Lawsuits you should know about

McDonald’s has issued a voluntary recall of 12 million “Shrek” glasses sold throughout the country to promote the latest installment of the film, “Shrek Forever After.” The glasses were sold between May 2010 and June 2010 and there are four designs: Shrek, Fiona, Puss n’ Boots, and Donkey.

The glasses, sold for $2 each, were found to be made with paint which contained cadmium. Cadmium is potentially hazardous to humans, believing to cause kidney, lung, intestinal, and bone damage. It was discovered that the glasses contained paint with cadmium when an anonymous tip was received by Congresswoman Jackie Speir’s (San Francisco) office and additional testing was done.

Consumers who purchased these glasses should return then them to their closest McDonald’s for a refund. Additional information can be obtained by calling McDonald’s at (800) 244-6227 between 9 am and 5 pm CT Monday through Friday or by visiting the company’s website at http://www.mcdonalds.com.

Hewlett-Packard Co. has issued an extended voluntary recall of certain HP and Compaq notebook computers that use lithium-ion batteries due to fire and burn hazard. This is a extension of a recall issued in May 2009 when 70,000 units were recalled.

The company has received numerous reports of batteries that ruptured after overheating, which cause minor personal injury and property damage.

Among the notebooks involved in the recall include:

HP Pavillion (model numbers dv2000, dv2500, dv2700, dv6000, dv6500, dv6700, dx6000, dx6500, dx6700, dv9000, dv9500, and dv9700)

Compaq Presario (model numbers A900, C700, F500, F700, V3000, V3500, V3700, V6000, V6500, and V6700)

HP (model numbers G6000 and G7000)

HP Compaq (model numbers 6510b, 6515b, 6710b, 6710s, 6715b, 6715s, and 6720s)

Model numbers can be found at the top of the service label on the bottom of the notebook.

These models of HP and Compaq were sold at computer and electronic resellers as well as online at hp.com and hpshopping.com from August 2007 until July 2008 for between $500 and $3,000.

Owners of these notebooks should immediately remove the batteries and contact HP at their web site or by calling (888) 202-4320 Monday through Friday from between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT for a replacement battery.

Just a week after Freshway Foods recalled bagged romaine lettuce due to a possible E. coli 0145 outbreak, Vaughn Foods has recalled its romaine lettuce. The recalled bags are dated use by May 9 and May 10. The bags were sold to restaurants and food-service facilities.

The Freshway Foods lettuce recalled last week was sold in Alabama, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating a Yuma, Arizona farm where it believes the lettuce was harvested.

So far, 10 people from Michigan, seven from Ohio, and two from New York have become sick from the lettuce. Three of the 19 sickened have hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can be life threatening. It is believed that as many as 10 others have also become sick after eating the lettuce, but that has not been confirmed yet.

The FDA is asking that consumers not eat take-out salads sold in salad bars and delis at Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets, and Marsh Stores.

E. coli 0145 causes diarrhea (which can be bloody) and abdominal cramps. If you have eaten lettuce and are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your health care provider.

Nine models of Graco drop side cribs, made by LaJobi, have been voluntarily recalled due to hardware on the drop side breaking and detaching it from the crib. Infants can become wedged or trapped in the drop side which can cause suffocation, strangulation, or the baby to fall. There have been 99 reports of hardware problems, but the two children entrapped were freed by caregivers. One child that fell from the crib received a mild concussion.

A total of 217,000 of the cribs, which have cherry, espresso, natural, and white finishes, have been recalled. The Graco cribs involved in the recall are:

Ashleigh Drop Side model numbers 3280142, 3280154, and 3280181
Hampton Drop Side model number 3080136
Jason Convertible Drop Side model numbers 3290235, 3290254, and 3290281
Kendal Drop Side model numbers 3570170 and 3570181
Lauren Drop Side model numbers 3250235, 3250242, 3250247, 3250254, 3250281, 3250282, 3150281, and 3150282
Rachel Convertible Drop Side model numbers 3300236 and 3300281
Sarah Drop Side model numbers 3000135, 3000136, 3000142, 3000147, 3000154, and 3000181
Shannon Drop Side model numbers 3010136, 3010154, and 3010181
Tifton Drop Side model numbers 3090136 and 3270136

The cribs were sold at retailers and children product stores throughout the U.S. from February 2007 until March 2010 for between $140 and $200.

If you have one of these cribs, stop using it immediately and contact LaJobi at (888) 842-2215 or on their website for a hardware retrofit kit.

Toyota Motor Sales has issued a recall of approximately 50,000 Sequoia SUVs due to a problem with the Vehicle Stability Control system, which controls the brakes and accelerator. This problem with the Vehicle Stability Control system can cause the SUV to hesitate or slow down at low speeds.

The Sequoias involved in the recall were made in early 2003. Once the problem was identified, Toyota began fixing the SUVs as soon as they came off the assembly line later that year. The company also issued a “technical service bulletin” to all dealers that year and since then, about half of those affected with this problem have been fixed.

There have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to this defect. Owners who are affected by the recall should be receiving letters from Toyota in late May. Any owners who have already paid for the fix may be reimbursed by Toyota.

Infantino has recalled over 1 million bag-shaped baby slings due to suffocation risks. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received three reports of infant deaths since 2009 due to suffocation in the slings. The children suffocated were 7 weeks, 6 days, and 3 months old.

