Demdaco issues recall for candles due to fire hazard

About 5,480 Tea Lights in Carruth Candleholder Collection Sets were recalled after a report that the tea light candle can burn with a very high flame. One fire associated with the recalled candles caused minor property damage. The candles were manufactured in China. See the recall.

Chariot Carriers recalls bicycle trailers and conversion kits due to injury hazard

About 44,000 bicycle trailers and 70,000 bicycle trailer conversion kits were recalled after 24 reports of the hitch mechanism cracking and breaking, causing the trailer to detach from the bicycle. The recalled bike trailers were made in Japan. See the recall.

Big Lots issues recall for floor lamps due to shock hazard

About 43,700 Five-Light Floor Lamps were recalled by Big Lots after four reports of the lamp shade melting after the light sockets’ wiring became exposed. The recalled Big Lots lamps were made in China. See the recall.

Kaz USA recalls portable electric heaters due to burn hazard

About 19,000 Honeywell Surround Select Portable Electric Heaters were recalled after discovery that the internal housing can detach, posing a burn risk. No incidents or injuries have been reported. The Honeywell electric heaters were made in China. See the recall.

Giant Bicycle issues recall for bicycles due to falling hazard

About 900 2012 Model Year Giant Defy Advanced and Avail Advanced Bicycles were recalled after discovery that the fork can crack, posing a fall risk to riders. No incidents or injuries have been reported. The Giant Bicycle recalled bikes were manufactured in Taiwan. See the recall.

California Innovations recalls lunch boxes due to poison hazard

About 248,000 Expandable Insulated Lunch Box with Freezer Gel Packs were recalled after two reports of dogs chewing and ingesting freezer gel pack gel, leading to the death of one of the dogs. The gel contains a known poison hazard to humans, which could accidentally be ingested if a freezer gel pack were damaged. The recalled lunch boxes were made in China. See the recall.

California Innovations issue recall for food carriers due to poison hazard

About 55,000 Travelin’ Chef Expandable Thermal Food Carriers were recalled for the same reasons as the previous lunch box recall listed above. No incidents or injuries have been reported with this specific product. See the recall.

Lee Carter Co. recalls action figures due to lead paint

About 7,000 Super Luchamania Action Figures were recalled by Lee Carter Co. after discovery that the surface paint on the action figures violates the federal lead paint standard. No incidents or injuries have been reported. The recalled figures were made in Mexico. See the recall.

Lee Carter Co. issues recall for rattles due to choking hazard

About 25,000 infant rattles were recalled after discovery that the handle is small enough to fit into an infant’s throat, posing a choking hazard and violating federal standards. No incidents or injuries have been reported. The recalled rattles were manufactured in Mexico. See the recall.

Blount International recalls lawnmower blades due to laceration hazard

About 950 Oregon Replacement Lawnmower Blades were recalled after receiving seven reports of the replacement blades breaking while in use. The recalled lawnmower blades were made in the United States. See the recall.

Euro Asia Imports issues recall for bicycle handlebars due to falling hazard

About 2,070 bicycle handlebars were recalled by Euro Asia Imports after two reports of the handlebars breaking while in use. One injury was reported. The handlebars were manufactured in Japan. See the recall.

E-Z-GO issues recall for vehicles due to crashing hazard

About 21,900 TXT golf cars, Cushman shuttle vehicles, and Bad Boy off-road utility vehicles were recalled after 71 reports of broken ball joints, including 13 incidents where the ball joint was displaced. The recalled E-Z-GO brand products were manufactured in the United States. See the recall.

Hamilton Beach recalls toasters due to fire hazard

About 14,000 Hamilton Beach classic chrome 2-slice toasters were recalled after five reports of toasters immediately energizing when first plugged in to an outlet, posing a risk of fire. The recalled toasters were made in China. See the recall.

Pottery Barn issues recall for bed canopy due to impact hazard

About 7,930 Madeline Bed Canopy products were recalled after Pottery Barn received 33 reports of the canopy falling after post connections come apart. Ten minor injuries have been reported. The recalled product was made in Vietnam. See the recall.

