The recalled Banzai slide is designed for in-ground use, has vinyl sides with a blue base, an arch over the top of the slide and a yellow-colored sliding mat. “Banzai Splash” is printed on either side of the slide in a blue, orange and white logo shaped like a wave. The slides sold for around $250 at Walmart and Toys R Us from January 2005 through June 2009. The original packaging contained a barcode number of 2675315734 and a model number of 15734. However, these numbers do not appear anywhere on the slides.

If you purchased one of the Banzai in-ground pool slides, return it to the nearest Walmart or Toys R Us for a full refund.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a Banzai slide, call the experienced, compassionate attorneys at the Law Offices of Henry Hanflik at 810-720-4000 or toll-free 888-905-4185 for a free consultation. We can help you now!

State legislatures are furiously passing bills that ban texting and handheld cell phone use while driving, as well as adopting systems of graduated driving privileges for teens.  Yet young drivers continue to engage in distracted driving behaviors. Why young drivers engage in this behavior is addressed in a recent study funded by Bridgestone, Inc.

Bridgestone, a tire manufacturer, took the initiative to conduct a survey of 2,000 drivers, ages 15-21, with the goal of determining why young drivers engage in distracted driving in spite of understanding the dangers of behaviors, such as texting, eating or drinking while driving. Most of those surveyed believed that they were good drivers, but many did not view activities that require one hand off the wheel as dangerous. One third of those surveyed admitted to reading text messages while driving, while a quarter did not consider talking on the phone as dangerous. One-fifth of respondents said they had received and answered texts while driving.  Overall, girls admitted to distracted driving far more than boys. The results of the survey seem to support the notion that the younger, less-experienced a driver is, the more likely that individual will say she/he is a good driver.

While teens may look mature, work at jobs, and can vote, their judgement remains immature. As the survey points out, many teens lack the ability to accurately assess their own driving skills. It is true that in the human experience teens have always over-estimated their capabilities and believe they are invulnerable. However, young drivers are now mixing cellphone use with control of an automobile, a new and dangerous combination that is unsafe for teens and for everyone else. As a result, many more accidents occur that involve distracted, young drivers.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, call the experienced, compassionate lawyers at the Law Offices of Henry Hanflik at 888-905-4632 or 810-720-4000. We can help you now!

De Puy Orthopaedics, a division of Johnson and Johnson, recalled the replacement systems  in August of 2010 after they claimed earlier in 2010 they were phasing out the devices because of declining sales. In March 2010, De Puy issued a warning to doctors and patients about the devices, but had not yet issued a recall and vigorously refuted claims that a recall was imminent.  The recall came after a high failure rate was discovered in a study that indicated 13%, or one in 8 patients, who received the ASR hip replacements needed revision surgery within five years.

DePuy replacement systems were designed to replace one or both parts of a patient’s damaged or worn hip with of metal-on-metal units. However over time, a number of these units have become loose or misaligned, have caused infection or fracture of the bone as well as dislocation, metal sensitivity and pain. Even after a second, corrective surgery patients may continue to suffer from the ill-effects of increased metal ion levels in the blood, as metallic flakes of deteriorating ASR hip replacement systems are deposited into the bloodstream. Still other patients develop soft tissue masses, known as pseudotumors, a result of exposure to toxic metal debris circulating throughout the body.

What should you do if you have had an ASR hip replacement? Although the manufacturer has offered to assist patients who are suffering from the ill-effects of ASR devices, you need an experienced, trusted legal advocate at your side to demand justice. The Law Offices of Henry Hanflik will achieve the maximum compensation for physical injuries and economic losses you may have suffered as a result of the Johnson and Johnson (De Puy) ASR devices.

If you are experiencing pain, swelling or other complications from your ASR hip replacement device, call the Law Offices of Henry Hanflik at 888-905-4632 or 810-720-4000. Don’t delay as there is a limited time to file your claim.

There are about 17,000 bikes manufactured with defective SR Suntour suspension forks on GT, Giant and Treks, selling for between $400 and $600, made in China and sold between 2011-2012.The suspension fork’s internal support tubes can break and cause a rider to lose control of the bike, fall or crash. There have been at least a dozen reports of incidents involving these suspension forks, including two injuries.

Specialized bicycles with Tektro TL-83 brake levers, sold on 2010 and 2011 S-Works Shiv bicycle frame modules and on 2012 S-Works Shiv TT bicycle frame modules, have been recalled due to a faulty adjuster cap and brake cable that can make the brakes non-operational.  If the levers fail, the rider can lose control, crash and suffer injuries.  About 600 of these brake levers have been sold as original equipment and in the aftermarket as service parts.

If you own one of these models, stop riding your bike and return the bike or components to an authorized dealer. Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website for specific models involved in the recalls. A hotline number is listed for you to call to get more information or to report an incident.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of one of these defective products or in a biking accident, call our attorneys at the Law Offices of Henry Hanflik at 810-720-4000 or toll free at 888-905-4632 for a free consultation. We can help you now.

