Millions of dollars will be needed to fix the Chinese drywall problem, a Virginia builder told the head of the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) during her visit to the state yesterday. According to The Virginian-Pilot, CPSC Commissioner Inez Tenenbaum heard from the builder as she joined Sen. Mark Warner, R-Virginia and other lawmakers from the state on a tour of affected homes.

According to the CPSC, it has received about 1,501 reports from residents in 27 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico who believe their health symptoms or the corrosion of metal components in their homes are related to the presence of Chinese drywall. Many homes with Chinese drywall are unlivable, and some homeowners have been driven to the point of bankruptcy. About 51 complaints have come from Virginia, making it the third hardest hit state behind Florida, which has over 1,100 complaints, and Louisiana, which has 249. (more…)

Many homeowners have been approached by builders with offers of Chinese drywall remediation. However, it is important that anyone whose home was built with Chinese drywall realize that premature remediation could cause them further damage.

While it is understandable that Chinese drywall victims want the problem resolved quickly, it is important to note that remediation protocols have not been established, and cross-contamination could occur. Even after Chinese drywall has been torn out and replaced, out-gassing of sulfur compounds and other elements continues to occur. Remediation will only further jeopardize public health when it is done without adequate safeguards or by unqualified individuals. (more…)

Just as U.S. regulators are set to decide on approving Gardasil for boys and young men, a new study is questioning the cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination for that group. The study appeared online today in The British Medical Journal.

According to a press release from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), researchers there found that if HPV vaccine coverage and efficacy are high in girls, a universal recommendation to vaccinate young boys is unlikely to provide comparatively good value for resources, compared with vaccinating girls only. (more…)

The Chinese drywall debacle has highlighted some serious problems in the U.S. legal system. According to a report in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, those flaws make it likely that many Chinese drywall manufacturers will ignore the product liability litigation now underway in New Orleans.

According to the Time-Picayune article, international trade agreements treat health and safety regulations as barriers to commerce. This makes it possible for foreign firms to import products to the U.S. that don’t meet safety standards. That can be a problem when products like drywall are coming from China, a country that has imposed few health and safety regulations on its manufacturers. (more…)

A consumer safety group has called for a recall of Jeep Grand Cherokees, claiming that the vehicles have defective fuel tanks that are prone to causing fires.

In a letter to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Center for Auto Safety said a search of the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System revealed that 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees were involved in 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities between 1992 and 2002. With an additional known fatal fire crash in 2009, there have been at least 44 crashes with 64 fatalities where the “Most Harmful Event” was a fire, the group said. Nearly all of the fires and fatalities occurred in Grand Cherokees made before the 2005 model year. (more…)

Prague Duet movie download Life Insurance Company of North America has reached an agreement with the California Department of Insurance to settle charges of disability claims handling violations. Under the terms of the settlement, Life Insurance Company of North America will pay a $600,000 fine, make changes in its claims handling policies and procedures, and review previously closed claims to determine if additional benefits are due.

The settlement stems from an onsite examination of Life Insurance Company of North America’s claims handling practices conducted by the California Department of Insurance. According to a press release issued by the Department, instances were found where Life Insurance Company of North America had made claims determinations prior to requesting medical records and examples of the company’s adjusters ignoring substantial new information after a claim had initially been denied. As part of the settlement, Life Insurance Company of North America has agreed to make significant improvements to its claims handling practices in order to avoid future violations, the press release said.

In addition to the $600,00 penalty, the settlement calls for Life Insurance Company of North America to cease and desist from engaging in any acts or practices in violation of California law. Life Insurance Company of North America’s revised claims handling practices are designed to avoid the type of violations alleged. The Department will provide oversight to assure that this goal is being met. Under the agreement, Life Insurance Company of North America will also review all California resident closed denied claims for the period January 2005 through December 2007 using the agreed upon quality standards outlined in the settlement.

“Individuals purchase long term disability insurance to protect themselves and their families in the event they become disabled and are unable to work,” said California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. “When insurance companies fail to follow the law in fairly and expeditiously adjusting these claims, it has a devastating impact on policyholders and their families. I am pleased that LINA (Life Insurance Company of North America) has taken responsibility for its actions and has implemented changes in its policies, procedures and practices. The Department will continue to monitor the actions of all insurers selling and marketing disability insurance in the state of California.”

New York’s 9/11 emergency workers now have more time to file compensation claims. Earlier this month, New York Governor David Paterson signed “Jimmy Nolan’s Law” which extends the time that 9/11 workers can file claims against the City of New York and private contractors for injuries resulting from their participation in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery or cleanup operations.

In the hours and days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, thousands of rescue workers descended on Ground Zero to help with recovery efforts. Sifting through dust and rubble, sometimes with their bare hands, many lacked the clothing and equipment that could have kept them safe from harm. Several studies have confirmed that Ground Zero first responders are suffering from ill health as a result of their exposure to toxic dust at the site. (more…)

C & J Clark America Inc. just issued a recall of about 2,000 Children’s Shoes due to a choking hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced. C & J Clark America does business as the Clarks Companies N.A. of Newton, Massachusetts.

Molded rubber pieces on the sole of the recalled C & J Clark America/Clarks Companies’ Children’s Shoes can detach, posing a choking hazard to infants and young children. While no incidents have yet been reported in the United States, in the United Kingdom, there have been six reports of the rubber pieces detaching, including two reports in which children mouthed the rubber piece. To date, no injuries have been reported. (more…)

Last year we wrote that Dannon Co. was being sued for claiming that some of its yogurts provide a health benefit that other yogurts do not. A class action suit filed in California’s Los Angeles federal court accused Dannon of falsely advertising its Activia, Activia Lite, and DanActive products and claimed Dannon initiated a massive false advertising campaign to convince consumers to pay more for yogurt containing probiotic bacteria.

Now, reports the LA Times, Dannon just settled the false-advertising lawsuit. The yogurt giant also agreed to create a $35-million fund meant to reimburse those consumers who bought Dannon’s Activia and DanActive yogurts. Dannon denied the claims and did not admit to any wrongdoing, said the LA Times, but stated that it settled because it wished “to avoid the distraction and expense of litigation,” quoting spokesman Michael Neuwirth. (more…)

Not many Americans have heard of denture cream poisoning. A rare ailment, denture cream zinc poisoning can cause serious and debilitating nerve damage. The disorder is associated with excessive exposure to zinc in products like Poligrip and Fixodent.

Denture creams like Fixodent and Poligrip contain zinc as a bonding agent. People who ingest too much zinc run the risk of copper depletion. That condition can lead to neurological symptoms, including numbness and tingling in hands and feet, balance and coordination problems, and pain and weakness in the extremities. When it is really severe, the nerve damage caused by denture cream zinc poisoning can eventually lead to neuropathy, a debilitating disorder. (more…)