West Elm recalls table due to injury hazard

About 840 Dover Dining Tables were recalled after 14 reports of the tables’ wooden base collapsing. One minor injury was reported after the glass table top fell on the injured’s leg. The recalled dining tables were manufactured in China. See the recall.

Uni-O Industries issues recall for gas grills due to fire and burning hazards

About 4,530 O-Grill Portable Gas Grills were recalled after ten reports of the grill catching fire after gas was leaked from the grill’s regulator. The recalled gas grills were made in China. See the recall.

Performance Inc. recalls bicycle pedals due to falling hazard

About 2,900 Performance Inc. 2011 Forté Pro Carbon Road Pedals were recalled after three reports of the pedals breaking while in use. The recalled bike pedals were manufactured in Taiwan. See the recall.

IKEA recalls high chairs due to falling hazard

About 169,000 ANTILOP High Chairs were recalled by IKEA after receiving eight reports of the restraint buckles on the high chairs opening unexpectedly. Three injuries have been reported after children fell from the chair. The recalled high chairs were made in China. See the recall.

Target issues recall for LED flashlights due to fire and burning hazards

About 55,000 6-pc. LED Flashlight Sets were recalled by Target after receiving four reports of the flashlights overheating, smoking, and/or melting, including two reports of minor burn injuries. The recalled LED flashlights were made in China. See the recall.

Elegant Gifts Mart issues recall for children’s chairs and stools due to lead paint

About 1,600 children’s chairs and 1,300 children’s stools were recalled after discovery that the surface paint violated the federal lead paint standard. The recalled products were manufactured in China. See the recall.

The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker’s team of medical device attorneys is currently handling dozens of cases involving these faulty hip replacement devices. If you or a loved one has required a revision surgery to repair or replace a faulty hip replacement, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at (800) 333-0000, or send us an email using our contact form. You may be entitled to compensation.

Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Bayer for not providing adequate warnings about the risk of blood clots. Kessler has noted that Bayer withheld the information regarding the risk of blood clots while taking Yasmin before the drug was approved in 2001. Among the information withheld before approval were an internal study and two cases of patients developing blood clots. See the full news article.

The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker is actively pursuing legal action on behalf of injured women who were prescribed Yasmin and Yaz and were not properly warned of dangerous and potentially fatal blood clots. If you or a loved one has had an adverse heart event, including heart attack, stroke, or venous thromboembolism (blood clot), contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at (800) 333-0000 for a free consultation.

Michaels Stores issues recall for vase due to laceration hazard
About 29,800 Ashland Glass Vases were recalled after receiving four reports of the vase shattering. All four incidents involved lacerations to the hands, including an injury requiring surgery and two injuries requiring stitches. The Ashland Glass Vase was manufactured in China. See the recall.

Build-A-Bear issues recall for swimwear due to strangulation hazard
About 20,820 Build-A-Bear Swimwear sets with inflatable innertubes were recalled after a report where a 3-year-old pulled the innertube over her head and could not remove it completely. The Build-A-Bear swimwear sets were made in China. See the recall.

Liebherr issues recall for refrigerators due to injury hazard
About 8,000 Liebherr Freestanding 30-inch wide, bottom freezer refrigerators were recalled after 16 reports of the door detaching. Two injuries were reported. This recall expands on a previous recall from March 2011. The Liebherr refrigerators were made in Austria. See the recall.

Family Dollar issues recall for slippers due to choking hazard
About 160,000 Kidgets Animal Sock Top Slippers were recalled after a report of one of the animal’s eyes detaching from the slipper. The Kidgets Animal slippers were manufactured in China. See the recall.

Collective Brands issues recall for shoes due to laceration hazard
About 45,000 KEDS “Know It All” Girls’ Shoes were recalled after receiving 27 reports of cuts and scratches resulting from metal stars on the heel of the shoe. The KEDS girls’ shoes were made in China. See the recall.

