A Brooklyn nursing home has been ordered to pay a huge amount in damages to a family whose loved one allegedly died as a result of abject neglect. According to Fox News, citing attorneys involved in the Brooklyn, New York case, the nursing home abuse lawsuit is the first of its kind in the state to result in an award of punitive damages.

The award came close to $19 million dollars and will be paid to the family of a 76-year-old patient who suffered such severe neglect that he was stricken with an unbelievable number of bedsores, in excess of 20. “It was horrible,” said Margaret Whitehurst, 55, daughter of John Danzy, said Fox News. Danzy, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, was removed from the Brooklyn-Queens Nursing Home after being in residence there less than a year. “He walked in on two legs and a cane. He was 237 pounds. When we got him back, he was 148 pounds and he had holes all over his body,” said Whitehurst, quoted Fox News. More Brooklyn Nursing Home To Pay $19 Million In Abuse Case

About 98,000 Portable Dehumidifiers, which were manufactured by LG Electronics Tianjin Appliance Co., of China, have been recalled due to fire and burn hazards, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada just announced.

The power connector for the dehumidifier’s compressor can short circuit, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers. To date, LG has received 11 reports of property damage incidents involving arcing, heat, and smoke, including four fires that spread to the building structure and involved significant smoke/water damage. No injuries have been reported. More Dehumidifiers Recalled For Burn Hazard

A large recall of about 213,000 Safety 1st Disney Care Center™ Play Yards and Eddie Bauer Complete Care Play Yards has been announced, said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The recalled Safety 1st Disney Care Center™ Play Yards and Eddie Bauer Complete Care Play Yards were manufactured in China and imported by the Dorel Juvenile Group Inc., of Columbus, Indiana. More Safety 1st Disney, Eddie Bauer Play Yards Recalled

Chinese drywall was apparently used in more than 600 New Orleans homes built by nonprofits, such as Habitat for Humanity, following Hurricane Katrina. That tally includes about half of the 72 single-family homes and five duplexes in the “Musician’s Village,” one of Habitat’s most successful post-Katrina rebuilding projects.

Hurricane Katrina was a major factor in the development of the Chinese drywall crisis. The massive rebuilding that followed the 2005 storm, along with the housing boom that was in full swing at the time, helped create the shortage of U.S.-produced drywall that led to the large-scale importation of Chinese wallboard. Of the 2,702 Chinese drywall complaints made to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 500 originated with Louisiana homeowners. Many of the homes in the state rebuilt after Katrina, especially in and around New Orleans, contain Chinese drywall. More Habitat for Humanity Used, Distributed Chinese Drywall in New Orleans Following Hurricane Katrina

About 900 One-Inch 140X-9 Temperature and Pressure Relief Valves have been recalled, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced.

The One-Inch 140X-9 Temperature and Pressure Relief Valves were manufactured in the United States by Watts Regulator Co., of North Andover, Massachusetts. The recalled One-Inch 140X-9 Temperature and Pressure Relief Valves can fail to reduce pressure and avert failure or rupture of the water heater tank and associated valves, posing rupture and burn hazard to consumers. To date, no incidents or injuries have been reported.
More Water Heater Valves Recalled Over Rupture, Burn Risk

Nestlé is making news over allegedly false claims it made regarding health benefits supposedly available in some of its Juicy Juice and Boost products, said Reuters.

According to Reuters, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a letter on December 3, that says the yesterday saying that the food giant made what Reuters described as “unauthorized nutrient content claims,” for Juicy Juice Brain Development Fruit Juice Beverage (Apple), Juicy Juice All-Natural 100% Juice Orange Tangerine and Juicy Juice All-Natural 100% Juice Grape. More Nestle In Trouble Over Juicy Juice, Boost Drink Claims

For the second time this month, a swine flu vaccine is being recalled because it may lack potency. This latest recall involves 4.7 million doses of the MedImmune’s nasal spray vaccine.

According to MedImmune’s recall notice, most of the recalled swine flu vaccine was given out in October and November, and would have been fully potent then. About 300,000 doses are left in warehouses. MedImmune is recalling the unused doses. More More Swine Flu Vaccine Recalled

Safety 1st, Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Disney branded infant car seats are being recalled today by Dorel Juvenile Group Inc. because they pose a fall hazard when used as a carrier. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), this recall involves 447,000 car seats/carriers sold with Travel Systems. The stroller portion of the travel system is not affected by this recall.

According to the recall notice, when used as an infant carrier, the child restraint handle to the car seat can loosen and come off, posing a fall hazard to infants. Dorel has received 77 reports of the child restraint handle fully or partially coming off the car seat/carrier resulting in at least three injuries to infants including bumps, bruises and a head injury. More Infant Car Seats Recalled for Fall Hazard

Post-menopausal women taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants have a small, though statistically higher risk of stroke, according to a newly published study. SSRIs include the drugs Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Celexa.

Antidepressant use in the US has more than quintupled since the early 1990s, and SSRIs have replaced older medications called tricyclic antidepressants, which can be toxic the heart. According to a press release announcing this latest study, SSRI antidepressants have fewer side effects in general and are known to have aspirin-like effects on bleeding, which could protect against clot-related cardiovascular disorders. But not much is known about how SSRIs affect the heart. This is especially true in the case of postmenopausal women, who are at increased risk for both heart disease and depression. More SSRI Antidepressants May Up Stroke Risk After Menopause

Two more children in The Acreage have been diagnosed with brain tumors. The news comes just as an investigation into a possible cancer cluster in the Florida community is gearing up.

The residents of The Acreage have been concerned about a cancer cluster since several children living in close proximity to each other were diagnosed with brain tumors or brain cancer. Earlier this summer, residents’ concerns prompted the Florida Department of Health to begin a study of cancer rates in the area. More More Brain Tumors Reported in The Acreage