JohnMininno

Collingswood, NJ

Paula Deen’s Cookware may be look great on TV but is it safe to use?

Many people know about Paula Deen’s cooking show and also the channel on TV QVC which sells various products to consumers. This person and this channel are very popular and well known by many people, so it may come as a shock that on October 2, 2009, Paula Deen’s Cast Iron Cookware was recalled by the U.S. Product Safety Commission due to possible burn and laceration hazards. This cookware can crack or shatter causing consumers to get burns or lacerations while using the cookware. QVC and Meyer Trading have reported 79 reports of the cookware shattering or cracking while being heated. This includes one consumer who reported a minor burn injury to their arm. This recall is on Paula Deen’s 11 inch cast iron grill pans and griddles. The item numbers are K14984, K11970, and K135024. The products are black and have Paula Deen logo and size engraved on the bottom. There was no other Paula Deen cookware involved in this specific recall. These items were sold through QVC television show, online at QVC.com and through QVC retail stores between October 2007 and July 2009. Consumers should stop using this cookware right away and contact QVC for a full refund. For more information on this specific consumer product recall, you may visit: http://www.cpsc.go v/cpscpub/prerel/p rhtml10/10701.html or www.qvc.com This recall just reinforces how any consumer products can have their defectives and problems no matter what the product may be.  (Oct 6, 2009 | post #1)

Collingswood, NJ

Death Being Investigated of Woman who Took Yaz Birth Control

The Bayer AG company in Germany is having its Yaz Pill investigated by the Swiss Health regulator has part of the reason a woman may have died. The woman was said to die from the effects of a pulmonary embolism and had been taking the pill for ten months. These types of problems are the rare but serious side effects of taking hormone-based contraceptives such as Yaz. It is true that just because this one woman may have died due in part as a result of Yaz, that not all woman are at risk by taking Yaz. This story though among others makes people start to wonder why the Bayer Company tried to cover up the serious side effects of this pill. Is it because money truly talks and Yaz is a huge money maker for Bayer? Or is it because all birth control pills have their risks so they did not see the need to mention them? Or finally is it because they really did not think the risks of this Yaz Birth Control pill were that serious? Whatever the case, people should know all the risks of any medicine they take, big or small, no matter how good the medicine may be or how much money the company may make. Consumers have the right to know what they are consuming. For more information on this specific story, you may visit: http://www.bloombe rg.com/apps/news?p id=20601085&si d=aPSvNPx7m.n4 John R. Mininno, Esq. is a New Jersey and Pennsylvania trial lawyer representing clients in medical malpractice, defective products and other serious injury claims. He also writes about issues concerning patient safety. His offices are in Collingswood, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. www.minfirm.com  (Sep 30, 2009 | post #1)

New Jersey

How to Report Elder Abuse or Elder Neglect in NJ

Filing a report with the State of New Jersey in the event of nursing home neglect is the first step in pursuing a claim for elder abuse. The process is very simple and extremely helpful if you have considered taking legal action against the facility. How It Works When you call the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, a representative will discuss and document any problems or issues you are having with the particular nursing home facility. Based on your information, an investigator will be sent to the facility within ten (10) days to investigate the claim. The investigator will then review the patient’s chart, interview other patients in the facility and observe the general living conditions. Based on their findings, the investigator will issue a letter stating the nursing home was either deficient or not deficient in their care according to state/federal laws. How Does Filing a Report Help My Legal Case? A report from the state detailing the neglect or abuse experienced by your loved one is a credible piece of evidence in proving your case. The report may also uncover abuse or neglect that the family was not aware of at the time they made the claim. Contact the NJ Department of Health And Senior Services: To file a report, call 1(800) 792-9770. Follow the prompts and press one (1) to file a complaint against a nursing home, hospital or assisted living facility. http://www.minfirm .com/  (Apr 27, 2009 | post #1)