HeathCo issues recall for motion sensing wall switches due to shock hazard
About 75,000 Heath/Zenith and WirelessCommand motion sensing wall switches were recalled after discovering that in certain circumstances, small amounts of electric current can pass through socket, posing a shock risk when replacing bulbs. No injuries or incidents have been reported. The recalled wall switches were made in China. See the recall.

Best Buy issues recall for iPhone battery cases due to fire hazard
About 32,000 Rocketfish Model RF-KL12 Mobile Battery Cases for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS were recalled by Best Buy after receiving 14 reports of the battery cases overheating. Three injuries and four cases of minor property damage have been reported. The Rocketfish battery cases were manufactured in China. See the recall.

Mophie issues recall for iPod Touch battery cases due to burn hazard
About 6,118 Mophie Rechargeable External Battery Cases for iPod Touch were recalled after 110 reports of the battery cases becoming warm to the touch, 44 reports of the product melting, and nine reports of minor burn injuries. The Mophie battery cases were made in China. See the recall.

Nygala Corp. issues recall for flashlights due to fire and burn hazards
About 10,000 Halloween Projection Flashlights were recalled after a report of a flashlight overheating, blistering, and melting. The recalled flashlights were manufactured in China. See the recall.

Nautilus recalls ellipticals due to falling hazard
About 10,000 Nautilus Elliptical Exercise Trainers were recalled after nine reports of foot plates detaching or breaking while in use. One knee injury was reported. The Nautilus Ellipticals were made in China. See the recall.

Bella Bliss recalls pajamas due to violation of flammability standard
About 2,300 Children’s Henley Pima Cotton Pajamas were recalled by Bella Bliss after discovery that the pajamas do not meet the federal flammability standards for children’s sleepwear. The recalled pajamas were made in Peru. See the recall.

The efficacy and risks of Avastin have previously been debated by the FDA. A significant increased risk of heart failure had been noted in earlier Avastin studies. The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker is currently investigating cases of heart failure in people who have taken Avastin. Please contact Larry H. Parker Inc. by email or give us a call at (800) 333-0000 for a free, confidential consultation.

Yaz has been under fire for marketing its product for unproven benefits not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Numerous news stories have offered horrific anecdotes of women affected by this mislabeling. Stories of young women taking Yaz primarily for clearer skin or to treat PMS symptoms (of which neither Yaz was approved for) suffering stroke or deep vein thrombosis causing permanent disability and even death have been featured on different news reports.

Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz, denied any wrongdoing. However, Bayer agreed to air $20 million worth of television advertising that clearly stated that Yaz was not for the treatment of PMS or mild acne. As millions of women were already taking Yaz, potentially for those reasons, the new ads for Yaz were seen as too little too late.

If you or a loved one has suffered an adverse medical event from a blood clot, heart attack, or stroke while taking Yaz, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today. Our experienced team of pharmaceutical litigation attorneys is currently pursuing legal action against the makers of Yaz. We offer 100% free consultations.

Yaz® is a registered trademark of Bayer Pharmaceuticals

Target issues recall for children’s masks due to suffocation hazard

About 3,400 children’s plus frog masks were recalled by Target after discovery that the masks did not have proper ventilation, posing a risk to children wearing it. No injuries or incidents have been reported. The frog masks were made in China. See the recall.

Big Lots recalls recliners due to entrapment and finger crushing hazards

About 375,000 Microfiber Glider Recliners with Ottomans and Leather Glider Recliners with Ottomans were recalled after two reports of toddlers being found trapped at the neck in the frame of the recliner. The Big Lots recliners were manufactured in China. See the recall.

Evergreen Enterprises recalls gel fuel due to burn and fire hazards

About 23,400 bottles of Fireside Gel Fuel Bottles were recalled due to known risks of pourable gel fuel bottles, which can ignite unexpectedly when added to a firepot that is still burning. No incidents have been reported with this brand of gel fuel. See the recall.

