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Tabletop Fire Pits Can Explode, Cause Serious Burn Injuries and Death

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using alcohol-burning or other liquid fuel tabletop fire pits following two deaths and at least 60 injuries in the past five years. Tabletop fire pits — also called fire pots, miniature fireplaces and personal fireplaces — are small, portable fireplaces that can be placed on a tabletop or …

NHTSA Issues Final Rule for Auto Whistleblower Program

On December 12, 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published the final rule formalizing its whistleblower program, as required by the Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act. The final rule deviates little from the rule proposed by NHTSA in April 2023, which addressed definitions of key program terms, tip-filing requirements, award applications, how decisions are made on award applications, …

SEC Obtains Orders for a Record $8.2 Billion in Financial Remedies in Fiscal Year 2024

In fiscal year 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed 583 enforcement actions and obtained orders for $8.2 billion in financial remedies—the most ever obtained by the SEC in a single fiscal year. The $8.2 billion consisted of $6.1 billion in disgorgement and prejudgment interest and $2.1 billion in civil penalties. The SEC also obtained orders barring 124 individuals from serving …

When Fun Toys Kill: The Products Liability Case Against Water Beads

Water beads are sold for children as toys, educational materials, art materials, sensory tools, and as projectiles for “gel blaster” guns. Adults use them as decorative, crafting and gardening supplies. When these small, colorful beads are swallowed by children, they do not simply get digested and pass through a child’s body. Instead, they absorb fluids and expand to many times …

The Products Liability Case Against Tianeptine: The Deadly “Dietary Supplement” Found at Your Local Store

You see them displayed by the cash register. Neptune’s Fix and other tianeptine-based products promise to help brain function, treat anxiety and depression, and even manage opioid addiction. Unbeknownst to many consumers, these products have been associated with severe adverse medical events, including seizures and even deaths. This article, written by John M. Dodig and Jason A. Daria and published in …

Fisher-Price Recalls Snuga Swings After Five Infant Deaths

In a recall that one federal safety regulator has characterized as “doomed to fail,” Fisher-Price is offering its customers $25 to remove components from its Snuga Swings — which have been linked to five infant deaths — instead of offering a meaningful remedy that would get this unsafe product out of people’s homes. On October 10, 2024, Fisher-Price announced the recall …

Lawmakers Seek to Address Supersized Vehicles That Kill Pedestrians

Federal lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at reducing the number of pedestrians who are killed and seriously injured in crashes with supersized passenger vehicles. Recent government data show that there are more than 40,000 fatal car crashes per year in the United States. Between 2013 and 2022, pedestrian fatalities increased 57 percent from 4,779 to 7,522, according to the National Highway …

CPSC Warns Against Two Cradle Swings That Pose Suffocation and Fall Hazards

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning parents and caregivers to stop using DNYSYSJ and OUKANING cradle swings due to the risk of suffocation and falls. According to the CPSC, the cradle swings violate federal safety regulations for bassinets and cradles. The warning, issued on August 15, 2024, states that the “folds” of the cradle swing’s segmented sleeping pad …

Neptune’s Fix Recalled: FDA Warns That Tianeptine-Containing Products Are Associated with Seizures, Loss of Consciousness and Death

When 32-year-old graphic designer Matthew Cornier decided to work late at his Point Pleasant, New Jersey, office, he went to a convenience store and purchased several shot-size bottles of Neptune’s Fix, a purported dietary supplement sold with a claim that it will improve mental focus. Several hours later Matthew was found dead in his office by his fiancée. The bottles of …

Medical Malpractice

Patient Strokes, Treatment and the Law: Issues to Consider

April 4th, 2022

When a patient suffers a stroke, proper diagnosis and prompt treatment can mean the difference between recovery with little or no disability and permanent brain damage, disability or death. Learn the issues to consider when evaluating a potential stroke malpractice case, including possible theories of …

kleptocracy asset recovery

TREASURY LAUNCHES KLEPTOCRACY ASSET WHISTLEBLOWER REWARDS PROGRAM

March 23rd, 2022

Congress recently established the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Rewards Program. The Program will provide rewards payments to whistleblowers who provide information leading to the seizure, restraint, or forfeiture of “stolen assets” linked to foreign government corruption, including the Government of the Russian Federation. Information reported, the …

Whistleblower Rewards

AM I ELIGIBLE FOR A WHISTLEBLOWER REWARD UNDER THE FALSE CLAIMS ACT?

March 22nd, 2022

Whistleblowers, called relators under the False Claims Act, may file complaints alleging violations of the FCA under seal with the Department of Justice. FCA lawsuits initiated by relators are known as qui tam actions and, if successful, a relator is entitled to share in a …

false claims act

WHAT IS THE FALSE CLAIMS ACT?

March 10th, 2022

In 1863, the United States federal government passed the False Claims Act to recover monies lost to procurement fraud committed on the Union Army during the Civil War. The Government sought to recoup federal funds from contractors who defrauded the government by, for example, selling …

Whistleblower Rewards

Does My Client Have a Whistleblower Rewards Claim?

March 7th, 2022

Whistleblowers are finally being recognized for the tremendous value they add, and courage they exude, in exposing fraud involving federal funds, securities, commodities and taxes. Read Zachary Arbitman’s article from the March 2, 2022 issue of The Legal Intelligencer to learn more about whistleblower rewards …

false claims act

False Claims Act Recoveries Exceed $5.6B for Fiscal Year 2021

February 18th, 2022

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that it obtained more than $5.6 billion in settlements and judgments from False Claims Act cases during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. Of the $5.6 billion, more than $1.6 billion arose from lawsuits brought …

Infant Lounger

CPSC Sues Leachco After Manufacturer Refuses to Recall ‘Podster’ Infant Loungers Following Two Infant Deaths

February 10th, 2022

UPDATE: On February 9, 2022, the Consumer Product Safety Commission sued Leachco, the manufacturer of the Podster, Podster Plush, Bummzie and Podster Playtime infant loungers, after the company refused to voluntarily recall these products following two reported infant deaths. The suit asks that Leachco be ordered …

Crib Mattress

CPSC Approves New Safety Rule to Make Infant Mattresses in Play Yards and Cribs Safer

February 3rd, 2022

A seven-year fight by a New Jersey mom whose infant suffocated to death in a soft-sided play yard has ended with a new federal safety rule that will help ensure that mattresses used by babies in play yards and cribs are safe. The Consumer Product Safety …

The Hidden Dangers of Infant Sleep Products: Tips to Win Your Case and Save Lives

January 21st, 2022

From inclined sleepers to infant loungers, unsafe baby products have been linked to an inordinate number of infant deaths. The article below outlines strategies for screening, preparing and successfully resolving a product liability case that involves these infant products. Danger-Infant-Sleep-Products