Cohen Kuvin Breaking News

We provide these breaking news alerts to ensure consumers are protected and educated in hopes that this information will keep you safe and aware of threats to your families' well-being. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announce new Recalls & Alerts:

Pelvic Surgical Mesh found defective and ineffective On July 13, 2011, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued an update to Health Care Providers and the public at large warning of the serious health complications caused by surgical mesh, a medical device implanted in a patients' pelvic area.  The mesh is most often used to address Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP), a condition that occurs when the tissues that hold the pelvic organs in place become weak or stretched, or to treat urinary incontinence.     Concern regarding the surgical mesh emerged in 2008 when the FDA issued a Public Health Notification raising the issue.  Almost 4,000 cases have been reported with a host of adverse effects that can significantly decrease a patient's quality of life including infection, severe pain, urinary problems and recurrence of prolapse and/or incontinence. There were also reports of bowel, bladder, and blood vessel perforation that occurred during the actual procedure. The final insult to injury for those suffering complications is that studies have revealed that this procedure may not be an effective form of treatment.  Unfortunately for these consumers, this mesh is one of many medical devices entered into the market without patient testing.  The proliferation of untested, defective medical devices has a grave impact on patients who don't have the luxury of simply returning it for a refund if and when a recall is issued.  The FDA urges patients to be vigilant in their post operation follow up care and report any adverse effects immediately.    For more information on this defective medical device, contact Spencer Kuvin.  Dodge Ram Recall Chrysler has issued a recall of approximately 242,000 Dodge vehicles due to a defect in the Tie Rod assembly.  The following class of vehicles are subject to the recall.  2008-2011 Dodge Ram 2500/3500 4x4, manufactured from 02/14/08 - 03/28/2011 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 3500 Cab Chassis 4x2, manufactured from 02/14/08 - 03/28/2011 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Mega Cab 4x4, manufactured From 02/14/08 - 08/15/08  2003-2008 Dodge Ram 2500/3500, vehicles may have received the defective part as a replacement during normal service. The left tie rod ball stud may fracture during low speed tight turn maneuvers resulting in the potential loss of directional stability in the left hand front wheel and increasing the risk of a crash. The recall schedule has not been confirmed, but once issued dealers will inspect the vehicle and perform the necessary service free of charge.  Owners may contact Chrysler directly at 1-800-853-1403 and reference safety recall No. L16. Additional details can also be found by referencing NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V350000. Toyo Tire Recall ITR USA has issued a recall of approximately 51,000 Shandong Yongtai Negotiator commercial H/T tires for failure to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 139. Certain size LT265/75R16 and LT235/85R16 tires produced from April 2009 through May 2011 may experience blistering or bubbles on the tire's sidewall. This could result in sudden loss of tire pressure and significantly increase the risk of tire failure and crash.  Consumers should check the sidewall of their vehicle tires to confirm if they are riding on defective tires.  The recall is expected to begin on or around July 2011 though manufacturers' have not confirmed the remedy plan.  Owners may contact ITR USA directly at 1-818-715-7080. Additional details can also be found by referencing NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11T006000.     Kawasaki Motorcycle Recall Kawasaki has issued a recall of approximately 2,500 motorcycles due to a defect in the electrical wiring system.  Certain 2011 Ninja ZX-10R/ZX-10R ABS bikes may contain a wiring malfunction that can cause a short between wires and the frame or within wires.  If this occurs while the bike is in operation, it can suddenly stall, significantly increasing the risk of harm to the rider.  The recall schedule has not been confirmed, but once issued dealers will inspect the vehicle and perform the necessary service free of charge.  Owners may contact Kawasaki Consumer Services Department directly at 1-866-802-9381. Additional details can also be found by referencing NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V363000. Ford Truck Recall Ford has issued a recall of approximately 26,000 vehicles for failure to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108.  The following class of vehicles are subject to the recall:  Ranger trucks built from 01/25/11 - 04/25/11 Service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2002-2005 Excursion vehicles Service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2002-2007 F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 trucks Service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004- 2011 Ranger trucks  A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate.  The loss of these indication lightsdeprives drivers of critical alerts, increasing the risk of crash.  The recall is expected to begin on or around August 15 2011 and dealers will inspect the vehicles and perform the necessary service free of charge.  Owners may contact Ford directly at 1-866-436-7332 and reference safety recall No. 11C18. Additional details can also be found by referencing NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V352000. Owners are encouraged to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.safercar.gov, with any questions or concerns surrounding these or any other recalls or safety campaigns.

