September 20, 2022

UPPAbaby Baby Strollers Recalled After Numerous Infant Hand Injuries

Many baby stroller recalls result from risk of injury to the child riding in the carriage. A recent recall, however, stemmed from an injury caused to a child outside of the stroller. On September 1, UPPAbaby recalled its RIDGE jogging strollers after a brake sliced off the tip of a non-occupant child’s finger. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), children not in the stroller can get their fingers caught in the rear disc brakes, potentially causing laceration or amputation.

UPPAbaby Stroller Recall Details

The UPPAbaby recall involved about 14,400 all-terrain RIDGE jogging strollers, which feature a disc hand brake system. The brand UPPAbaby appears on the front of the stroller, RIDGE appears on the side of the frame, and the model number “1401-RDG-US” appears on the left side of the frame above the rear wheel. The strollers have a black frame, black tires, and a fabric color scheme in white, charcoal, or slate blue.

August 26, 2022

Camp Lejeune Justice Act Allows Veterans to Sue for Toxic Water Injuries

by Altman & Altman

It was a decision decades in the making: Veterans exposed to toxins on the Camp Lejeune military base years ago can now sue the federal government for their water contamination injuries. On August 10, President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act aimed at helping military members exposed to toxic substances during their service. Included in the legislation was the long-awaited Camp Lejeune Justice Act, designed to provide judicial relief to those harmed by tainted groundwater on the base — some 40 years after it was discovered.

Contaminated Water Injuries: What Happened at Camp Lejeune?

Established in 1942, Camp Lejeune serves as a U.S. Marine Corps Base in North Carolina. Military activities started polluting the drinking water in the early 1950s and continued into the 1980s when the contamination was discovered. By the time the poisoned wells were closed in 1985, as many as a million people on the base may have been exposed to the toxic water supply.

August 22, 2022

Johnson & Johnson Discontinues Talcum-Based Baby Powder Worldwide

by Altman & Altman

Johnson & Johnson will stop selling its popular talc-based baby powder globally starting next year, according to a corporate statement released in August. The multinational healthcare conglomerate had already discontinued talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada in 2020, but will now transition to cornstarch-based powder worldwide. Although the company says it stands behind the safety of the talc product, the announcement comes after thousands of lawsuits have claimed that Johnson & Johnson baby powder causes cancer.

What Do Baby Powder Lawsuits Claim?

Baby powder lawsuits assert that Johnson & Johnson and other manufacturers knew their talc products were contaminated with asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral fiber known to cause cancer. Although the companies were aware that talc-based baby powder could cause ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, the victims claim, they did nothing to warn consumers of that risk. Many talcum powder cancer lawsuits have been brought by women who developed ovarian cancer after regularly using the product on their genital area for years.

August 19, 2022

Infant Swings and Rockers Recalled After Baby’s Death

by Altman & Altman

Reports of two children becoming dangerously entangled in restraint straps prompted a massive recall of 4moms infant swings and rockers. The company recalled over 2 million products after one baby died of asphyxiation and another suffered bruising to his neck before being rescued. Both entanglement incidents occurred when babies crawled under the seats of unoccupied MamaRoo infant swings.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), families with infants who can crawl should immediately stop using the recalled baby swings and rockers and place them somewhere that crawling infants cannot access. Consumers can contact 4moms to receive a free fastener to prevent the straps from extending under the swing when not in use.

RockaRoo and MamaRoo Recall Details

August 16, 2022

With kids about to head back to school – Some facts about school bus safety in Massachusetts

by Altman & Altman

As the school year nears, parents have a lot on their minds: new classes, fall sports practices, back-to-school shopping, and generally hectic schedules. But there is one thing you hope never to have to worry about: you or your children being hurt in a school bus accident. While school buses are among the safest modes of transporting students to and from school, accidents do happen.

School Bus Accident Facts

In Massachusetts, an estimated half a million public school students travel daily on 9,000 yellow school buses (School Bus Fleet). According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, most school bus-related injuries happen to people getting on or off a bus. Children aged 4-7 have the highest risk of suffering school bus injuries.

