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Monsanto ordered to pay $45.6M in personal injury lawsuit

St. Louis, Missouri-based biotechnology corporation Monsanto Co. was ordered to pay $45.6 million to three people who allegedly contracted cancer because Monsanto negligently mishandled toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB).

The three people claimed they ingested the PCB throughout the course of daily life by consuming food, drinking liquids, or breathing the air that contained traces of the chemical. Steven Kherkher, the plaintiff’s legal counsel, said there was plenty of evidence that led to the decision against Monsanto, noting, “The jury saw right through Monsanto’s misrepresentation. It was just that the facts and evidence were overwhelming.”

Monsanto spokeswoman Charla Lord said the company has “deep sympathy” for the plaintiffs, but the company will appeal the verdict because “the evidence simply does not support yesterday’s verdict, including the fact that scientists say more than 90% of non-Hodgkins lymphoma cases have no known cause.” Monsanto stopped making PCBs in 1977.

The attorneys at Ritter & Associates are devoted to helping individuals who have been injured by a harmful product in San Diego or another area of California receive compensation. Seek the legal assistance of a qualified member of our team by calling our offices at (619) 296-0123.


Three California residents complain about exploding e-cigarette

Bakersfield, California resident Roy Iversen said he sustained second-degree burns on his body and had to undergo a skin graft surgery as a result of his electronic cigarette exploding in his pocket as he was riding home from work along Interstate 5.

Vincente Garza filed a product liability lawsuit on Thursday, November 19 that claims that the manufacture and the design of the devices did not go through enough checks and balances to ensure their safety. Another person, Gregory Phillips, made the same allegations.

Garza had been smoking the e-cigarette when it allegedly exploded, resulting in severe injuries to his finger, mouth, and tongue, with his left finger having to be partially amputated and his tongue having to be operated on due to the accident.

The lawsuits name several; defendants who made and sold the dangerous products to the victims, including Luxor Café, Fame Vape, and Flawless Vapes and Supplies LLC.

If you had recently been the victim of a defective product, the attorneys at Ritter & Associates want you to know that you do not have to face your recovery alone. Our legal team with work to represent you as we seek justice in the form of compensation for your injuries and suffering. Call our offices at San Diego today at (619) 296-0123 to learn more.


California Orders Recall of Volkswagen Diesel Cars

The California Air Resources Board told Volkswagen Group to recall all of its vehicles containing 3-litter diesel engines on Nov. 25. The car manufacturer, which is under fire for releasing thousand of vehicles with illegal emissions software installed, was given 45 days to comply. This recall includes affected VW, Audi, and Porsche models with diesel engines.

Porsche responded to the letter by stating it will “continue its efforts to comply fully with all regulatory authorities” and that it “awaits detailed information from engine supplier, Audi AG, as to specific actions which will be necessary to correct and rectify [the situation].”

Since the revelation that Volkswagen used software technology to cheat emissions tests in approximately 500,000 U.S. vehicles, the company has been attempting to update affected 2-liter, four-cylinder diesel engines. Thousands of other vehicles around the world are still being found to include the emissions software.

If you believe that your vehicle was affected by a recall and the defect is costing you money, contact the product liability attorneys at Ritter & Associates. You should not be held financially responsible for products that came to you defective. Please call (619) 296-0123 today to speak with our San Diego legal team.


Chipotle faces its third outbreak of foodborne illness this year

Nearly two dozen people have fallen ill due to E. coli linked to the fast food restaurant Chipotle. This is the third outbreak this year for the food chain. Due to the most recent outbreak, Chipotle has voluntarily shut down 43 of its locations in Washington and Oregon. Three people in Portland and 19 people in Washington have fallen ill from consuming Chipotle in the last few weeks. Of the two dozen affected individuals, eight have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported so far.

The Washington State Department of Health is currently investigating the cause of the outbreak. It is believed to be the cause of a fresh food product that was sent to various restaurants. Chipotle announced they are not planning on closing any other chains without evidence of the contamination spreading further.

Washington and Oregon state health officials are urging anyone experiencing intestinal symptoms that has recently eaten Chipotle since mid-October to see a doctor and get tested. Earlier this year, Chipotle was also linked with a salmonella outbreak that sickened dozens of people in Minnesota and norovirus that caused nearly 100 people to fall ill in California.

Chipotle food samples will continue to be tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine the source of the outbreak. If you have contracted a foodborne illness and are interested in compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced due to a dangerous food product, please contact the San Diego product liability attorneys of Ritter & Associates today. For more information on how we can help you, please call 619-296-0123.


Monsanto facing more lawsuits for alleged cancer-causing herbicide

Missouri-based multinational agro-chemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto Co. has been collecting lawsuits in relation to its herbicide, Roundup, which plaintiffs have said causes cancer in individual exposed to an ingredient in the product, glyphosate, a report from Reuters stated.

A new lawsuit was filed in the Delaware Superior Court on Wednesday, October 16 by three law firms representing three plaintiffs. One plaintiff is 24-year-old Joselin Barrera, a child of a migrant farmer who alleges that her non-Hodgkin lymphoma was the direct result of exposure to Roundup. Joining Barrerra in the suit is former migrant farm worker and landscaper Elias de la Garza, who was diagnosed with the same ailment.