While the effects of a cold, such a headache, stuffy nose, cough or fever, can negatively impact a driver’s alertness and reaction times like alcohol does, cold symptoms alone cannot explain the reason for significant impairment. Sleep deprivation, caused by aches and pains, and coughing and sneezing at night, is the likely culprit. Antihistamines and cold remedies that contain up to 27% alcohol can contribute to a feeling of drowsiness.

It is estimated that there are about 500 million colds each year in the U.S. With approximately 90% of American driving every day, nearly 1 million vehicles will be operated by those suffering from the effects of a cold. The chances of a cold-sufferer being involved in a serious accident are high.

So should you drive if you are ill with a cold? Only if you feel that your are well enough to safely operate your vehicle. Try to focus on the task at hand and follow safe driving rules, such as keeping a safe distance from vehicles ahead of you. You should not begin a long driving trip until your cold symptoms have subsided.

The State of Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning calculates that one person is killed every 9.4 hours and another person is injured in a crash every 7.5 hours in the 282,075 crashes that were reported in 2010 in our state. At the Law Offices of Henry Hanflik, P.C., we believe that the best way to keep Michigan drivers safe is to raise public awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, as we have done in previous blogs. Remember to keep focused on your driving and drive defensively whenever you are behind the wheel.

We understand that the consequences of serious injuries sustained in an accident can be physically, emotionally and financially devastating. That’s why we will not charge you a dime until we win/resolve your case. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, call the Law Offices of Henry Hanflik at 810-720-4000 for a free consultation.

Concerns about sedation dentistry, including several alarming deaths of disabled children, are fueling a debate as to how tougher standards should be imposed on dentists who practice sedation dentistry. Some experts call for the states to do more to regulate the practice. But patients cannot always look to the states to take the lead. For example, Michigan has not updated state laws to comply with national standards, set by the American Dental Association (ADA) in 2007,  that recommend more training of doctors performing sedation. In fact, Michigan is one of only two states that does not require a permit for health care providers who offer sedation. Although Michigan’s Board of Dentistry is working to strengthen sedation regulations,  most experts agree that legislative changes will be necessary to address recommendations, such as mandatory permits and annual office inspections.

If you are contemplating a procedure that requires sedation, ask these five questions of your dentist before you try sedation:

What training have you had specific to the use of sedatives?

The ADA recommends that a dentist, offering conscious (awake) sedation, have at least 60 hours of classroom training and an additional 20 hours of working with patients in a supervised environment. Michigan law requires only 20 hours of classroom training and 40 hours of work on 20 patients.

How are a patient’s vital signs monitored during sedation?

Is emergency rescue equipment available in the room where the procedures are performed?

Ask to see the machines that monitor heart rate, pulse and levels of oxygen in the blood, called tidal-end CO2 monitors.  Oxygen and suction equipment, intubation equipment and a defibrillator are essential to have on hand whenever a patient is sedated.

Is the staff properly trained in the use of the rescue equipment and have opportunities to practice with the equipment?

If there is an emergency, a dentist has only several minutes to recognize the problem, assess options and implement measures to prevent brain damage from inadequate oxygen levels in the patient’s blood. The staff must be familiar with how the equipment works in order to efficiently and effectively administer emergency treatment.

How long do you monitor a patient before they are able to go home?

A patient should be monitored at least 30-60 minutes for short-acting sedatives and perhaps longer, depending on the drug. If you are given a so-call “wake-up” pill, you should be monitored for 2 hours, 3 hours if you are given an additional pill.

Permanent tattoos are made from injecting colored ink below the skin’s surface through the use of needles. Permanent make-up, considered a permanent tattoo that mimics the results of cosmetic products, can include eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, lip liner and cheek blush. Although state and local law agencies supervise the tattoo business, the inks and pigments used in the tattoo process are largely unregulated by the federal government. In fact, experts in toxicology research at the Food and Drug Administration admit there have been no systematic studies around the safety of tattoo inks.  Researchers want to know what happens to the ink after it breaks down and is absorbed into the body.  There is some evidence that pigments may migrate to the body’s lymph nodes. What effect this process has on the lymphatic system is unclear.

If you are tempted to get a tattoo or permanent make-up, remember that the FDA has not approved any tattoo pigments for injection into the skin, including the UV (glow-in-the-dark) pigments. In fact, many tattoo inks are the same types used in automobile paints and in printer’s shops. Henna has not been approved by the FDA for use in temporary tattoos.

Removing a tattoo may be painful, is costly and may not always work, as some colors of ink are more difficult to remove. If you wish to remove a tattoo, consult a health professional, not a tattoo parlor, and never buy do-it-yourself removal products, as these are acid-based products that can cause serious skin reactions.

