Harley-Davidson Recall 185,000 bikes

Harley-Davidson Recalls 185,000 Motorcycles

In the midst of the 2015 motorcycle season, Harley-Davidson has announced a recall of 185,000 of its motorcycles. Harley-Davidson did its own investigation into some problems that are impacting fifteen of its motorcycle models from 2014 and 2015. The problem is that the saddlebags of the bikes can come loose, and even fall off, during operation of the bikes and increase the likelihood of a crash. The models that are included are the Road King, the Street Glide, the Electra Glide Ultra Classic, the Ultra Limited, the Police Road King, the Police Electra Glide, and the CVO Ultra Limited motorcycles. If you own one of these 2014 or 2015 models, contact your Harley-Davidson dealer as they are replacing the hardware holding the saddle bags at no cost to the customer.

Thankfully, there have not been any reported crashes or injuries due to this defect to date. However, if you or a loved one believes you may have been involved in a crash and been injured as a result of this defect, feel free to contact Inserra & Kelley Law Offices to discuss the possibility that you are entitled to compensation. If you have one of the above mentioned models, get into your Harley-Davidson dealer and be safe out there on the open roads.

Heart Attack and Stroke Risks with Popular Pain Relievers

Are you one of millions of people closely familiar with those popular pain over-the-counter pain relievers you likely pop on a daily basis for life’s annoying daily aches and pains?  If so, you may want to heed the newly bolder label warnings about their link to heart problems.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new warnings in July of 2015 that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Motrin, Advil, Aleve, and prescription Celebrex increase risks of heart attacks and strokes.  The risks of these life-threatening ailments come with the first few week initiation of these drugs and with taking higher doses of them.  If you are already one of the millions of consumers with risk factors for heart attack or stroke, or are already suffering from heart disease, the risk becomes even greater. 

Be a smart, healthy consumer and heed the warnings bolstered for you on product labels.  In the case of NSAIDs, be sure to take the lowest dosage possible and make these drugs part of your life only for short, temporary periods.  If you are unsure of what the right dose and time period is for you with these drugs, consult your physician.  Inserra & Kelley Law Offices desires the utmost health and safety for all of you out there and so seeks to keep abreast of the latest information regarding possible product dangers.   If you or a loved one has experienced problems related to the NSAID products not giving sufficient health warnings, do not hesitate to contact our firm with your questions and concerns. 

Human Salmonella Infections Linked to Live Backyard Poultry

As more and more people realize the health benefits of raising their own free range chickens for meat and eggs, the popularity of backyard chickens has risen, as has the popularity of obtaining chicken products from flock owners at Farmer’s Markets and the like.  There are also those who cannot deny the cuteness factor of baby chicks or ducks and purchase them for their children or take children to the nearest petting zoo or county fair to mingle with the animals and birds.  If this speaks to your situation, take heed that warnings have been issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with veterinarians, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and state agricultural officials.  It seems that as of July 1, 2015 live poultry had been the culprit in 82 of 95 people struck with an outbreak of Salmonella infections.

There are safety precautions that can be followed by those coming into any type of contact with live poultry.  As is the case with protecting oneself from any type of infection, it is vital to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after having contact with the live poultry or anything else where the birds live and hang out.  Also take heed that it is unsafe to ever bring live poultry in your home, even in the case of those cute chicks and duckies your children love as pets.  Be sure to follow the advice of the agricultural feed store, mail order hatchery or any other venue selling you the live poultry as they are urged to provide health-related tips and warnings regarding Salmonella infections.

If you or a loved one has suffered Salmonella infection after coming in contact with live poultry, seek the advice of your medical practitioner right away and be a smart, healthy consumer who heeds the warnings associated with the live poultry world.  Inserra & Kelley Law Offices desires the utmost health and safety for all of you and is available to answer your questions and concerns regarding the navigation of consumer dangers. 

Treating Knee Pain with Surgery May Not Be Worth the Risk

Over 4 million people go forward with arthroscopic knee surgery every year for conditions such as torn cartilage or to get at the heart of why their knee has pain and discomfort.  Many patients choose to go forward with the surgery as they search out something or anything to relieve their knee pain.  During these surgeries, the orthopedic surgeon makes a very small incision in the knee in order to get a tiny camera in there to view what is going on inside the joint for diagnosis and repairs.  Despite the procedure being pretty minimally invasive, anesthesia is required and studies have found that middle-aged and older adults having such surgeries could actually be put at risk.  The risk could likely outweigh the most often temporary (3 to 6 months at best) pain relief benefits. 

The most common risk of undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery is blood clots in the leg (deep vein thrombosis), blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), and infections.  There are also always anesthesia risks with serious complications, especially in riskier patients.  Studies have shown that those patients receiving the arthroscopic knee surgery did not have justifiably greater benefits in pain reduction than surgical placebo groups or patients who utilized exercise and therapy.  With the potentially deadly risks, patients would certainly need to speak seriously with their medical providers about whether the surgery is worth potential, serious harm.  Although, patients might look to the surgery for a faster solution than conservative measures that require sweat equity and time, findings have determined there are likely not more lasting pain solutions with the surgeries.   