Consumers with children younger than four months should discontinue use of the slings according to the CPSC. The fabric of the recalled slings can block the baby’s breathing. The shape of the slings can also force the baby’s chin against his or her chest, cutting off breathing. Experts say mothers should be able to look down and kiss their baby’s forehead without making any adjustments to make sure they are lying properly in bag-shaped slings. Babies who are too young to hold their head’s up should be carried by hand rather than in a sling.

The SlingRider and Wendy Bellissimo slings involved in the recall were sold from January 2003 until March 2010 at retailers such as Wal-Mart, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Babies “R” Us, and at Amazon (online) for between $25 and $30.

Consumers who have this product should contact Infantino Monday through Friday between the hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET at (866) 860-1361 or visit the company’s web site (http:// www.infantino.com) for a free replacement sling.

Graco has issued another voluntary recall of high chairs. Approximately 1.2 million of the company’s Harmony high chairs have been recalled due to breakage. The screws that attach the front legs can become loose and/or fall out and the rear leg brackets can crack, both causing the high chair to fall.

Graco has received 464 reports of the high chair breaking and tipping over without any injuries. Parents have reported 24 incidents of the high chairs breaking to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) with reports of children suffering from bruises, bumps, scratches, and hairline fractures.

The Harmony high chairs were sold at AAFES, Burlington Coat Factory, Babies “R” Us, Sears, Shopko, Target, Toys “R” Us, USA Baby, Wal-Mart and other retailers including online stores from December 2003 until March 2010 for between $70 and $120.

The model number of the high chair can be located under the footrest. Please visit the official Graco web site for a list of model numbers are involved in the recall (http://www.gracobaby.com/SafetyAndRecall/Pages/SafetyAndRecallArticle.aspx?recallID=31&page=SafetyAndRecall).

Parents who own the Harmony high chair should quit using it immediately. Graco can be contacted for repair kit by calling (877) 842-3206 or at their web site at http://www.gracobaby.com.

Little Brownie Bakers has recalled one kind of Girl Scout Cookies because of a strange smell and taste.  The maker of Girl Scout Cookies, the Louisville, KY based Little Brownie Bakers has recalled the Lemon Chalet Creme cookies because of a strange smell and taste from the cookies.  The company states that the cookies are safe to eat, but the recall is because they are not up to their quality standards. 

The company has received a few complaints about the issue with the Lemon Chalet Cookies, but no reports of anyone becoming ill from eating them.

The following lot codes are from the cookies that are affected by this recall:

7455881
7455882
7455883
7456741
7456742
7456743
7457661
7457662
7457663
7458521
7458522
7458523
7459401
7459402
7459403

If you have purchased Lemon Chalet Creme cookies please contact the manufacturer for more information.  Their website is www.littlebrowniebakers.com and the phone number where you can reach them is 800-962-1718.

To read the article where I found this information, click here for a link to it.

Copco, a division of Wilton Industries Inc., has voluntarily recalled 132,000 Copco and Wild Leaf Tea Co. Bristol model and Martha Stewart Collection and 142,000 Copco Harmony tea kettles.

The Copco and Wild Leaf Tea Co. Bristol model and Martha Stewart Collection tea kettles were recalled because the handle may become loose, causing burns. There have been eight reports of handles coming loose or becoming deformed, with one consumer reporting minor burns.

The Copco and Wild Leaf Tea Co. Bristol model and Martha Stewart Collection tea kettles being recalled have enamel finishes in white, crème, blue, cobalt, sand, red, and green and were sold online, through mail order, and at retailers such as Macy’s and Linen ‘n Things for $35 from October 2005 until January 2010.

Consumers owning the Copco and Wild Leaf Tea Co. Bristol model and Martha Stewart Collection tea kettle should stop using them immediately and contact Copco at (866) 255-9237 between 8 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday for a refund.

The Harmony tea kettles were recalled because of reports of the lid coming loose when handling, which resulted in burns. There have been 25 reports by consumers of lids coming off, with some reporting second-degree burns to hands and fingers.

The Harmony tea kettles have either stainless steel brushed, polished finishes, or enamel finishes in red, white, black, turquoise, orange, yellow, and blue. They were sold at retailers nationwide for $30 between March 2006 and June 2009.

Consumers owning the Harmony tea kettle should stop using them immediately and contact Wilton at (800) 794-5866 between 8 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday or 8 am and 3 pm Friday for a refund or replacement.

Three children have died due to use of Generation 2 Worldwide/ChildESIGNS cribs. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has asked consumers who have purchased these cribs to stop using them immediately.

It is believed that half a million Generation 2 Worldwide/ChildESIGNS cribs were sold by the company, which is no longer in business. The cribs were sold at retailers such as Buy Buy Baby, Kmart, and Wal-Mart for between $60 and $160.

The CPSP said that children are at risk of strangulation or suffocation from the cribs due to plastic hardware breaking, which causes the side to detach and leaves a gap which could trap a child. There have also been reports of the mattress detaching.

So far, three deaths – that of an 8 month old child in Newark, Ohio, a 8 month old child in Richmond, Ind., and a 6 month old child in Stauton, Va. – have been reported between September 2002 and July 2007. There have also been 20 other reports of accidents from children becoming trapped to falling out of the crib.

Consumers who own these cribs may or may not receive a refund or replacement by returning to the retailers where the crib was purchased. Those who are not offered a refund or replacement should contact the CPSC at (301) 504-7923 Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm ET.