2010 February | HensonFuerst

Archive for February, 2010

Feb

Raleigh truck accident leaves mess on highway

February 25, 2010

WRAL reported that a Raleigh truck accident left the highway covered with hardwood flooring.

The driver of a tractor-trailer collided with a box truck, causing it to tip over and spill its contents onto the road.

One person suffered some injuries during the North Carolina truck accident, but the injuries were not considered life-threatening. He was taken to the hospital to be treated.

Crews worked for several hours to clear the scene of the Raleigh truck accident.

The Raleigh truck accident lawyers at HensonFuerst can help if you were injured in an accident.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Feb

Expanded Salami Recall

North Carolina is among the states with the highest number of salmonella infections from certain brands of salami. Today, the company responsible–Daniele International, Inc., expanded the recall.

The products subject to recall had sell-by dates ranging from Feb. 3, 2010, through May 26, 2010, and were distributed to retail establishments nationwide. Below are the products involved in the recall:

8-ounce packages of “DANIELE HOT SALAME PANINO WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA.”
8-ounce packages of “BOAR’S HEAD SALAME PANINO, SALAME ROLLED IN MOZZARELLA CHEESE.”
8-ounce packages of “DANIELE ITALIAN STYLE SALAME PANINO, HOT SALAME ROLLED IN MOZZARELLA CHEESE.”
Random weight packages of “DANIELE ITALIAN STYLE SALAME PANINO, HOT SALAME ROLLED IN MOZZARELLA CHEESE.”
8-ounce packages of “DIETZ & WATSON ARTISAN COLLECTION HOT SALAME PANINO, HOT SALAME ROLLED IN MOZZARELLA CHEESE.”
8-ounce packages of “DANIELE SALAME PANINO WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA AND BASIL.”
1-pound 8-ounce variety packages of “DANIELE CAPOCOLLO PANINO WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA AND BASIL; PRESIDENT’S PROSCIUTTO PANINO WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA AND BASIL; HOT SALAME PANINO WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA,” with UPC Code 736436709582. NOTE: The products contained in this variety three-pack may be sold individually as well.

Click here to read the full USDA press release.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Feb

Et Tu, Corolla?

Are you kidding, Toyota???

Today, the major car company that has redefined the phrase “fall from grace,” said that it is considering recalling some of its best-selling Corollas due to problems with the power steering.

So in the past few weeks, Toyota has acknowledged problems with floor mats, sticking accelerators, floor design, brakes, and now steering. Let’s see…I guess we can say they still make darned good cup holders.

(This initial report was from the Raleigh News & Observer. We’ll post more as it happens.)

Popularity: 24% [?]

Feb

Recall at Trader Joe’s for Salmonella

Bad news all around: Favorite store chain Trader Joe’s has issued a nationwide recall of its “Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars.” It has the potential to contain salmonella, which can cause moderate to severe gastrointestinal problems, including vomiting and abdominal pain. In some people, more severe and long-term illnesses can result.

The contaminated products are for UPC 82818, with “Use by Dates/Lot Codes” 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1. (These codes are marked on the top of the boxes, and stamped on the side of each individual granola bar.)

If you have these products, don’t eat them. Return them to Trader Joe’s for a full refund.

Click here to read the full FDA recall announcement.

We’ll post more information on our website as it becomes available.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Feb

Recall of Applegate Farms Sausage

The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall of 12-ounce packages of “Applegate Farms Certified Organic Fire Roasted Red Pepper Fully Cooked Chicken & Turkey Sausage.” The recalled packages have a use/freeze date of February 28, 2010. The contaminated products were distributed in several states, including North Carolina.

The sausage has been recalled because it may contain foreign plastic material.

Check your freezers!

Popularity: 27% [?]

Feb

Toyota Owners Angry, and Ready to Fight

According to a Business Week article today, it is estimated that the cost of the recalls are expected to exceed $2 billion. How high the costs will go is really anyone’s guess. What goes into the estimate?

1) The cost of fixing the recalled cars

2) The cost of the actual recall–the sending of letters to millions of customers, the PR costs for damage control, and other incidentals

3) The costs associated with deaths, totaled vehicles, medical bills, and other expenses for cars that have already been wrecked due to a malfunctioning vehicle

4) The cost of defending and perhaps paying out on class action lawsuits filed by Toyota customers who are likely to face a loss in the resale value of their vehicles–assuming anyone will ever want to buy a Toyota again

5) Lost future retail sales for Toyota

It adds up quickly when what was once considered one of the most reliable car companies on earth forgets how it earned its stellar reputation–with quality products that ran well, retained their value, and kept their drivers safe.

Read full Business Week article here.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Feb

More Cars Added to Toyota’s Recall…When Will the Nightmare End?

Here we go again. On February 8, Toyota announced a voluntary recall of about 158,000 more cars in the United States, confined to three models: 2010 Toyota Prius, 2010 Lexus HS 250h, and 2010 Toyota Camry.