General Electric issues recall for rangetops due to an explosion hazard

About 470 GE Monogram Pro Rangetop with Grill products were recalled after six reports of propane explosions, some causing minor property damage. The GE rangetops were made in Mexico. See the recall.

BB Buggies recalls buggies due to loss of steering controls and crashing hazard

About 3,200 Bad Boy Buggies off-road utility vehicles were recalled after receiving 15 reports of the steering assembly arm breaking, which could cause loss of control and crashes. Bad Boy Buggies are manufactured in the United States. See the recall.

Trek Bicycle Corporation recalls bicycles due to falling hazard

About 27,000 Trek 2012 FX and District bicycles were recalled after four reports of the bolt securing the seat saddle to the post breaking. One injury has been reported. The Trek 2010 FX and District bicycles were made in China. See the recall.

Harper Trucks issues recall for hand trucks due to injury hazard

About 292,000 hand trucks were recalled after 19 reports of overinflated tires exploding, ejecting pieces of the wheel hub. 19 injuries, including broken bones, bruises, lacerations, and one instance of severe eye injury have been reported. The Harper Trucks hand trucks were made in China, Taiwan, and the United States. See the recall.

IKEA recalls wardrobe mirror doors due to laceration hazard

About 2,200 PAX AURLAND wardrobe mirror doors were recalled after 14 reports of the mirror unexpectedly detaching from the door, falling to the floor and shattering. One minor injury has been reported. The IKEA PAX AURLAND was manufactured in Sweden. See the recall.

Kiddieland recalls trikes due to laceration hazard

About 12,000 Disney Fairies Plastic Racing Trikes were recalled after a report of a child suffering a cut near her eye after she fell on to the plastic figure on the handle bar. The Disney Trikes were made in China. See the recall.

Gerber Legendary Blades recalls hunting knife sets due to laceration hazard

About 13,000 Winchester Hunting Knife Sets were recalled by Gerber Legendary Blades after discovery that the latching mechanism can fail, releasing the blade. No incidents or injuries have been reported. The Winchester Hunting Knife Sets were manufactured in China. See the recall.

Battat recalls sketchboards due to choking hazard

About 99,300 Toulouse-LapTrec magnetic sketchboards were recalled after receiving 19 reports of the magnetic tip separating from the drawing pen, posing a choking risk. The recalled sketchboards were made in China. See the recall.

Dutailier Group recalls drop-side cribs due to entrapment and falling hazards

About 440 drop-side cribs were recalled by Dutailier Group after 16 reports of the slats on the crip becoming detached from the rails. The Dutailier Group drop-side cribs were manufactured in China. See the recall.

Boy Scouts of America recalls jackets due to strangulation hazard

About 5,400 Cub Scout Wind Tech jackets were recalled after discovery that the retractable cords did not comply with an industry voluntary standard and can pose a risk of strangulation or entrapment. No incidents or injuries have been reported. The Cubs Scout jackets were made in China. See the recall.

Libbey Glass recalls bowls due to laceration hazard

About 18,600 fantasy glass bowls were recalled after a report that the glass bowl can break from sudden changes in temperature, such as a dishwasher, posing a laceration hazard. The recalled glass bowls were manufactured in China. See the recall.

Under Armour recalls chin straps due to laceration hazard

About 541,000 UA Defender Chin Straps were recalled after six reports of injuries requiring stitches after the metal snap connecting the chin strap to a helmet caused damage from sharp edges on the metal snap. The chin straps were made in China. See the recall.

As the senior partner of the law firm of Perona, Langer, Beck, Serbin & Mendoza I have had the unique experience over the course of my forty-five year career as an attorney to have handled many large landslide cases, including the Blue Bird Canyon Landslide, The Flying Triangle Rolling Hills Landslide, and the Abalone Cove Landslide. In the process of investigating these cases before going to trial I have received a practical education on earth movement from the geologists, hydrologists and other geotechnical engineers who worked as experts for our clients.

