An aromatherapy spray imported from India and sold at Walmart Stores has caused four people to contract a tropical disease even though none had traveled internationally.

The four people that contracted the tropical disease (melioidosis) were from Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota and Texas. Two of them have died, one was a child. Melioidosis is an infectious disease that is caused by bacteria and is found in contaminated water and soil in tropical climates, especially Southeast Asia and Northern Australia.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released their investigative findings that the contaminated product is labeled “Better Homes & Garden Lavender and Chamomile Essential Oil Infused with Gemstones.” It was sold for $4.00 in 55 Walmart Stores and available online on Walmart’s website. The product was recalled from Walmart Stores on October 22, 2021.

If you or a loved one have been exposed to the aromatherapy spray manufactured by Better Homes & Gardens and sold at Walmart and have subsequently become ill, please call the experts at Inserra Kelley Sewell to see whether you might be entitled to compensation.

Tyson Foods is recalling 8.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products because they may be contaminated with listeria, according to the USDA Food and Safety Inspection Service (FSIS).

On June 9, 2021, FSIS was notified that two people became ill with listeriosis that had consumed Tyson chicken products.   

Listeria symptoms can cause severe illness when the bacteria spreads to the stomach and other parts of the body.  Listeria can also cause food poisoning symptoms such as diarrhea and fever.  Symptoms of severe illness may start within 1-4 weeks after eating the contaminated food. 

The Center for Disease Control has released these details on the recalled products:

• The products were shipped nationwide to stores and hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools and Department of Defense locations.
• The products include frozen fully cooked chicken strips, diced chicken, chicken wing sections and fully cooked pizza with chicken.
• Many of the products were sold under brand names including Tyson, Jet Pizza, Casey’s General Store, Marcos Pizza and Little Caesars.
• The products subject to recall have the number EST. P-7089 on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Anyone that has eaten the products and are concerned about illness should contact a health care provider.

If you or a loved one has suffered from food poisoning or illness from Tyson chicken products, please call the experts at Inserra Kelley Sewell to see whether you might be entitled to compensation. 

Today’s surgeons rely more on surgical staplers as an alternative to stitches and sutures due to the increased speed and ease of use provided by the devices. Ethicon and Covidien Surgical Staplers can misfire during a surgery and cause serious injuries.  Thousands of surgery patients have reported serious injuries regarding the surgical staplers during gastrointestinal tract surgeries such as: colon cancer, diverticuli and weight loss surgeries to link sections between body parts such as the intestines and stomach.  Misfiring of the device may lead to incomplete staple lines and malformed staples.

Due to the frequency of the misfires, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Class 1 recall and reported the following risks associated with the defective staplers: 

• Bleeding
• Tearing of organs and internal tissue
• Development of anastomotic leaks
• Sepsis 
• Increased risk of cancer recurrence
• Multi-organ failure
• Fistula formation 

As a result of these injuries, patients may require additional surgeries, including an ostomy bag (an external pouch to collect body waste).  Many times, patients are forced to return to the operating room for an unplanned, emergency repair surgery.  Other patients may be released from the hospital only to return a few days later once symptoms arise for emergency surgery.

Who are the manufacturers of Covidien and Ethicon Surgical Staplers? Covidien is a subsidiary of Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) which has a market cap of $152 billion.  Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is a parent company of Ethicon boasting a market cap of $384 billion.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed on behalf of patients hurt by the malfunctioning staplers.  Some of the lawsuits have gone to trial and led to sizable verdicts against the defendants.  The most prominent among them was a California case that ended up with the plaintiff being awarded $80 million, including $70 million in punitive damages against Ethicon.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by defective Ethicon or Covidien Surgical Staplers, please call the Mass Tort Team at Inserra Kelley Sewell to see whether you might be entitled to compensation.

Sunbeam Products recalled about 943,000 Crock-Pot Express Pressure Cookers after reports that 99 people suffered from burn injuries ranging from 1st-degree to 3rd-degree burns.

There were over 119 reports of the lid detaching according to Sunbeam Products who issued this statement:

“The recalled Crock-Pot multi-cooker can pressurize when the lid is not fully locked.  This can cause the lid to suddenly detach while the product is in use, posing burn risks to consumers from hot food and liquids ejected from the product.”

The recall includes Crock-Pot® 6-Quart Express Multi-Cookers (Model Number SCCPPC600-V1) which can be found printed on the bottom of the Crock-Pot.

The Crock-Pots were sold from July of 2017 through November of 2020, at Walmart, Target and other online retailers for $70-$100.

If you or a loved one have suffered burn injuries involving a Crock-Pot® 6-Quart Express Multi-Cooker, please call the experts at Inserra Kelley Sewell to see whether you might be entitled to compensation.  

Paragard is an Intra-Uterine Device (IUD) birth control device made from copper.  Paragard is a non-hormonal IUD that is implanted during a doctor’s visit.  Plaintiffs allege that the Paragard T 380A IUD is a defective contraceptive.  There have been 55 Paragard IUD actions now consolidated in Georgia’s Northern District.

Injuries may include:

• IUD breaking upon removal
• IUD falling out of the uterus
• IUD mitigation to other parts of the body
• Ectopic pregnancy
• The IUD becoming embedded in the uterus
• Inflammation and/or allergic reaction due to copper left in the body
• Hysterectomy
• Perforation of the uterine wall or cervix
• Scarring and/or damage to other organs
• Fractured uterine cavity

If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from a Paragard copper IUD, please call the experts at Inserra Kelley Sewell to see whether you might be entitled to compensation.