August 15, 2022

Miter Saws Recalled Due to Injury Hazard

by Altman & Altman

On August 4, 2022, DeWALT Industrial Tool Company recalled nearly 1.4 million miter saws after receiving nine reports of laceration injuries. The rear safety guard on the power saw can break or come off, exposing the user and bystanders to potential injury from projectiles. In addition, without the protection of the safety guard, the user could suffer serious wounds by coming into direct contact with the spinning saw blade. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the miter saws were sold by numerous retailers, including Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Amazon, and hardware stores nationwide.

Miter Saw Recall Details

Including the nine reports of laceration injuries, DeWALT received a total of 571 reports of the rear safety guard assembly or components breaking or detaching. Below are the details of the DeWALT miter saw recall as listed on the CPSC website:

August 10, 2022

Where Do Most Boston Bicycle Accidents Occur?

by Altman & Altman

Which U.S. state ranks as the best for cyclists? According to the League of American Bicyclists, that honor goes to Massachusetts. In 2022, the Commonwealth topped the list of Bicycle Friendly States, scoring “A” grades for “infrastructure and funding,” “education and encouragement,” and “policies and programs.” One area where Massachusetts didn’t excel: “Traffic laws and practices,” a category in which the state received a disappointing “D” grad

So while Massachusetts is generally considered a good place for cyclists, work remains to be done in terms of safety. In the past five years, the state averaged around seven fatal bicyclist accidents and over 900 non-fatal injury crashes per year (MassDOT crash portal data).

Where Do Most Boston Bicycle Accidents Occur?

July 26, 2022

Why are pedestrian accidents and fatalities on the rise in Massachusetts?

by Altman & Altman

American roads have become increasingly dangerous for walkers. According to Governors Highway Safety Association estimates, drivers killed nearly 7,500 pedestrians in 2021 — the highest number in 40 years. And in Massachusetts, MassDOT crash portal data indicate that pedestrian deaths rose 40% between 2020 and 2021, rebounding even higher than pre-pandemic normals.

Pedestrian Fatalities in Massachusetts

While pedestrian accidents can happen anywhere at any time, a WalkBoston report identified several key factors regarding Massachusetts pedestrian deaths in 2021.

July 18, 2022

Post Pandemic, Truck Accidents and Fatalities on the Rise in Massachusetts

by Altman & Altman

As traffic volume in the U.S. (and Massachusetts) rebounded after the pandemic of 2020, so did traffic fatalities. Deaths involving large trucks were no exception. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), estimated fatalities in accidents involving at least one large truck jumped 13% between 2020 and 2021. This means that last year alone, over 5,600 people died in truck crashes in the United States.

Noting that this number represents an “unfathomable” 52% increase in truck accident fatalities since 2010, the Truck Safety Coalition issued a statement saying “What more is needed to take safety seriously? We need to do everything possible to reverse this terrifying trend because lives hang in the balance.”

Large Truck Crash Fatality Statistics 2021

June 10, 2022

Sexual Abuse in Southern Baptist Churches

by Altman & Altman

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) released the results of a major independent investigation in May 2022 indicating that church leaders ignored and covered up claims of sexual abuse for decades. The largest protestant denomination in America, the SBC is a loosely connected group of over 47,000 individual churches with more than 14 million members. The revelations suggested a pattern of inaction by high-ranking staff and prompted comparisons with the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church.

Accusations of Sexual Abuse in Southern Baptist Churches

In 2019, the Houston Chronicle helped break the news about sexual abuse in SBC churches. The story indicated that not only did the Southern Baptist Convention routinely mishandle reports of sex abuse, but also that hundreds of church leaders and volunteers had been criminally charged with sex crimes. Reporters found nearly 700 alleged victims—mostly children—who were sexually abused in a 20-year span. This bombshell news prompted the SBC to request a third-party inquiry into the sex abuse claims.