If you or a loved one is suffering with nagging, bothersome knee pain, be sure to be a savvy patient consumer who is educated and willing to weigh the risks and benefits seriously with a medical professional willing to do the same.   Inserra & Kelley Law Offices desires the utmost health and safety for all of you out there and is here to answer your questions as to whether you may be due compensation for injury or danger to your health.    

Are laundry and dishwasher pods a health hazard?

So do you recognize those colorful, convenient pods full of concentrated, ultimate cleaning detergent?   The folks at Consumer Reports have come out with the recommendation on July 17, 2015 to take those laundry pods off your list as they are a health hazard to children.  It seems our curious children see those brightly colored pods and believe them to be some sort of wonderful candy or toy.  The contents of those pods are actually substances that can poison the youngster who does what many young ones do, put the pods in their mouth.  There have also been children who have suffered injuries when they have gotten the contents of the pods on their skin or in their eyes.  Be advised this does not include the pods full of simple powdered detergent, as they do not seem to have the same appeal to the exploring youngsters or the frequency of severe injuries. 

Consumer Reports called upon the laundry pod industry to make this product safer to the public, and many did so with new container in which the pleasing to the eye pods were not visible, but the children still got to them.  Therefore, the pro-consumer magazine made the decision to take the bright, liquid containing pods off their recommended lists. 

The bottom line is that you must outweigh the benefits and risks of using the popular laundry pods for their convenience and cleaning power versus the potential they could cause serious injury to children, pets, or even adults when the inside product breaks through the outer pod.  Inserra & Kelley Law Offices desires the utmost health and safety for all of you out there and is here to answer your questions as to whether you may be due compensation for unfortunate injuries to you or your loved ones.    

Essure Birth Control Implant Dangers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking into the dangers with yet another controversial birth control product out on the market.  The Essure birth control implant has caused side effects that are non-life threatening, but more disturbing (and death in at least one instance).  Some women, with the implanted Essure, have complained of weight gain, fatigue, and depression, while others have complained of severe, burning pain from the pelvis and radiating down the lower extremities.  There have also been reports of miscarriages and the metal coils cutting into other organs of the body.  One woman died while the Essure was being implanted.

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Are you safer with e-cigarettes?

Many smokers trying to overcome the addiction have jumped on the e-cigarette bandwagon to get their nicotine fix without the accompaniment of tobacco smoke.  However, there have been few studies to date to confirm whether or not e-cigarettes are going to be found safe in the long run.  While it’s true the tobacco smoke toxicity is not a danger with them, there is the fact that nicotine is an addictive substance and many smokers do not know how to properly use the e-cigarettes to eventually get to the use of neither cigarettes nor e-cigarettes.  For many, the e-version becomes the permanent alternative, which was not the original intention.

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Happy Fourth of July in Safety!

Fourth of July is a wonderful time of the year to celebrate our nation with friends and family, but often involves activities that can lead to injuries or fatalities.  The first activity that comes to mind is fireworks fun.  The National Council on Fireworks Safety (NCFS) has some tips for purchasing fireworks that will be in the hands of you and your loved ones this 4th of July.  First and foremost, they recommend that you stick to the licensed fireworks sellers, rather than getting the “good stuff” from your friend’s brother’s cousin’s guy, as those are likely the illegal and very dangerous fireworks.   The NCFS also wants consumers to pay attention to the safety warnings on the packages and adhere to them for a safer, happier fireworks experience.  They also want the lay fireworks individual to stay away from the professional fireworks that, while legal, are made for those who have been trained and licensed as pyro-techs.  The NCFS also wants celebrators to be sure that they use fireworks in a clear area where shooting will not cause enhanced chances of fire dangers and they want those handling them to refrain, being the designated shooters who are not under the influence.

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Type 2 Diabetes Medication Linked to Cardiovascular and Kidney Problems

Invokana is a type 2 diabetes medication, also known as Canagliflozin, and patients using the drug have suffered from diabetic ketoacidosis, cardiovascular injury, and kidney failure.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that the ketoacidosis that occurs is a result of insulin levels dropping too low.  Diabetic ketoacidosis usually occurs in those suffering with type 1 diabetes, but now has been found in those with type 2 diabetes while using Invokana.

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Testosterone Warnings

Low testosterone is lamented in the media today with commercials offering up solutions to those suffering from the condition and perhaps not getting all the gusto from life such advertisements portray.  While low testosterone is bothersome for many individuals, it has become an over diagnosed condition in today’s society, leading to the over prescription of testosterone.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has come out with cautions and warnings regarding the use of testosterone, urging users to outweigh the benefits with the serious risks. 

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