Buffalo Personal Injury Lawyer NewsSleep Apnea Replacement Devices Could Be Dangerous Too
Approximately 18 million adults throughout the country suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Which, when left untreated, can lead to acute health complications, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and stroke. Many sleep apnea sufferers rely on airway pressure machines to prevent upper airway tissues from collapsing and increase their oxygen levels. However, in June 2021, Philips Respironics, a chief manufacturer of sleep apnea treatment devices, issued a voluntary recall of as many as 4 million devices due to hazardous components. The company’s recalled breathing machines contain a polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) foam known for degrading into tiny black particles and placing users in unnecessary danger of inhaling toxic gases or ingesting carcinogens. Consequently, users scrambled to secure alternative sleep apnea machines, which abruptly went into short supply. Since then, numerous lawsuits have been filed alleging that Phillips was aware of the above hazards for years but postponed recalling the devices until they could manufacture safer ones.
The FDA Warns That Silicone-Based Foam May Be Hazardous
As part of the recall, Philips promised to replace or repair the affected devices. In September, the company began producing and distributing replacement devices to users. Based on lab results provided by Philips, which demonstrated acceptable outcomes, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a silicone-based foam for the repair and replacement program. Nevertheless, after an inspection of Philips’ Murrysville facility, the FDA warned that the use of silicone-based foam in substitute sleep apnea devices might also be unsafe. The FDA expressed concern after a similar silicone-based foam in a replacement device failed safety tests because it released potentially toxic vapors. The FDA has requested Philips to commission an independent research lab to conduct further analysis on the new foam to determine the potential dangers.
Whether an X-Ray displays a barely recognizable hairline crack or the bone has been split into several pieces, it is considered a fracture. Despite what most people believe, a fractured bone is the same as a broken bone and vice versa. However, doctors are more likely to use the term “fracture” because it sounds more professional. During any devastating accident, such as a car crash, your body may be placed under extreme trauma, which can lead to severe injuries. Suffering any fractured bone following an accident can be extremely painful and debilitating. 
Unfortunately, even after an accident victim’s initial pain subsides, they could be left with permanent scarring and other disfigurements. Most scarring is caused by damage to the skin, such as scratches, abrasions, and puncture wounds. Depending upon the severity and location of the scar, it can significantly impact a victim’s ability to work and even perform routine tasks. Besides being a constant reminder of the traumatic injury, even the slightest alterations in a victim’s appearance can bring about overwhelming depression and emotional pain. Victims with scars in prominent places, such as the head, face, neck, or hands often struggle with terrible self-esteem and anxiety. 
Most of us know the frustration of maintaining a busy schedule and rushing to avoid being late for several commitments. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that speed limits are set in place to protect everyone on the road. Driving too fast not only endangers the life of you and your loved ones, but all others in the vicinity, including occupants of other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding has played a significant factor in roughly 33 percent of all fatal crashes for the past two decades. In 2019 alone, speeding took the lives of 9,478 victims. In some cases, your safety can be impacted by adhering to the speed limit. This occurs when the posted speed limit is too fast for the given road or conditions, such as during inclement weather, driving after dark, or driving on dilapidated roads. 
In the wake of an accident, it can take victims who have suffered from herniated or bulging discs weeks or even months before these injuries become problematic. Consequently, back and spinal cord injuries are regularly overlooked and undiagnosed. Unfortunately, failure to detect bulging discs can result in long-lasting pain and suffering. A herniated or bulging disc occurs when one of the rubbery cushions positioned in-between the bones that make up the spinal cord is shifted out of alignment. While any region of the spine can endure a herniated disc, this type of injury tends to arise in the lower back.
Approximately 40 million accident victims require medical treatment for an assortment of personal injuries each year. With numerous types of accident-related damages, some have the potential to drastically alter victims’ lives forever. Most personal injuries result from accidents involving another’s negligence. Unfortunately, negligence can cause innocent victims to suffer severe injuries, which lead to costly hospital bills, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, and lost wages from missing work. 
Crowded buses can easily weigh over 60,000 pounds, while the average car is barely 3,000 pounds. A size difference that lends to bus crashes being some of the most devastating accidents that take place on our roads. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), bus accidents resulted in over 260 fatalities in a single recent year alone. 
Every driver knows that operating a vehicle while impaired or intoxicated is extremely dangerous and illegal. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is one of the biggest traffic safety problems in the country today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 29 victims throughout the United States die in collisions involving alcohol-impaired drivers every day. That is equivalent to 1 fatality every 50 minutes! In New York State, over 40 percent of all fatal highway accidents involve impaired driving. These facts and statistics do very little to show all of the debilitating injuries, life-long disfigurements, tens of thousands of innocent lives cut short, and families devastated because of motorists who got behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or drugs. 
A head injury that disrupts the regular functioning of the brain is known as a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Head injuries are a significant cause of disability and death. Approximately 2.9 million victims suffer traumatic brain injuries in the United States each year. Even relatively minor brain injuries can have catastrophic effects on a victim. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) most recent available data, there were nearly 61,000 TBI-related fatalities in 2019 alone. That is roughly 166 deaths per day. While anyone can suffer a head injury, figures suggest that children and elderly adults are at the most significant risk. 
According to the National Sleep Foundation, roughly 50 percent of all adult motorists admit to regularly driving while feeling tired. Approximately 20 percent confess to dozing off behind the wheel during the last 12 months, and over 40 percent admit to falling asleep at some point in their driving careers. These shocking figures reveal just how prevalent driving while tired is. However, many drivers fail to realize the extreme dangers involved with falling asleep behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that, in 2017 alone, drowsy driving resulted in more than 91,000 accidents, which caused around 50,000 injuries and 800 fatalities.