Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Those who bought Publix’s Garlic Knot Rolls in 12-count packs before Tuesday, March 31, were put on notice after the company announced a labeling error could cause serious health problems.
The product sold before that date does not list egg among its allergens, which could present a serious health concern to those with specific allergies. Those who are allergic to eggs usually begin experiencing symptoms within a few minutes or a few hours after consuming egg products. Common symptoms range from rashes to nasal congestion to digestive issues. Those with more severe allergies could experience anaphylaxis, a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate medical intervention.
An official with the supermarket chain said in a statement that any “potentially impacted product” was removed from store shelves. Anyone who believes they have these rolls in their home may take them back to the store for a full refund, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
Leesfield & Partners
Roaming the aisles of grocery stores and big-box retailers, no one thinks that the items they are purchasing and bringing into their homes will pose a risk to their families. As many Leesfield & Partners clients can attest, however, this is not an impossibility. Our skilled trial attorneys have handled product liability and defective products cases involving everything from children’s toys to medical devices. In that time, Leesfield & Partners has earned a reputation as a trusted source, advocating for safety and accountability at every level of the manufacturing process.
When an item is recalled, it is usually because of an issue that consumers have discovered with that item. This process plays a critical role in maintaining market safety and protecting consumers from defective products. Agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission regularly monitor these products and any incidents that may arise to ensure the safety and well-being of consumers. When issues do come up concerning these goods, however, their manufacturers and other entities must be held accountable.
In five decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners has held industry giants — including household names like Yamaha, Honda and Kawasaki — accountable for motor vehicle defects. Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, represented a 27-year-old man who was paralyzed following a crash caused by a Honda motorcycle defect.
Our client was riding the motorcycle when the kickstand suddenly deployed, causing the bike to spin out of control. A verdict of $19.8 million was awarded to our client at trial.
In addition to motor vehicle and automobile cases, the firm has driven industry-wide reforms in the safety of juvenile products. Leesfield & Partners has also handled countless cases in which gun or weapons manufacturers were responsible for a defective product that resulted in the serious injury or death of our client’s loved ones.
In an ongoing case, Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II is representing a woman who was using a new weapon at a shooting range while wearing protective eyewear. When she discharged the polymer-framed firearm, the backing plate failed, causing the firing pin to eject and strike our client in the eye. She suffered a hematoma and eye laceration, which have left her unable to see.
Leesfield & Partners is pursuing the maximum damages permitted by law to hold this corporation fully accountable for the harm caused by its dangerous product, Mr. Pimentel said.
“Luckily for our client, she was wearing protective eyewear,” he said. “This incident raises serious concerns with this weapon’s design.”
Previous Cases
In a case out of Central Florida, Leesfield & Partners secured a substantial settlement for a family whose 2-year-old died in a furniture tip-over incident. While the dresser was compliant with all industry standards and was not subject to any recall, a thorough investigation found that the manufacturer had not adequately warned consumers about the risks of tip-over incidents.
The case was settled for $17.5 million and the manufacturer agreed to bring about change in its furniture catalog to clearly warn consumers about the need to anchor and secure furniture to the wall.
In another product liability case, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured $10,677,000 for the wrongful death of our client’s loved one.
Previously, Leesfield & Partners attorneys obtained a confidential settlement for a family whose baby girl was killed when a car accident caused the airbag to deploy, hitting her car seat. The child restraint was gifted to the parents at their baby shower. On the box, the product was demonstrated as being used in the front seat. Following the instructions, the child’s mother placed her in the front seat in a rear-facing position. When the airbag deployed, the 8-month-old was killed.
In the early 2000s, Mr. Leesfield traveled across the U.S. representing children and their families against ATV manufacturers that marketed these vehicles as “toys.” The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that there are about 100,000 ATV-related injuries requiring emergency room visits in the U.S. annually. Of these ATV incidents, approximately 650 people died, the data showed. Children are particularly at risk of dying or being injured in ATV accidents, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. One out of three ATV deaths and injuries requiring emergency room treatment involves a child under 16 years old. Children are especially vulnerable in these crashes because of their lack of experience operating such a vehicle and a lack of judgement that can result in them taking bigger and more dangerous risks.
“In the large majority of children’s deaths resulting from the use of an ATV, the child was not wearing a helmet,” Leesfield & Partners said in a previous blog post.
As a result of these cases, Leesfield & Partners attorneys obtained more than $10 million in verdicts and settlements for families. In many of these cases, the children were gifted the vehicles as birthday and/or holiday gifts.
Previously, the firm settled an ATV products liability case for $5 million, causing a ripple effect throughout the entire industry. This case was one of several handled by the firm that highlighted the instability of these three-wheeled vehicles. As a result, the ATV industry abandoned their previous design and added a fourth wheel.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys represented the family following the tragic death of their teenage daughter following an ATV crash. The girl, 15, was riding a recreational vehicle when she was killed.
The firm secured a $4.5 million settlement for the negligent entrustment of a recreational vehicle to a minor and the failure of the responsible parent to supervise the children.
Attorneys with the firm also secured a $2.5 million settlement amount for the family of a man who died after his ventilator malfunctioned from a power outage in the middle of the night. The backup battery for the ventilator lasted less than 10 minutes after the outage and the alarms — meant to go off and alert caregivers of an issue — failed.
Even though there were numerous other complaints to the manufacturer regarding this device that spanned a decade, neither the manufacturer nor the respiratory company took the necessary steps to address the issue or alert patients’ families.
The firm previously handled a case in which a 4-month-old baby was killed in a suffocation incident involving a juvenile product’s design defect. The firm reached a $1.1 million award for the grieving family in that case.
If you were injured in a product liability or defective product case, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today at 305-854-4900 to see if you may be eligible to make a claim.
