Announcements | 
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Laws/Cases |
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Jurors Award Punitive Damages for Defective Fire Gear |
| A St. Louis jury has ordered the maker of an air mask blamed in the death of a firefighter to pay $15 million in punitive damages. Jurors in the case said the mask’s maker, Survivair, was beyond negligent for selling equipment it knew to be defective. During the trial, firefighters from California to Georgia testified that the breathing device was prone to malfunction. Heather Ratcliffe, St. Louis Business Journal 09/20/2007 | Read Article: St. Louis Business Journal |
FDA to Gain More Control Over Drug Industry |
| Congress passed a bill Wednesday that will allow the Food and Drug Administration greater control in policing the nation’s prescription drug industry. Included in the legislation are provisions that authorize the agency to govern drug industry user fees, new rules involving the disclosure of clinical trial results, money for studies of older medicines, incentives for tests in children and even the conflicts of interest of drug agency advisers. The bill was hailed by both industry and consumer groups as a right step in restoring consumer safety and confidence. Gardiner Harris, The New York Times 09/20/2007 | Read Article: The New York Times |
Lawsuit Alleges Improper Use of Highway Grates |
| The family of a man who was severely injured on a New England highway after a 250-pound storm grate smashed through his windshield filed a lawsuit Wednesday that claims such grates were never intended for highway use. In the lawsuit the family argues that use of the waffle-style grates violated state construction standards and are a danger to drivers. The injured man remains hospitalized with brain and spinal injuries more than a year after the incident. Scott Allen, Boston Globe 09/20/2007 | Read Article: Boston Globe |
Courts Hand Down Contrary Rulings on Liability Releases |
| The Pennsylvania Superior court has ruled that broad statements in a ski resort’s liability release protect the resort from claims resulting from injury to patrons, at least in one case. Less than two weeks ago, the state supreme court ruled in a similar liability case that a woman could pursue claims against another resort for injuries suffered after falling from a ski lift. The broad statements in the liability release helped the case of one plaintiff while hurting the other. Gina Passarella, Law.com 09/20/2007 | Read Article: Law.com |
Blogger’s Comments Incite Legal Battle with Hospital |
| A Tennessee-based hospital chain is seeking to expose the identity of an Internet blogger who has been critical of the care provided at one of its Texaslocations. In a lawsuit, the hospital claims that the blogger’s comments amount to defamation and demand that his identity be revealed. The blogger and his attorney argue that the hospital’s primary aim is to stifle free speech and silence whistleblowers who have posted comments to the blog. R.G. Ratcliffe, Houston Chronicle 09/20/2007 | Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
Products |
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Supplements Recalled for Undisclosed Ingredients |
| An Internet-based company has announced that it is recalling 200 boxes of supplements after the Food and Drug Administration discovered that samples of the products contain potentially harmful, undeclared substances. According to a company statement the products, sold under the names Axcil and Desirin, may contain an active ingredient in erectile dysfunction medication that could interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs and might lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. AP, Houston Chronicle 09/20/2007 | Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
Study |
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Regulators to Study Cardiac Effects of ADHD Drugs |
| The Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it would launch a two-year study to determine whether drugs used to treat attention deficit disorder may pose heart risks to children and adults. Regulators fear that as ADHD drugs are prescribed to more adults, the powerful stimulants may increase susceptibility to high blood pressure and other cardiac problems. Times Staff Writer, LA Times 09/18/2007 | Read Article: LA Times |
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