New Jersey

New Jersey Senator Lends an Ear to the Victims of Insurance Company Tactics

“As far as Kia Moore is concerned, the health insurance system miserably failed her and her 20-month-old son. Xavier Hylton was born at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden with two malfunctioning kidneys and requires daily dialysis treatments as he awaits a transplant. He had grown enough to medically qualify for that transplant by March, but Moore said the procedure was delayed at least six months by a struggle over insurance coverage. Today, she said, her son should already have a functioning kidney and be on his way to living a near-normal life.” (Maryann Spoto, The Star-Ledger) Last week, citizens of New Jersey who have fallen victim to the ruthless tactics of insurance companies were given time to fume their anger to US Senator Bob Menendez. The stories Senator Menendez would hear would appall him, and only add to his arsenal to bring to Washington with the hopes of sparking health care reform. Although invited, no representatives from the insurance agencies were present for the meeting. "It's no secret to anyone that our health care system is badly in need of reform," Menendez said. "There are few things more important to the families in this state than fixing it, making sure in this great nation of ours that no one goes to sleep without health coverage, that no one has to choose between paying for heat in the winter and paying for medication that keeps them alive." Senator Menendez called the meeting in light of a new health care system proposal authored by Senator Max Baucus of Montana. Central to the Baucus proposal is the creation of a Health Care Exchange composed of a nationwide group of private insurance companies that would be prohibited from discriminating against pre-existing conditions. Currently, under the existing set up, patients who visit emergency rooms due to lack of coverage end up being burdens of the tax payer. In Camden alone, more tha $460 million has been spent over the past five years on charity cases. Because the proposal would require every resident to obtain health insurance, it also provides for federal subsidies for families and small businesses unable to afford coverage through the exchange. This new proposal has received the plaudits of Jeffery Brenner, a local Camden physician. Brenner advocates a system that brings those emergency room patients into the system for follow-ups so they can receive the appropriate care and are less of a financial drain on the system. "Somehow we lost sight of the fact that the purpose of the home-care delivery system is to heal the sick, care for wounded and prevent illness," he said. "It's not to make physicians wealthy or pharmaceutical representatives wealthy or stockholders or insurance companies wealthy. The patient should be at the center of the system and indeed should be our top priority." Until serious reform has occurred however, the best ally a patient can have when dealing with their insurance carrier is an experienced attorney. http://www.minfirm .com  (Apr 17, 2009 | post #1)

US News

CONSUMER ALERT – CHILD SAFETY SEAT PERFORMANCES ARE UNDER PAR

“In a government crash-test video, the infant car seat flies off its base, smashing the baby dummy – still strapped into the carrier – upside down and face-first into the back of the driver’s seat.” (Patricia Callahan, Chicago Tribune). A deep look into the data of several tests carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission (NHTSA) has revealed an industry-wide problem regarding the testing of safety for child car seats. In a crash test study by the NHTSA, a total of 31 child safety seats flew off their bases or exceeded injury limits in a series of frontal crashes. These results however, were never released to the public. Why? Because the performance of these child safety seats was not the primary concern of the testers; they were only concerned with the general safety of the vehicles being crashed. It took a Chicago Tribune investigation to unearth these troubling results, and bring it to the public attention. What this newspaper investigation has revealed a possible lack of rigor in the safety testing for child safety seats. Perhaps more important however, is the revelation that parents simply are not given any information they need in order to make an educated purchase. “You can compare the safety ratings for cars, but not for the safety of car seats. Parents often have no way which seat fits best in their car and whether conventional wisdom is accurate.” (Patricia Callahan, Chicago Tribune) Joan Claybrook, president emeritus of the advocacy group Public Citizen and former administrator in the NHTSA was straightforward in her response, stating, “What you’ve uncovered totally reveals the flaws in the current safety standard and also NHTSA’s negligence in not reporting this to the public.” Fortunately however, this recent uproar has come to the attention of the newly installed Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who in a written statement said he ordered a, “complete top to bottom review of child safety seat regulations,” while also directing the staff of the NHTSA to make results “more available” to the public. At this point, it appears that the Federal Government has gotten the message, responding that it will toughen safety standards and increase public accessibility to results when testing child safety seats. Unfortunately, the corporate world has not gotten the message. Among the failing restraint systems in the federal test was a product called the “SafeSeat,” by the Graco Corporation. In a response to the Tribunes investigation, Graco released a written statement explaining that the failed seat was, “anomalous, not a repeatable event,” and that the tests were, “worthless for the purposes of evaluating and comparing infant restraint system performance.” It appears that there is a lot left to accomplish in order to get the government to properly regulate the safety of infant restraint systems, and to get corporations to live up to those standards. In the mean time however, the best weapon a parent can have while purchasing a child safety seat is knowledge of important safety factors and an ability to compare across brands. If you are currently searching for a child safety seat for your family, please visit KeepKidsHealthy’s website on child safety seats. If your family has been victim to a failing child safety seat, please do not hesitate to contact an attorney immediately. http://www.minfirm .com  (Mar 23, 2009 | post #1)

