendicular parking spot. All it takes is for the driver to hold down a button on the key fob.

Unfortunately, a problem has been discovered with the software. This was found in February during what Hyundai calls “routine developmental testing.” The company did issue a software update to address the problem, but it did not recall any existing vehicles.

Another brand of dressers recalled for tip-over hazard

On behalf of of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.

Someone is injured every 20 minutes from a piece of furniture, a television or another appliance falls on them, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. A child dies about every two weeks from the same cause. Every year, thousands of tip-over incidents like these involve dressers that are top-heavy but aren’t secured to the wall.

Now, another brand of dresser has issued a recall. Joybird is recalling about 100 units of its Blythe-style dressers. The dresser weighs about 200 pounds and is 66 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 37.5 inches high. On the back, you should find a sticker that says “Stitch Industries, Inc.” along with the month and year of manufacture and the words “TSCA Title VI Compliant.”

Are autonomous trucks safe?

By Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. on Friday, April 3, 2020.

As you drive along Alabama highways, you notice many commercial trucks carrying goods across the country. While you may have fears that exhaustion, alcohol or drugs could affect your safety next to a large truck, you don't expect the driver's seat to be empty.

Some heartburn drugs may contribute to bone fractures in children

On behalf of Eric Bell of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. on Tuesday, March 31, 2020.

You wouldn’t think a drug your child was taking would influence whether they suffered broken bones, but there is evidence that proton pump inhibitors may contribute to them. If your child is on one, they should not stop taking it without discussing the risks and benefits with a doctor.

Proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, are often available over the counter as well as by prescription. Common examples include:

Omeprazole (Prilosec)
Lansoprazole (Prevacid)
Dexlansoprazole (Dexilent)
Rabeprazole (Aciphex)
Pantoprazole (Protonix)
Esomeprazole (Nexium)

Warning: Your cosmetics may contain asbestos

On behalf of Eric Bell of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. on Monday, March 30, 2020.

Do your powdered cosmetics contain talcum powder? If so, they may contain asbestos -- and that could be deadly. According to the federal government, there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, which is a naturally occurring fiber that is often mined near talc mines.

Asbestos can cause a number of serious health problems, including the fatal lung cancer mesothelioma. An analysis of federal mortality data found that as many as 15,000 Americans die every year from diseases caused by asbestos.

Homestar brand dressers recalled due to tip-over risk

On behalf of Eric Bell of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

Over the last few years, furniture such as dressers and bookshelves have been recalled because they can tip over unless secured to a wall. This can result in a tragic accident, especially if children are in the home. These large, heavy pieces of furniture can crush or suffocate a child if they tip over. Unfortunately, it’s quite common for children to climb on dressers and bookshelves.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a person is injured every 20 minutes or so, and a child is killed every two weeks, from furniture or appliances falling onto them. Since 2000, tipping dressers have killed at least 212 people -- mostly kids six and younger.

Do your loved one a favor and don’t visit their nursing home

On behalf of Eric Bell of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.

"Older folks don't have the reserve to handle illnesses," explains the president of the American Board of Internal Medicine, where he is a geriatrician. "They really are fragile, and their clinical status can change very quickly."

As the country begins to deal with the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, some of the hardest hit are those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.