If you have any RAYOVAC replacement battery packs in your home, you may want to take a look at them and determine whether or not they are one of the packs recalled by BatteriesPlus and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at the end of August.

This comes after a recall of 111,800 units in December 2011. This time 65,300 of the NI-CD and NI-MH Cordless Tool Battery packs have been taken off of the shelves. This is due to the battery pack exploding unexpectedly. This can pose a significant risk to the customer, resulting in a product liability issue for the company.

The packs that are involved have part numbers that start with “CTL.” So if you have a RAYOVAC battery pack that starts with a part number that starts with those letters printed in white and is “NI-CD” or “NI-MH,” you may have a recalled pack. The voltage of the affected packs range from 2.4 and 18 volts and they come in different shapes and sizes. They were sold as replacement batteries for the following tool brands: Makita, Bosh, DeWalt, Black and Decker, Milwaukee, Lincoln, Skil, Panasonic, and Ryobi.

The packs were sold at BatteriesPlus retail stores around the country and online on the BatteriesPlus website at batteriesplus.com between June 2008 and July 2012. The cost of each pack ranged from $60 to $70. They were manufactured in China.

If you have one of these packs, you should stop using it immediately by removing it from the tool. You can then return the pack to a BatteriesPlus store for store credit.

If you have been injured by an exploding battery pack, you must seek immediate medical care. After seeking medical care, contact a personal injury attorney regarding the injury so that the incident can be properly investigated and you can be notified of your rights. The parties responsible for the problem can also be notified of the incident.

DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. has recalled its DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing Systems and its ASR XL Acetablar Hip System, as well as its Pinnacle Hip Implant due to evidence that the products are defective. Claims of these defects have been coming out for years, but not before injuries were seen.

In addition to the DePuy recalls, the Zimmer Next Gen Knee Implant has resulted in patients requiring knee revision surgery due to the NexGen loosening and causing a great deal of pain. If you have been injured by any of these products, Terry, Slane, and Ruohonen can help you in holding the manufacturers responsible for the pain and suffering these defective products have caused you.

What Is The DePuy ASR Hip Implant?

The DePuy ASR Acetabular System is used for total hip replacement. The ASR Hip Resurfacing System is used in a newer procedure that is designed to preserve bone. The ASR Acetabular System has been approved by the FDA, but the hip resurfacing system has not been. Overall, about 93,000 of these devices have been implanted in patients all around the world.

The voluntary recall is the result of a British Joint Replacement Registry that showed approximately 12 percent of those who had received the implants needed to have revision surgeries or corrective procedures within five years of receiving the implants. This means that the failure rate is two times the industry average. Doctors have stated that the reason for this failure rate is a faulty design, and this faulty design was not discovered until the devices had already been implanted.

What About The DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant?

The DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant has yet to be recalled, but it could be next. Both patients and doctors have reported issues with the Pinnacle Hip Implant that are similar to that of the ASR Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System when the implant is used with a metal liner. The FDA has never approved the DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant to be used with a metal liner. When used with this liner, the implant becomes loose. Approximately 1,300 complaints regarding corrective surgery to remove and replace the implant have been logged. DePuy has yet to issue a recall, but this does not mean that the product is not defective. The FDA may eventually issue a recall, but the FDA is not always quick to do so.

Zimmer NexGen Knee Implant

The Zimmer NexGen Knee Implant is a piece that is not made of the standard cement and it attaches to the bottom of the thigh bone. Unfortunately, this product is showing a high failure rate. The blame has been placed upon the design, while Zimmer has blamed the surgeons, stating the failure is due to surgical errors or the type of patient receiving the implant.

Patients have experienced:

• Implant failure
• Knee pain and other knee complications
• Loosening of the implant

Each issue results in corrective surgery that can be expensive and very painful.

Call Today For a Free Consultation

If you have one of these implants and you are experiencing pain, discomfort, or you have already had to have revision surgery, call a Minneapolis defective product lawyer from TSR Injury Law at (612) TSR-TIME.

If you or a loved one has become ill with fungal meningitis resulting from an epidural steroid injection for back pain, it is important to speak with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

The Methylprednisolone acetate steroid injections were manufactured by New England Compounding Center (NECC) of Farmington, Massachusetts and delivered to seventy-six clinics in 23 states, including Minnesota. Administration of the steroid began on May 21, 2012. Many individuals have become ill and some have died. There was also a case of a patient receiving the injection for ankle pain and contracting a joint infection as a result. More of these cases may exist.

Fungal Meningitis Symptoms

Fungal Meningitis has an incubation period of 42 days, which is why those that received the initial injections took so long to become ill. However, the CDC is not entirely sure if 42 days is the longest the illness will incubate; it could be longer. Patients could experience subtle symptoms for month before becoming seriously ill. The early symptoms of fungal meningitis, which affects the spinal cord and membranous lining of the brain include:

The CDC has also stated that methylprednisone acetate is used to treat knee, ankle, and shoulder pain and it is expected that there will be more joint infection cases. The symptoms of a joint infection include pain or redness at the injection site, swelling, and fever.

A fungal infection in any part of the body can be cause for disability or death. In addition, the antifungal medications that are being used to treat the fungal infection can be difficult for patients to tolerate over time. It is unclear how the fungi found its way into the vials. After distribution of the steroid to the clinics, the FDA confiscated fifty sealed vials and found that they were contaminated. It is also unclear exactly how many individuals will require treatment. Nonetheless, having to deal with a life threatening illness involves a great deal of pain and suffering, as well as medical bills that are not the fault of the patient.

Fortunately, all infected patients and their families have rights and it is important to know those rights. Because of the injuries and medical costs, you may be entitled to compensation. In fact, the lawsuits against the manufacturer have already begun and representation by a Minneapolis fungal meningitis lawyer who is experienced in representing clients in infectious disease cases will yield the best results.

Contact A Fungal Meningitis Attorney

Fungal meningitis can be fatal or lead to permanent disability. If you have a loved one currently battling fungal meningitis or you have suffered from it and are recovering or recovered, contact Terry, Slane & Ruohonen as soon as possible to learn about your rights and options. Contact a personal injury lawyer in Minneapolis immediately at (612) TSR-TIME for a free consultation.