Camden, NJ

Chrysler Removes Body from Funeral

Thanks for the great update tx nyc. http://www.minfirm .com/  (Mar 23, 2009 | post #4)

Oaklyn, NJ

Chrysler Removes Body from Funeral

A graveside subpoena has kept a New Jersey man from his final resting place, and now members of his family are venting their outrage. Unfortunately, the family of the late Harold St. John is the most recent victim of the corporate legal machine. In a desperate attempt to gain some ground in an ongoing lawsuit, the Chrysler Automobile Company demanded the body of Harold St. John be removed from his funeral service so additional tests could be performed. His remains have unfortunately become part of the legal tug of war surrounding a lawsuit Harold St. John’s exposure to asbestos while working for his father’s auto shop. Harold St. John was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare disease that is most commonly linked to asbestos exposure. While installing brake liners in his youth, Harold was constantly exposed to the dangerous chemical. As a result of his illness, he sued both Chrysler and Honeywell. According to the family, the removal of the body was completely unwarranted. Chrysler’s claim was that the body needed to be removed in order to attain tissue samples, and discover the cause of death. However, Harold had undergone several extremely painful biopsy procedures to provide sufficient tissue samples while he was still alive. Thus, the family has been left confused, only able to speculate why the Chrysler Corporation would get a court order for the remains of their father the day of his service. “They waited until we all left, I don’t get it,” stated his son. “The have all the evidence they need,” reports his late wife. “It’s a stall tactic. They’re ruthless.” (WCBS-2, Cranbury, New Jersey) Indeed, it would seem that respect for the dead and mourning don’t apply when it comes to Chrysler’s corporate agenda. http://www.minfirm .com/  (Mar 10, 2009 | post #1)

Camden, NJ

Chrysler Removes Body from Funeral

A graveside subpoena has kept a New Jersey man from his final resting place, and now members of his family are venting their outrage. Unfortunately, the family of the late Harold St. John is the most recent victim of the corporate legal machine. In a desperate attempt to gain some ground in an ongoing lawsuit, the Chrysler Automobile Company demanded the body of Harold St. John be removed from his funeral service so additional tests could be performed. His remains have unfortunately become part of the legal tug of war surrounding a lawsuit Harold St. John’s exposure to asbestos while working for his father’s auto shop. Harold St. John was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare disease that is most commonly linked to asbestos exposure. While installing brake liners in his youth, Harold was constantly exposed to the dangerous chemical. As a result of his illness, he sued both Chrysler and Honeywell. According to the family, the removal of the body was completely unwarranted. Chrysler’s claim was that the body needed to be removed in order to attain tissue samples, and discover the cause of death. However, Harold had undergone several extremely painful biopsy procedures to provide sufficient tissue samples while he was still alive. Thus, the family has been left confused, only able to speculate why the Chrysler Corporation would get a court order for the remains of their father the day of his service. “They waited until we all left, I don’t get it,” stated his son. “The have all the evidence they need,” reports his late wife. “It’s a stall tactic. They’re ruthless.” (WCBS-2, Cranbury, New Jersey) Indeed, it would seem that respect for the dead and mourning don’t apply when it comes to Chrysler’s corporate agenda. http://www.minfirm .com/  (Mar 10, 2009 | post #1)