The first lesson I learned is that there are no simple landslides. Lesson number two was that Palos Verdes has a complex, dynamic geological history that includes several episodes of violent uplifting that shattered the bedding planes, active hot springs in near shore areas including Malaga Cove and White’s Point, and volcanic activity complete with ancient lava flows that can be seen today. In fact it’s a layer of ancient volcanic ash (bentonite) that contributed to both the Flying Triangle/Portuguese Bend/Abalone Cove and Trump landslides.

This is why three weeks ago a friend of mine who lives in San Pedro asked if I would take a look at the Paseo Del Mar/White’s Point Landslide. I had actually not heard anything about it until that time, so we spent several hours walking the roadway and the area up slope of the old underground Nike base.

As we hiked my friend was pointing out numerous cracks in the ground well past the roadway and trending up slope, at least seventy-five to a hundred yards north of the roadway. Oddly, someone had filled many of these with sand, perhaps in an attempt to get some sort of gross measurement to determine if they were caused by active earth movement or just normal cracking as part of the natural wet/dry cycle. From what I saw, if that’s the case, then in my opinion there is cause for concern. Some of the cracks had deepened, swallowing up the new sand filling.

My friend walked the same area subsequent to our visit and sent me photographs of additional cracks that he observed since then. Some were perhaps as much as five inches in width and two feet or more deep.

Of course, I do not know whether or not these cracks relate to earth movement or seasonal earth shrinkage which is prevalent in the area. My own personal opinion, based on observation, experience and the size and rapid appearance of the feature makes me think that there’s a mixture of both, but the ones that caught our eye are wide, long and deep, certainly suspect, and worthy of additional investigation. I have not seen any comments from County or City engineers concerning these up-slope features as of this time.

What I saw was somewhat reminiscent of the features in the Flying Triangle area of Rolling Hills when cracks caused by land sliding would propagate, and then when the winter rains came, these cracks would be conduits for enormous quantities of water to percolate into the movement. It’s this layer, known as bentonite clay, when wet, lubricates the slide and accelerates the earth movement. I believe it’s possible we may be seeing another slow-motion slide in progress.

I have no specific knowledge of the underlying bedding in the White’s Point slide area but it occurs to me that the arc of the current known active slide referred to in the news reports, should it continue to move towards the ocean, with the potential of failure, would create a lack of support and could remove whatever support there would be for up slope areas which could further potentially remove lateral and subjacent support in the areas to the north, east and west. To what extent, if any, again remains unknown. Again, this would depend, amongst other things, on the bedding in those neighborhoods adjacent to the active slide whose features are currently unknown.

As far as the general geology of the area, it is fairly well known that south facing slopes on the Palos Verdes Peninsula have adverse beddings and are affected by the constant erosion of the cliffs caused by the ocean tides. The areas of highest erosion are at the center of each of the numerous coves. The areas of least erosion are at the points of the coves where the lava has upwelled and remains exposed. The hard lava rock doesn’t erode as quickly as the soft sedimentary rock and acts as a natural erosion barrier.

Again, the bluff at White’s Point slide is quite steep, is roughly in the center of a cove, and could easily be affected by wave erosion as well.

Regrettably, Palos Verdes is now known as home of the largest active urban landslide in the world. Palos Verdes is about as active as it gets and high resolution bathymetric sonar maps even show evidence of underwater landslides along the steep cliffs about a mile or so offshore.

The Portuguese bend landslide was determined to have been caused by the construction of Crenshaw Boulevard and the loading of the head of the ancient slide area during that construction process. That slide has continued to move since the 1950s and has created a large graben (geologist’s term for a depressed area between two parallel faults). The central part of the Portuguese Bend landslide during winter rains collects water from much of the Portuguese Bend area.