But a number of health professionals are claiming that toning shoes, sold by MBT, Reebok, Avia, New Balance and Skechers, are not delivering on their marketing promises. The shoes could cause a number of injuries to consumers because the design of the sole forces the wearer’s leg muscles to stretch with every stride. The curved soles of toning shoes may destabilize the wearer since, at any given time, only a small portion of the sole makes contact with ground. The wearer may experience loss of traction on smooth sidewalks or on slippery or wet surfaces, increasing the risk of falling.

Dr. Barbara De Lateur of John Hopkin’s School of Medicine warns that wearing toning shoes can change the way a person walks and may present difficulties for people who have issues with balance. The instability that the shoes create makes muscles in the core, back and legs work harder. Unfortunately,  strains and sprains of muscles or fractures in the leg, foot or ankle may result. A number of injuries have already been reported.

As for the claims that toning shoes make a better workout, the American Council on Exercise says otherwise. It tested three popular brands against standard running shoes “calorie to calorie.” Those wearing the toning shoes compared equally to those wearing the standard shoe: each runner burned about five calories per minute. The Council also tested the muscle activity in the back,  abs, buttocks and legs and found there was no difference between standard running shoes and toners.

Skechers is currently facing a class-action lawsuit in California that accuses the company of making unfounded claims about the health benefits of its toning shoes. The lawsuit also alleges that toners pose a risk of injuries to legs and ankles due to the instability and bulkiness of the design. New Balance is also the subject of a lawsuit filed by a California woman who claims that the shoes don’t work.

Toyota’s Entune system allows drivers to use their smartphones to access onscreen Web information such as weather reports or stock quotes, send texts, Tweet or post to Facebook. Other manufacturers are producing cars with complex electronic features and complicated controls. For example, the 2011 BMW 750i requires six steps and ten seconds to manually tune a radio station frequency, using voice commands and rotating a controller knob.

For some car manufacturers, such as Toyota, offering more, unrestricted complex technology for drivers represents a departure from the past. In older Lexus RX350 and 400h models, drivers were locked out of most functions, initiating calls and GPS mapping, while the vehicle was moving. But automakers say that drivers are already using those functions via smartphones. So why not offer the same features with voice interaction or touch screens and buttons in vehicles.

As car manufacturers struggle to balance safety with technology and marketing, results in a 2006 Virginia Tech study of car crashes should be considered. The study found that driver inattention played a role in 80 percent of accidents, five years ago when technology was less prevalent. With driver distraction currently a significant issue, expanding in-car technology and electronics available to drivers in motion increases the likelihood that the rate at which serious accidents and injuries occur will dramatically increase.

Many experts agree that automakers, under pressure to place in-car electronics in vehicles to increase sales, are not making safety a high-level priority. Experts worry that drivers are using their eyes, hands and brains in such a way that competes with driving.  Self-regulation does not work as people don’t have the skills or intuition to monitor whether they are running red lights or driving erratically because they are distracted.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently evaluating in-car technology to develop criteria to assist automakers gauge the risks in their systems. Results should be available later this year.

Despite the large number of Americans who are sickened every year by tainted food, there are a number of simple things you and your family members can do to avoid becoming a statistic:

1. When shopping, always check the freshness date on the product to make sure that you are not buying spoiled food.

2. Use care when buying pre-ground hamburger,  as this cut of meat can easily become contaminated with fecal matter from cows.

3. Always thoroughly wash and drain fresh vegetables and fruit before use.

4. Buy your groceries from reputable stores that have a high turn-over of food items, as your chances of buying safe, fresh food are increased.

5. Use two different cutting boards, one for meat and another for fruits and vegetables. Clean cutting boards with hot, soapy water after use. Wash your hands before and after preparing foods.

6. Trust your senses. If the food looks or smells bad, don’t eat it!

7. If possible, keep hot food at 150 degrees and cold food under 40 degrees. Foods prepared with mayonnaise are especially susceptible to bacterial growth in the summertime heat.

By following these easy tips for preparing food, you can reduce the risk of exposing yourself and your family to foodborne illnesses. However, if you or a family member experience the symptoms of food poisoning, nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, fever, fatigue, or abdominal or stomach pain/cramps, you should see your physician or go to the emergency room to be evaluated. If possible, save a sample of the food that you suspect may be the cause of your illness.  If you believe you have been sickened by food you have consumed at a restaurant, or at a public or private gathering , call your local health department to report your illness and check whether others who may have eaten at same restaurant have made reports. Although the majority of food poisoning cases cause mild symptoms, food poisoning can be life-threatening.

If you or a loved one have been the victim of a foodborne illness, have been hospitalized or have sustained a serious injury from tainted food, please call the attorneys at the Law Offices of Henry Hanflik. We can help you now!