The Legal News

A look at the ethics of product recalls.

  If if seeing a driver to your right on the interstate, gabbing away on his cell phone gets you ticked off, you’ve got a right to be. Multiple studies have demonstrated that operating a vehicle while talking on a cell phone can be as deadly as driving with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit. Estimates of the number of U.S. traffic fatalities instigated by cell phone use while operating a vehicle  are normally in the 2,000 - 3,000 range with 100 times as many injuries.

The best fix for the plague of cell phone  collisions, would be common sense by many drivers and a realization that the common practice is rude and dangerous. Without a sudden epidemic of intelligence, law creation and strict enforcement need to be actualized. Bringing forth  legislation will be difficult given the lobbying ability of the cell phone industry. The effort, though, added to public education, can rescue thousands of lives annually .

Congress is being asked to authorize, create, and fund a nationwide database that will store oll positive drug tests, and DUI encounters. The American Trucking Association wants to see a  centralization of these records and for the records of these to be released to any interested employer in an effort to keep abusers from behind the wheel of large and potentially dangerous vehicles.

The ATA has noted that with just 2% of the nationwide commercial drivers testing positive for drugs,  the number of drivers affected by drugs is roughly 68000. A positive test during any portion of the employement process would be added to the databse and that applaicant would have that permanent mark on his record, likely barring him from any commercial driving job.

As is the norm, product safety is a great burden for consumers. lately, the list of defective items imported from some foreign countries, namely China, has been receiving much needed press coverage. From the contaminated pet food fiasco to a smorgasboard of items meant for human consumption, the public is coming to the realization that they should consider twice before using any product that is brought in from China or any country where safety regulations are a far cry from regulations that are in place currently in America.

It is accurate that the amount of exports of food, drugs and consumer products has grown very rapidly in recent years. So much so, that it is progressivley arduous for inspectors in the States to catch contaminated  or potentially dangerous shipments. It has been divulged
that with so much money at risk, China will try  to center on product safety in an attempt to stave concerns about its faulty products. It is not, however, anticipated  to be an easy job given the level of corruption, pollution and product piracy problems are deeply embedded in that society.

What can we do to better protect ourselves? Starting  in 2008, money  to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission will be escalated. The greater financial contribution will allow the agencies to hire and field more inspectors. In addition, Legislators will also empower the FDA and USDA to issue food recalls, which is not something they are currently commissioned to do, and to declare stricter reporting and labeling.

Many Americans feel they are getting a “bargain” when buying imports. However, with the seriously defective products of late, it’s sure to leave one wondering whether they are really obtaining bargains at all.

The friends of Liberty State Park filed a lawsuit against the state to protect the views. The September 11th Memorial was placed in Liberty State PArk without a public hearing.

   People are often saying that we need tort reform, how often do you hear”Oh blah blah, so many medical lawsuits..” We have they ever posted facts? Lets try that.

The 3rd largest cause of death in the USA is… doctors. They account for more than a quarter of a million deaths every year. Twelve thousand people are killed anually by having unnecesary surgery. Seven thousand die due to medication errors. Twenty thousand die because of random hospital errors. Hosiptal infections claim another eighty thousand lives. Another 106,000 people die as a negative drug effect.

Another 18 percent of people experience negative effects in outpatient settings. Lets consider the numbers.

Another analysis concluded that between 4% and 18% of patients experience negative effects in outpatient settings. An extra 116,000,000 doctor office visits. 77,000,000 additional prescriptions filled. 17,000,000 emergency room admittances. Another 8,000,000 people are hospitalized because of outpatient mishaps.3,000,000 of those are long term. Almost 200,000 die from outpatient care. Allt his generates 77 billion in costs.

Ninety eight thousand people die  as a result of inaccurate medical advice annually.

This short video is an interview, and shows one mans argument against workers compensation reform.

Officials and generally ignorant people in the city of Denver have outlawed the pit bull breed of dogs.

However, owners of existing pit bulls can keep their dog if the meet new regulations, including a special, breed-specific licensing fee of $200, carrying $100,000 of liability insurance, be at least 21 years of age, and post warning signs in the front of their land.  Except for the licensing, this is all fine and dandy. Its what responsible dog owners would do anyways.

the ban is not just due to urban legends regarding the breed, but alot to do with irresponsible ownership. If the dog is owned by bad owners, he  is a victim of his environment, then who is at fault, the dog or his owner?

Most pit bull owners dont bother to carry insurance. And many fail to keep the animals on their own property. Even ones that have shown themselves to be aggressive.

Obviously other breeds will bite, but the kicker is this:  most dog owners will have insurance, for whatever reason this breed tends to have owners that miss that whole train of though.

Give pits a break, hold the owners accountable!

ACLU sponsored video on your rights with the police. See this even if you never plan on being arrested.

Myspace.com is sharing data its gathered on sex offenders with government agencies and  prosecutors.  The attorney generals from several states have demanded records be given to them and myspace is too happy to comply.

Myspace says they seek to identify and remove any sex offenders, and claims its been doing so for soem time. The officials from the AG office wanted  to know how many sex offenders  used the site anf where they live.

Myspace said thay federal privacy laws require states to file subpenas or some other legal request to make it aofficial.

Myspace hopes that every state will request simliar records. They claim to have saved all the data from the very begining in anticipation of the request. Myspace claims to have removed 7000 users that were sex offenders from their system.
My space spokesman said that its imperitive to give this data to authorities ASAP because it helps ensure the safety of children.T