Blog: Product Liability
- When Everyday Tech Becomes a Hazard: The Intersection of Consumer Electronics and Medical Devices
Jan 15, 2026
Most of us carry a small electronic device in our pockets and on our wrists at all times. Smartphones, wireless earbuds, and fitness trackers are inseparable from modern life. At the same time, millions of Americans rely on life-sustaining medical devices like pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), and insulin pumps. These two worlds do not always coexist safely. The FDA and peer-reviewed medical literature have described circumstances where magnets and other electromagnetic sources in consumer...Read More - Senate Introduces "Toxic Cabin Air" Bill
Mar 30, 2022
In mid-April, Boeing will face the first ever jury trial involving claims that it defectively designed its older aircraft in ways that failed to protect pilots, crew, and passengers from the risk of "toxic cabin air" events. Now, just weeks before the start of that trial, Senators Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and John Garamendi (D-Calif.) have introduced a bipartisan-sponsored bill in the Senate, entitled Cabin Air Safety Act of 2022." In a press...Read More - Boeing Trial Set for April 2022
Feb 18, 2022
The nation's first jury trial in a toxic cabin air injury case, Weiland v. Boeing, will take place in Chicago in April 2022. The case involves the tragic death of an American Airlines pilot, Captain Ronald Weiland, whose family is suing Boeing over his exposure to toxic fumes on a Boeing 767 aircraft in 2016. Captain Weiland's family contends that his exposure to the toxic air triggered his development of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which...Read More - Philadelphia Mass Tort Program: In re Risperdal
Feb 9, 2022
The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas has announced the appointment of attorney T. Matthew "Matt" Leckman as plaintiffs' liaison counsel, along with Rosemary Pinto, Esq. (Feldman & Pinto) for the Philadelphia mass tort program In re Risperdal. Through the joint venture Littlepage Booth Leckman (LBL), Matt Leckman and his partners Zoe Littlepage and Rainey Booth represent young men who took Risperdal and developed gynecomastia (male breast growth) as a result. A number of Risperdal cases...Read More - Philips Respironics CPAP and BiPAP Recall
Aug 16, 2021
Philips Respironics has issued a voluntary recall of various ventilation and sleep apnea machines due to the health and safety risks posed by the design of the machines. Specifically, Philips acknowledges that the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam lining the inside of the airway systems in these devices can degrade into particles that are inhaled by the patient and can off-gas toxic chemicals. The recall covers a variety of both CPAP (continuous positive airway...Read More - Peloton Recall Announced
May 5, 2021
Just this morning, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and Peloton announced two voluntary recalls of Peloton's Tread and Tread+. One death and over 70 safety incidents have been reported. Consumers are being directed to stop using these products immediately and to contact the company for a return, full refund, or other appropriate remedy, depending on the model. If you or a loved one has experienced a serious injury as a result of a...Read More - Hawaii Judge Orders Makers of Plavix to Pay $834 Million
Feb 26, 2021
In 2014, the Attorney General of Hawaii brought suit against Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Sanofi SA for violating consumer protection laws by marketing Plavix without disclosing that the drug could have limited or no effect for non-white patients. Last week, after a four week long bench trial held over Zoom, Judge Ochiai ordered the joint drug manufacturers to pay a total of $834 Million to the state of Hawaii. The court found that between December...Read More - iPhones & Pacemakers Don't Mix
Feb 12, 2021
A statement on Apple’s support page warns users that iPhones contain magnets and radios that emit electromagnetic fields and “might interfere” with medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators. “To avoid any potential interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance away from your device (more than 6 inches / 15 cm apart or more than 12 inches / 30 cm apart if wirelessly charging).” The iPhone 12 comprises...Read More - Suicides Reported in Merck's Propecia Data
Feb 10, 2021
Internal documents from Merck & Co. reveal that the manufacturer of the anti-baldness drug Propecia (finasteride) knew about reports of suicidal behavior among people taking the drug and failed to warn doctors and patients of the risk. Last month, a federal magistrate judge in New York granted a motion to unseal a number of previously confidential documents produced in discovery in litigation alleging Propecia caused persistent sexual dysfunction and other harmful side effects. In 2009,...Read More - Update: Toxic Cabin Air Litigation
Dec 18, 2020
Earlier this week, in an article entitled " 'We Are Slowly Being Poisoned': How Toxic Fumes Seep Into The Air You Breathe on Planes," the LA Times offered an in depth look at toxic cabin air events, including those at issue in past and ongoing lawsuits with plaintiffs represented by Littlepage Booth Leckman and Leckman Law. The article provides insight into the ventilation of "bleed" aircraft, which are airplanes that bring the cabin and cockpit...Read More