Product Liability Lawyer Blog

February 12, 2017

New Hip Replacement Techniques Improve Patient Outcomes

Hip replacement surgery has become one of the most often performed elective surgical procedures in the United States. This involves the total replacement of the patient’s natural, but damaged hip joint, which an artificial hip implant manufactured by a medical device firm. While there are many names for the different firms, these days, they are often subsidiaries of a handful of major pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers.

A recent news article from ABC 6, takes a look at how a modern hip replacement is performed and what a patient can expect during his or her recovery. As discussed in the article, in the 1990s, having a total hip replacement involved a having an open incision followed by a stay in the hospital of two weeks or more and then being placed in a lengthy rehabilitation program. There was a lot of time spent in rehabilitation, and this was not only a long, but also a painful process. Continue reading

February 10, 2017

Total Knee Operations Increasingly Common, Alternatives Scant

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The author of a recent editorial from the Boston Globe discussed how he was told that his insurance company would pay for a total knee replacement operation, but it would not pay for osteopathic muscle therapy. His editorial raised questions about the reasoning given for this, and it’s relevant to an increasing number of Americans.

It is helpful to first understand that total knee replacement operations and total hip replacement operations have become the most common surgical procedures being performed in the United States, with 300,000 and 600,000 operations being respectively performed each year.

The writer found a highly-trained therapist that specialized in providing alternative treatment to patients who were considering having a total knee replacement, but of course, the insurance company would not pay for it. He argued that homeopathic and surgical treatments should work together and should not be mutually exclusive. Continue reading

February 7, 2017

Report: E-Cigarette Explodes in Worker’s Face, Causing Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In the last few years the use of nicotine vaporizers has become extremely popular to the point where we frequently see so-called “vape” shops in strip malls and shopping mall kiosks across the nation including the greater Boston area.

In some cases, people are vaping to quit smoking or reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke in a day. They see vaping as a means of ultimately quitting smoking. For others, they simply like to vape and have no intention of stopping. There are variety of reasons vaping nicotine has become so popular in recent years. Continue reading

February 5, 2017

Volkswagen Recalls Antilock Brakes

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Volkswagen is no stranger to recalls. Most people are likely familiar with the major scandal that came to light when federal regulators discovered the company was producing cars that would downgrade engine performance on “low emission” diesel vehicles during emissions checks at a environmental inspection stations.

As it turned out, the cars were quipped with software as part of their on-board diagnostics (OBD) package that would detect when the vehicle’s emission levels were being tested and respond with a reduction in engine output so the vehicle could pass. This resulted in billions of dollars in fines and refunds for the company itself and several employees. Continue reading

February 3, 2017

Hip Replacement Surgery for WWE Pro-Wrestler Mick Foley

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

While the WWE tried to hide this fact to an extent back when it was the WWF, these days, the vast majority of wrestling fans and the general public now know that wrestling is staged and the winners are predetermined. This is why it is classified as sports entertainment and not a true sporting event.

However, while the moves are designed in such as way so as not inflict actual pain, it is still very much possible to get injured while participating in a pro wrestling match. Even if a wrestler does not suffer and acute injury, years in the ring can take its toll on the wrestler, and bone spurs and arthritis can cause a lot of pain and suffering. Continue reading

January 31, 2017

Taking Another Look at Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) Risks

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A recent article from INSC Magazine analyzes testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) drugs and what has happened with them over the last couple of decades. This is important because most of the information men get about the testosterone replacement hormone products comes commercials and magazine advertisements. Much of this promotional material seriously downplays the very real risks associated with taking testosterone hormone in an attempt to reverse the normal signs of male aging.

As the article notes, very much is still misunderstood about what it means to have a low testosterone level and whether men who have these lower than average testosterone levels should be taking testosterone replacement therapy products. The reason we are using the term products here is because that is what they really are. The drug companies have manufactured testosterone replacement therapy drugs in many forms, such as pills, injections, sublingual films, stick deodorant, skin creams, hand gels and many more market-driven drug delivery devices. Continue reading

January 27, 2017

Boosting Testosterone with Stem Cells

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

There is a pretty excellent chance that if you are a man between the ages of 40 and 70, you have probably been told by many commercials about the benefits of going on testosterone replacement therapy hormone. You may not have heard of it from your doctor, because most doctors do not appear convinced about the necessity or efficacy of testosterone therapy. It is the drug companies and so-called T clinics that are pushing the use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) hormone.

The reason drug companies and TRT clinics are pushing testosterone hormone is fairly simple in that it is making them a lot of money. They are also doing an excellent job of convincing men who are gaining weight, getting tired, losing muscle tone, and having a loss of libido, that these can all be problems of the past if they take testosterone replacement hormone drugs. Continue reading

January 24, 2017

Samsung Uses New Measures to Attain Recall Compliance

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

For quite some time, it has been known that the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Smartphones have defective batteries and other components that can result in the devices exploding. This can cause serious personal injury and has caused users to be severely burned. These phones are also not allowed on airplanes, since an explosion on a plane could be catastrophic for hundreds of passengers. Not only can they not be taken as carry on, they cannot be checked in baggage, even if they are powered down. The reason for this is because the battery can explode even when the phone is not on or being operated.

While the company has voluntarily agreed to recall the device and provide users with a refund, for whatever reason, some users are not willing to return the defective smartphones. It seems they would rather run the risk of the phone exploding or bursting into flames in a user’s pocket and are not returning them to Samsung. Continue reading

January 20, 2017

Defective Crossbows Could Result in Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Some products are dangerous because they are defective.

On the other hand, some products are dangerous because they are intentionally designed that way.

In one such case analyzed recently by the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission, the makers of a crossbow have agreed to recall their device to prevent accidental injury.
Continue reading

January 17, 2017

Operation Walk Provides Free Knee Replacement

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

It is a sad fact that many people in this county do not have health insurance. While there are many different opinions about how to fix this issue, depending on one’s political party of choice, those without health insurance are facing real difficulties. While someone who is having a heart attack will get treated in an emergency, it will be very difficult for a patient with severe osteoarthritis to get a total knee replacement if they do not have health insurance.

The reason for this is because even though a total knee replacement has become the most common surgical procedure in the United States (around 600,00 each year), it is still considered an elective surgery, as opposed to an emergency surgery like the one a patient might need while they are having appendicitis. Continue reading