California Injury Blog

Published on: February 28, 2007

FDA Cutting Down on Food Safety Inspections

By Brian Chase

The Food and Drug Administration , the federal agency that has been warning the public about recent E.Coli and salmonella outbreaks connected with tainted spinach and peanut butter, is conducting only half the food safety inspections now than it did three years ago.

According to an Associated Press news report posted on the MSNBC Website, these cuts come in the wake of several well-publicized food recalls in recent months. The article says a database analysis of federal records by the Associated Press shows that between 2003 and 2006, FDA’s food safety inspections dropped 47 percent.

“We have a food safety crisis on the horizon,” said Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.

The analysis also shows that: a. There are 12 percent fewer FDA employees in field offices who focus on food issues and b. Safety tests for U.S. produced food have dropped 75 percent, from 9,748 in 2003 to 2,455 last year.

After Sept. 11, FDA increased the number of food inspectors fearing a terrorist threat. But the number started falling quickly and steadily after the year 2003, wiping away whatever positive results the agency had achieved from the increase in inspections.

And now it’s getting worse, which comes as no surprise to me. Now there are more facilities to inspect and more imported food. It’s clear from the spinach and lettuce E.Coli outbreaks and latest recall involving salmonella-tainted peanut butter produced by ConAgra Inc. that has sickened at least 329 people across 41 states.
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Published on: February 28, 2007

The Silver Lining in a Horrible Tragedy

By Brian Chase

Seattle City Councilman Nick Licata is determined to make his city the model for pedestrian safety. This is according to a Feb. 24 article in the Seattle Times.

Licata’s stepson, now 18, was critically injured three years ago while trying to catch a bus to school. The teenager was in a coma for months and suffered brain injuries.

The article by Sanjay Bhatt states that Licata’s stepson, Josef Robinson, has filed a lawsuit alleging that negligence by the city and county led to his severe injuries. Filed in December, the suit doesn’t specify a dollar amount, but an earlier administrative claim against the city sought $20 million in damages.

As it turns out, it’s not just one councilman. In what can only be described as a strange coincidence, others on the council also have a personal concern about pedestrian safety: David Della’s chief of staff, Tatsuo Nakata, was fatally struck by a motorist in November. Peter Steinbrueck was hit by a car at age 11, lapsed into a coma and spent a year mending a broken body. Jean Godden was nearly run over as a child and escaped with bruises.

The council adopted a resolution this month calling for a complete review of city policies affecting pedestrians. A pedestrian master plan, if approved by the council, would influence the city’s future landscape — from road design to building permits — and guide a nine-year spending plan of some $8.5 million annually on improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists.
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Published on: February 27, 2007

Sued Nursing Home is Likely Understaffed

By Brian Chase

A Riverside nursing home, which is being sued on allegations of elder abuse and negligence, was understaffed and offers substandard care to its elders and their families, according to an attorney for the plaintiff quoted in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Pleasant Care Convalescent of Riverside was sued last week by the granddaughter of 81-year-old Ida Mae Davis. The suit alleges that during the three years she lived there, Davis suffered multiple falls, bed sores, malnutrition and at one point, was being prescribed physical therapy when she had an undiagnosed hip fracture.

The article by Patricia Jiayi Ho, quotes Davis’ attorney Michael Young.

“It’s our theory they are understaffed – the put their profits ahead of people. They make these representations that they’re doing good to take care of grandma and grandpa and they don’t.”

Young said the most serious problem occurred in February 2006 when Davis underwent 10 or more days of physical therapy for nurses notes indicate was “right knee pain.”

Subsequent X-rays revealed that Davis had actually fractured her hip during one of her falls. She was then taken to Riverside Community Hospital for hip surgery, where staff notes numerous bed sores and malnutrition.

The attorney also talks about an issue that has bothered me for a long time – understaffing.
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Published on: February 27, 2007

Salmonella in Reese’s Peanut Butter snacks?

By Brian Chase

Federal investigators are trying to follow the trail of the much-publicized peanut butter salmonella infestation that sickened more than 329 people across 41 states.

They believe this trail may lead to products that have not yet been recalled, including Reese’s Peanut Butter snacks, according to an article posted on www.consumeraffairs.com.

Hershey, which makes Reese’s products, insists it “does not source any peanut butter from ConAgra,” which manufactured the tainted Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter. ConAgra has also declined to say whether the Reese’s products contain any of its peanut butter.

Meanwhile the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not ruled it out and at least one consumer has reported to ConsumerAffairs.Com that she was sickened and missed work after eating a King Size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

“I’m not trying to start a mass hysteria situation, but I did eat a King Size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup product almost three weeks ago,” the Florida woman wrote. “I got sick with diarrhea later on that same evening and it was an ongoing thing for almost a week…I couldn’t sit down for more than 10 minutes without having to go to the toilet.”

Hershey officials say that the ConAgra recall does not apply to any of the Reese’s products and that these are safe to consume.
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Published on: February 26, 2007

Volkswagen Recalls 790,000 Defective Autos

By Brian Chase

Volkswagen of America Inc. said Monday it would recall 790,000 vehicles because of problems with the brake light switch, according to an Associated Press news report published in the Chicago Sun-Times.

According to an announcement on the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration , the recall involves several vehicles including 1999 to 2006 model years of the Golf and GTI; 2001 to 2005 Jettas; 2001 to 2007 new Beetles and the 2004 R32. This recall is reportedly an extension of an earlier recall announced last year of some Jettas and new Beetles because of the same defect.

Volkswagen told NHTSA that the brake light switches in the vehicles could malfunction if they were not properly installed. The automaker also said the light could stay on or not work at all, which would fail to provide other motorists with the proper braking signal and potentially lead to a crash.

Last year, the company recalled 362,000 Jetta and Beetle sedans because of similar problems with the brake lights. That recall affected Jettas from the 1999 to 2002 model years and new Beetles from the 1998 to 2002 model years.

Officials also said the latest recall is an extension of the previous one because the company “found that there was a broader pool of vehicles that had the defective part.”
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