Hybrid ABS

The two hybrid models (Prius and Lexus) are being recalled to update software in the anti-lock brake system (ABS). According to Toyota, there have been complaints that the brakes in these cars malfunction when driven on rough or slick roads surfaces–they feel “inconsistent.” The fix is a simple software update. Letters will be sent to owners within the next few weeks.

Camry Brake Fluid

In a separate recall, some 2010 Camry vehicles equipped with a 4-cylinder engine need to be inspected to make sure the power steering hose isn’t in contact with a front brake tube. If it is, the contact could lead to a hole in the brake tube, which means brake fluid could leak out and brakes could eventually fail. Owners of cars involved in the recall will be notified by mail “starting in the middle of February.”

Is it just me, but doesn’t it seem as though a potential brake fluid leak should be addressed immediately for all 2010 Camry owners? Why not send all the letters at once instead of just “starting” to send some out in the unspecified “middle of February”? Better yet, why make people wait until they get a letter? (And why was this particular announcement buried at the bottom of the press release?)

I know there are physical logistics and corporate protections that must be attended to, but I hope for everyone’s sake that no one is harmed in a wreck caused by a Toyota malfunction before the letters are sent.

Press release

Toyota recall information

Previous blog with additional information: http://cli.gs/JAy7s

Popularity: 25% [?]

Feb

“Wii-kend” Warrior Injuries

If your plans for the weekend include getting some exercise with your Nintendo Wii, be careful–someone could get hurt! What started as a purely fun game system has evolved into an entertaining way to improve general fitness. That’s a good thing. But as my mom used to say, everything is fun until someone gets hurt.

This week’s New England Journal of Medicine (February 4, 2010) contains a brief correspondence that describes a foot fracture in a 14-year-old girl who fell while using the Wii Fit balance board.

This isn’t the only episode of gaming pain. Doctors have started using the term “Wii-itis” to describe the strains and tendon injuries caused by over-using Wii games…and there have been head injuries from being accidentally hit by Wii remote controls during play.

Although the balance board is a cool new feature, it certainly could pose a falling danger. I predict there will be more reports like this coming up. I’ll be watching.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Feb

Toyota: From Kudos to Recalls in a Few Short Months

Think back…way back to 2009, back in the days when “Toyota” meant quality, reliability, value, and innovation. Those were the days, huh?

Here’s the timeline, as we know it today (click dates for links to sources):

November 21, 2009: Toyota recalls millions of vehicles due to a defect they claimed was due to the potential for floor mats to cause accelerator pedals to stick. It was—in Toyota’s estimation—a “floor mat situation.”
January 21, 2010: Toyota files a voluntary safety recall for 2.3 million vehicles for “sticking accelerator pedal” problems, which they say addresses “isolated customer complaints.” They claim that this is different from the floor mat issue, and that 1.7 million vehicles have both problems. No solution announced, but customers are advised to stomp down on the brakes with both feet if their gas pedal gets stuck down. Sure, why not.
January 26, 2010: Toyota suspends sales of vehicles involved in the January 21 recall. Also, it was announced that production of the vehicles would stop. Got that? Production Would Stop. That’s huge.
January 29, 2010: Toyota says it will be starting to ship newly designed pedals to dealers the following week, yet no remedy program is announced for consumers.
February 1, 2010: Toyota announced its plan for fixing the pedal. Parts “already being shipped” and dealer training is being scheduled. The solution, apparently, is simple (their words, not mine)—“a precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the assembly.” In some cars, the floors will have to be reconfigured.
February 2, 2010: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood says that Toyota had been slow to respond to the problems, and that federal safety officials had to “wake them up.”
February 3, 2010: Secretary LaHood says he is considering civil penalties against Toyota over the gas pedal problem, and that if you own a Toyota involved in the recall, you should “exercise concern immediately” (whatever that means).
February 3, 2010: Japan’s transport ministry ordered Toyota to investigate complaints of brake problems on the popular Prius. United States officials vow to look into the brake problem, as well.
February 5, 2010: The president of Toyota apologized for all the quality problems. As of this date, more than 9 million Toyota vehicles are being recalled worldwide. He also announced that he would soon announce steps to fix the brake problems on the 2010 Prius. He is quoted as saying, “We are in a crisis.”

Will Toyota recover from this tumble? Only time will tell. But I’m not sure I will; my faith has been deeply shaken. Before leaving our office for the day, people who own a recalled Toyota joke about who should get custody of their office furniture in the event they don’t survive the ride home. We laugh, of course, but it’s whistling past the graveyard. We cross our fingers…and smile when we see each other the next morning. Stay safe, everyone.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Feb

Traffic stalled after Goldsboro auto accident

February 4, 2010

Traffic was snagged after a police chase that ended in a Goldsboro car accident, according to My NC.

A man stole a pickup truck and used it as a getaway car when he took equipment from several local stores. Police found the man and began chasing the truck down the Interstate.

The man lost control of the truck, went off the side of the road, over corrected, and struck a tractor-trailer.

The force of the Goldsboro auto accident caused the man to be thrown from the vehicle.

He was taken to a local hospital after the North Carolina car accident to be treated for his injuries.

The Goldsboro car accident lawyers at HensonFuerst can help if you were injured in a North Carolina auto accident.