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Reports say Boston Scientific’s Guidant Unit is set to pay a criminal penalty for failing to announce safety information about its implantable heart defibrillators. The devices were reportedly linked to the deaths of 13 people when they short circuited, reports say. A settlement with the Department of justice and Boston Scientific was rejected by a U.S. District Judge in April, citing concerns from doctors and patients. The judge has approved a new settlement that still allows the $296 million fine,…

Five hip replacement patients have filed suit against DePuy Orthopaedics, saying the devices had defects and that DuPuy knew of the defects and did nothing about them. DePuy issued a worldwide recall of the ASR XL Acetabular System, a hip socket used in traditional hip replacement, last summer. The ASR Hip Resurfacing System, a system that fits a metal cap on corrupted ball of the femur, was only not fully approved in the United States. Reports say that smaller patients…

A recent study has found the risk of tinnitus, or persistent ringing in the ears, may be linked to frequent cell phone use, reports say. The study found some patients who used their cellular telephones for about 10 minutes daily experienced almost twice the risk for the condition. Reports say the study revealed that regular cell phone apparently doubled the risk of chronic tinnitus, which is marked by symptoms lasting at least three months. The research also noted that tinnitus…

According to reports, some 24 Florida homes built by Habitat for Humanity were constructed using defective Chinese Drywall. The homes, which were built between 2006 and 2009 with Chinese drywall donated through Habitat’s national organization, have evidently been linked to illnesses from noxious gasses the sheetrock emits. The Consumer Products Safety Commissionhas received more than 3,600 reports from residents in 39 states, as well as the District of Columbia, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico regarding potentially hazardous Chinese drywall. The…

Reports say that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, cell phone use played a role in 18 percent of all fatal distracted driving crashes. More than three-quarters of teens under 17 have cell phones, and almost 90% of those use texting. Moreover, more than half of those texters use the capability daily, the majority more than 50 texts a day.  Of those, more than a third admitted to texting while driving, reports say. And up to 40% of…