At Ritter & Associates, the majority of our cases are centered around complaints against manufacturers and sellers of defective products. We understand how damaging a defective or faulty product can be, and we are here to help you pursue a compensatory claim in the wake of your injuries. To learn more, call us at (619) 296-0123 today.


Bill amendment requires rental companies to disclose recalled vehicles

At present, there is no federal law that protects consumers from renting cars under recall from rental companies, according to NBC San Diego reported on July 14.

Lawmakers are planning to change that. The Senate Transportation Committee approved an amendment to a bill introduced by Senator John Randolph Thune (Republican of South Dakota) that sought to require rental companies to disclose knowledge of safety recalls when cars are rented. Going a step further, the committee proposed a ban altogether on renting out cars under any safety recall.

Some large rental companies have voluntarily taken out recalled cars from their roster of vehicles ever since Japanese automotive parts maker Takata Corp. issued a recall of 57 million defective airbags worldwide, 34 million of which were in the United States.

At Ritter & Associates, we are dedicated to representing those who have been injured in car accidents through the fault of negligent auto manufacturers. Call our offices in San Diego at (619) 296-0123 today to begin taking action against those responsible.


Trek recalls 1 million bicycles following paralysis of one rider

Trek recently announced a recall of 900,000 bikes in the United States and 98,000 more in Canada, according to a CNN Money article. The problem stems from an improperly installed quick release lever on the front tire, which has the tendency to over rotate and get caught in the disc brakes, potentially hurling riders over the handlebars.

The lever has caused three bicycle accidents thus far, and sadly resulted in the paralysis of one rider.

It was after hearing of this accident that Trek announced the recall, wanting to inform other riders of the potential danger. The company claims that it was unaware of the issue until recently.

The recall covers all bike models with the defective lever and disc brakes manufactured between the years of 2000 and 2015. Trek is offering owners free installation of a new quick release lever, in addition to a gift card for $20 of merchandise.

Bicycle manufacturing companies have a responsibility to ensure their products are safe before releasing them to consumers. If you or someone you love has been injured in a bike accident caused by a defective product, a product liability lawyer of Ritter & Associates may be able to help you seek compensation for your suffering. Call us today at (619) 296-0123 to begin taking action.


Family of victim who died in Chrysler Jeep awarded $150M

A jury in Decatur County ruled that Chrysler must pay $150 million to the family of four-year-old Remington Walden, who died when the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee he rode in burst into flames upon being rear-ended in March 2012, the U-T San Diego reported on April 2.

Jurors determined that Chrysler was responsible, as the company acted with disregard to human life by placing the gas tank behind the rear axle of the vehicle. This defective design does not provide sufficient protection around the gas tanks in the event of a rear-end collision, significantly increasing the risk of fire and injury.

A spokesman for Chrysler’s parent company FCA US, Mike Falese, said the company plans to appeal the verdict.

If you have been injured in an accident because of an auto defect, the attorneys of Ritter & Associates in San Diego may help you hold those responsible fully accountable. Learn more about pursuing financial compensation by calling our offices at (619) 296-0123 today.


Burn risk prompts Keurig recall of 7.2M coffee makers

Just days before Christmas, Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., a leader in the coffee maker industry, recalled over 7 million MINI Plus Brewing Systems in the United States and Canada after roughly 200 reports were made that this single-serve coffee machine may cause burns, according to a USA Today article.

Customers cited instances of hot water leaking from the machine, resulting in varying burn injuries. According to the Keurig website, the recalled products were produced and sold to customers from December 2009 to July 2014.

Immediately following the recall, Keurig stock fell 2.5% in morning trading. Mark Ashtrachan, a Stifel analyst, believes this recall could hurt the image of the company, as well as affect future sales.

Manufacturers have the responsibility to construct products that are entirely safe for public use; therefore, when defective products are released onto the market, companies may be held fully accountable for any injuries that result. If you have been injured by a product in San Diego, the product liability attorneys with Ritter & Associates may be able to work on your behalf for the funds you need to recover. Call our offices at (619) 296-0123 today to learn more.


Widely prescribed antibiotic Levaquin possibly dangerous

Levaquin, an antibiotic widely used to treat pneumonia, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other conditions, and one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics on the market, is said to cause painful and long-term side effects, ABC15 Investigators reported on November 24.

Jenny Frank, a patient from San Diego who was prescribed the drug, said after three weeks of taking Levaquin, she started regularly typing “gibberish” on her computer and was entirely unable to construct sentences.

Dr. Charles Bennett, a member of the South Carolina College of Pharmacy and the Southern Network on Adverse Reactions, has been filing petitions with the Food and Drug Administration to halt the production of Levaquin and other fluoroquinolones, because after three years of studying the effects of these drugs on humans, he found that they could alter and damage the body’s cells.

If you have suffered from a product that is inherently dangerous, the manufacturers may be held responsible with the help of a product liability attorney. Call the legal team of Ritter & Associates, at (619) 296-0123 today to learn more.


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