Toyota Recalls More Vehicles

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced that it will conduct a voluntary safety recall involving approximately 1.13 million 2005-2008 Model Year Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles sold in the United States to address some Engine Control Modules (ECM) that may have been improperly manufactured. On vehicles equipped with the 1ZZ-FE engine and two-wheel drive, there is a possibility that a crack may develop at certain solder points or on the electronic component used to protect circuits against excessive voltage (varistor), on the ECM’s circuit board. In most cases, if a crack occurs at certain solder points or on certain varistors, the check engine may illuminate, harsh shifting could result, or the engine may not start. In limited instances, if cracking occurs on particular solder points or varistors, the engine could stop while the vehicle is being driven.

As part of the recall, the ECM on involved vehicles will be replaced at no charge to the owner. Beginning in mid-September 2010, Toyota will mail an interim notification to advise owners of this recall and the fact that they will receive a future notice when parts become available to complete the repairs. Owners who have previously paid for replacement of the ECM to address this specific condition should refer to the owner letter for reimbursement consideration instructions.

Detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331, Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., or Saturday 7 a.m. through 4 p.m. PDT. Owners are encouraged to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.safercar.gov, with any questions or concerns surrounding this or any other recall or safety campaign.


- Spencer T. Kuvin
Cohen & Kuvin, LLC
http://www.cohenkuvin.com/
stk@cohenkuvin.com

Location:Toyota Recalls 1.3 Million Vehicles, GM Recalls 200K Toyota Built Vehicles

Cohen & Kuvin July 2010 Newsletter

Hotels.com, Expedia implement settlement and launch new website features to assist disabled travelers


Public Justice, America's public interest law firm, was one of several law firms that helped to allow disabled travelers to search for and reserve hotel rooms that have accessible accommodations on hotels.com and Expedia, Inc. websites.
Travelers who need accommodations such as wheelchair accessible pathways, roll-in showers, Braille signage and/or telephone equipment for the deaf can now use hotels.com and expedia.com websites to search for lodgings offering these features. Requests will be reviewed by the company's customer service personnel who will contact the hotel to attempt to reserve a room that fits the bill. Travelers will then receive an email either confirming the reservations have been made or offering to help locate an equivalent room at another hotel. The website improvements were negotiated last year in a settlement of a class action lawsuit, Smith v. Hotels.com, LP. The Plaintiffs and their attorneys, Public Justice and others, allege that hotels.com's failure to accommodate the needs of disabled travelers was a discriminatory practice which violated California law.


Sony Recalls VAIO Laptop Computers Due to Burn Hazar


The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Sony Electronics Inc. of San Diego, Calif., announced a voluntary recall on June 30, 2010 of the various models within the VPCF11 and VPCCW2 series Notebook computers. The computers are available in many colors and have "VAIO" on the front outside panel. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. This recall effects about 233,000 computers. Sony has received 30 reports of units overheating resulting in deformed keyboards and casings. No injuries have been reported at the time of the recall; however, CPSC is interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell CPSC about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx


The Mission of the CPSC and It's Role In Consumer Safety

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report any dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.


Toyota Motor Corp. Has Recalled 270,000 Vehicles Worldwide

Toyota Motor Corp. has recalled 270,000 vehicles worldwide to fix faulty engines. The recall includes seven models of luxury Lexus sedans. The recall centers around the problem of defective engines that can stall while the vehicle is moving. Leading to the recall was the fact that Toyota has received over 200 complaints regarding the faulty engines.

Cohen & Kuvin, LLC
Delray Beach, FL
http://www.cohenkuvin.com/
stk@cohenkuvin.com
561-665-8020