Trenton, NJ

Chrysler Removes Body from Funeral

A graveside subpoena has kept a New Jersey man from his final resting place, and now members of his family are venting their outrage. Unfortunately, the family of the late Harold St. John is the most recent victim of the corporate legal machine. In a desperate attempt to gain some ground in an ongoing lawsuit, the Chrysler Automobile Company demanded the body of Harold St. John be removed from his funeral service so additional tests could be performed. His remains have unfortunately become part of the legal tug of war surrounding a lawsuit Harold St. John’s exposure to asbestos while working for his father’s auto shop. Harold St. John was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare disease that is most commonly linked to asbestos exposure. While installing brake liners in his youth, Harold was constantly exposed to the dangerous chemical. As a result of his illness, he sued both Chrysler and Honeywell. According to the family, the removal of the body was completely unwarranted. Chrysler’s claim was that the body needed to be removed in order to attain tissue samples, and discover the cause of death. However, Harold had undergone several extremely painful biopsy procedures to provide sufficient tissue samples while he was still alive. Thus, the family has been left confused, only able to speculate why the Chrysler Corporation would get a court order for the remains of their father the day of his service. “They waited until we all left, I don’t get it,” stated his son. “The have all the evidence they need,” reports his late wife. “It’s a stall tactic. They’re ruthless.” (WCBS-2, Cranbury, New Jersey) Indeed, it would seem that respect for the dead and mourning don’t apply when it comes to Chrysler’s corporate agenda. http://www.minfirm .com/  (Mar 10, 2009 | post #1)

Collingswood, NJ

Chrysler Removes Body from Funeral

A graveside subpoena has kept a New Jersey man from his final resting place, and now members of his family are venting their outrage. Unfortunately, the family of the late Harold St. John is the most recent victim of the corporate legal machine. In a desperate attempt to gain some ground in an ongoing lawsuit, the Chrysler Automobile Company demanded the body of Harold St. John be removed from his funeral service so additional tests could be performed. His remains have unfortunately become part of the legal tug of war surrounding a lawsuit Harold St. John’s exposure to asbestos while working for his father’s auto shop. Harold St. John was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare disease that is most commonly linked to asbestos exposure. While installing brake liners in his youth, Harold was constantly exposed to the dangerous chemical. As a result of his illness, he sued both Chrysler and Honeywell. According to the family, the removal of the body was completely unwarranted. Chrysler’s claim was that the body needed to be removed in order to attain tissue samples, and discover the cause of death. However, Harold had undergone several extremely painful biopsy procedures to provide sufficient tissue samples while he was still alive. Thus, the family has been left confused, only able to speculate why the Chrysler Corporation would get a court order for the remains of their father the day of his service. “They waited until we all left, I don’t get it,” stated his son. “The have all the evidence they need,” reports his late wife. “It’s a stall tactic. They’re ruthless.” (WCBS-2, Cranbury, New Jersey) Indeed, it would seem that respect for the dead and mourning don’t apply when it comes to Chrysler’s corporate agenda. http://www.minfirm .com/  (Mar 10, 2009 | post #1)

New Jersey

Chrysler Removes Body from Funeral

A graveside subpoena has kept a New Jersey man from his final resting place, and now members of his family are venting their outrage. Unfortunately, the family of the late Harold St. John is the most recent victim of the corporate legal machine. In a desperate attempt to gain some ground in an ongoing lawsuit, the Chrysler Automobile Company demanded the body of Harold St. John be removed from his funeral service so additional tests could be performed. His remains have unfortunately become part of the legal tug of war surrounding a lawsuit Harold St. John’s exposure to asbestos while working for his father’s auto shop. Harold St. John was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare disease that is most commonly linked to asbestos exposure. While installing brake liners in his youth, Harold was constantly exposed to the dangerous chemical. As a result of his illness, he sued both Chrysler and Honeywell. According to the family, the removal of the body was completely unwarranted. Chrysler’s claim was that the body needed to be removed in order to attain tissue samples, and discover the cause of death. However, Harold had undergone several extremely painful biopsy procedures to provide sufficient tissue samples while he was still alive. Thus, the family has been left confused, only able to speculate why the Chrysler Corporation would get a court order for the remains of their father the day of his service. “They waited until we all left, I don’t get it,” stated his son. “The have all the evidence they need,” reports his late wife. “It’s a stall tactic. They’re ruthless.” (WCBS-2, Cranbury, New Jersey) Indeed, it would seem that respect for the dead and mourning don’t apply when it comes to Chrysler’s corporate agenda. http://www.minfirm .com/  (Mar 10, 2009 | post #1)