When I represented homeowners in the Abalone Cove Slide, my experts felt that to some extent water from that Portuguese Bend slide may have found its way to the Abalone Cove area adjacent to the Portuguese Bend Slide. Additionally, with respect to the Flying Triangle, we argued that the removal of support from the Flying Triangle was probably a factor in the continuous movement of the Flying Triangle Landslide.

Since that time, (as part of our settlement with various governmental entities) numerous constructive steps have been taken to minimize the effects of water intrusion from all stability of that particular landslide mass.

The most recent landslide of note occurred in 1999 shortly after Donald Trump purchased what was then called Ocean Trails Golf Course. The 18th hole slid into the ocean and the surrounding holes became so unstable that until it was stabilized it was jokingly referred to as “The World’s Only 15 hole Moving Golf Course.”

Again we see water intrusion (a leaking water hazard liner) as playing a role in the Trump landslide. The geologists even have a pet name for this sort of movement: Deep Creep.
We understand, that slide has been stabilized by Trump’s installation of a massive and expensive retaining wall after digging out and removing the bedding plane containing the bentonite clay layer.

Hopefully the White’s Point mass will stabilize on its own but it appears to me that unless positive efforts are taken by responsible governmental entities who own the property, water mains and storm drains involved, the future stability of this existing landslide complex and adjacent potential complexes is uncertain.

It does not bode well that the EIR filed by Marymount College discovered that the 16,000 year-old South Shores Landslide, about a mile and a half north of White’s Point Given the history of landslides along the Palos Verdes coastline in the San Pedro area (notably back as far as 1929 with what became to be known as the Sunken City Landslide) and continuing today, in my opinion it is irresponsible that the water mains and storm drains along our coast are not inspected now and monitored regularly from now on if not already monitored and inspected by the appropriate governing authorities. The hazard is well known, the history is well documented.

The photographs taken by my San Pedro friend and my own photographs of what appears to be cracks in the ground and corroded water pipes are available. Should anyone wish to receive copies of these photographs you can contact me at major.langer at gmail dot com.

B.O.B. recalls strollers due to choking hazard

About 438,700 B.O.B.® single and double jogging strollers were recalled after six reports of the embroidered logo patch detaching, resulting in two incidents of children choking or gagging after putting the patch in their mouths. The recalled jogging strollers were made in China and Taiwan. See the recall.

Marshall Group recalls bio-fuel gel due to burning hazard

About 39,000 bottles of Marshall Gardens PatioGlo Bio-Fuel Gel were recalled after four reports of the fuel igniting while being poured into a still-buring firepot. Three injuries requiring hospitalization have been reported. The PatioGlo Bio-Fuel Gel was made in the United States. See the recall.

Nidec Motor Corporoation recalls pool pump motors due to shock hazard

About 2,000 Ecotech EZ® Variable Speed pool pump motors were recalled after discovery that the pump cover is not grounded properly. No injuries or incidents have been reported. The motors were manufactured in Mexico. See the recall.

Meijer reannounces Roman Shades and roll-up blinds recall due to strangulation hazard

About 3,200 additional units of “Innovations and “At home with Meijer” Roman shades and roll-up blinds were recalled after these already recalled blinds were redistributed and sold without a repair kit. The recalled blinds and shades were made in Taiwan. See the recall.

Lifemarque recalls baby carriers due to falling hazard

About 50 Lifemarque LittleLife Discoverer Child Carriers were recalled after discovery that the carriers were sold without bolts attaching the main frame to the metal stand. No injuries or incidents have been reported. The LittleLife Discoverer Child Carriers were made in Vietnam. See the recall.

Guidecraft recalls toys due to choking hazard

About 760 Twist and Sort Toys were recalled after discovery that small pegs can detach from most of the posts on the toys. No injuries or incidents have been reported. The recalled toys were manufactured in China. See the recall.

Horizon Hobby recalls battery chargers due to burn and fire hazard

About 1,000 Losi NiMH Start-Up Combo Chargers were recalled after eight reports of the battery overheating, posing a burn and fire hazard. The recalled combo chargers were made in China. See the recall.