Feb 1, 2022 | Archive
Investigation On Behalf of Owners Of Beretta Firearms, Including Beretta Shotguns, Beretta Rifles, and Beretta Pistols, Assembled With a Synthetic Stock or Pistol Grip
Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. is investigating potential consumer class action claims on behalf of individuals in the United States who purchased a Beretta firearm with a synthetic stock or pistol grip anytime from 1999 through January 31, 2022.
The investigation concerns whether, after several years of normal and expected use, the rubberized inserts on the synthetic stocks degrade to become extremely sticky or tacky to the touch, thereby impeding and diminishing the ability of Beretta owners to use their Beretta firearms in a manner reasonably expected. Beretta owners of these degraded stocks and fore-ends generally refer to this degradation as “Beretta sticky stock.”
U.S. Purchasers Of Beretta Firearms, Including Beretta Shotguns, Beretta Rifles, and Beretta Pistols
If you purchased a Beretta firearm with a synthetic stock or pistol grip anytime from 1999 through January 31, 2022, you are encouraged to contact Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. for a no-obligation evaluation of potential legal claims by completing the form above on the right or via e-mail to [email protected].
Feb 1, 2022 | Archive
Pacifica Hybrid (2017-2018)
Vehicle fire when parked. Owners advised to stop recharging the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid vehicles and to park them away from structures and other vehicles. Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles. A vehicle fire can occur when parked, even with the ignition in the “Off” position. Owners are advised not to recharge their vehicles, and to park outside and away from structures, until they are repaired. For more information about this recall, which potentially affects 16,741 Pacifica Hybrid Electric Vehicles, please click NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V077000.
RAM 2500 (2019-2020) / RAM 3500 (2019-2020) / RAM 4500 (2019-2020) / RAM 5500 (2019-2020)
Windshield wipers may not operate properly. Reduced visibility increases the risk of a crash. Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 vehicles, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, 5500 Cab Chassis and 3500 Cab Chassis with a gross vehicle weight rating (“GVWR”) of less than 10,000 lbs. The windshield wiper arms may loosen, possibly causing the wipers to function improperly and reduce the driver’s visibility in certain weather conditions. For additional information about this safety recall, which potentially affects 171,789 vehicles, please click NHTSA Campaign Number 22V035000.
How Do You Know If Your Vehicle Has Been Recalled?
Your vehicle MAY be involved in a safety recall which MAY create a safety risk for you or your passengers. If not repaired, a potential safety defect could lead to injury or even death. Safety defects must be repaired by a dealer at no cost to you. To find out if your vehicle is included in the recall, please use the NHTSA’s VIN Look-up Tool.
What Is A Vehicle Recall?
When a manufacturer or the NHTSA determines that a vehicle creates an unreasonable risk to safety or fails to meet minimum safety standards, the manufacturer is required to fix that vehicle at no cost to the owner. The fix, or repair, can be accomplished by repairing, replacing, offering a refund (for equipment) or, in rare cases, repurchasing the car/vehicle.
What Should I Do If My Vehicle Is Included In This Recall?
If your vehicle is included in a specific recall, it is very important that you get it fixed as soon as possible given the potential danger to you and your passengers if it is not addressed. You should receive a separate letter in the mail from the vehicle manufacturer, notifying you of the recall and explaining when the remedy will be available, whom to contact to repair your vehicle, and to remind you that the repair will be done at no charge to you. If you believe your vehicle is included in the recall, but you do not receive a letter in the mail from the vehicle manufacturer, please call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236, or contact your vehicle manufacturer or dealership.
For additional information about vehicle recalls, please click Vehicle Recall FAQs.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
VEHICLE OWNERS AND LESSEES AFFECTED BY AUTOMOTIVE DEFECTS OR SAFETY RECALLS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT KEHOE LAW FIRM, P.C., [email protected], FOR A FREE, CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION AND NO-OBLIGATION EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL LEGAL CLAIMS.
Feb 1, 2022 | Archive
A Summary Of Major Consumer Rights Under The Fair Credit Reporting Act*
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies. There are many types of consumer reporting agencies, including credit bureaus and specialty agencies, such as agencies that sell information about check writing histories, medical records, and rental history records.
You must be told if information in your file has been used against you. Anyone who uses a credit report or another type of consumer report to deny your application for credit, insurance, or employment – or to take another adverse action against you – must tell you, and must give you the name, address, and phone number of the agency that provided the information.
You have the right to know what is in your file. You may request and obtain all the information about you in the files of a consumer reporting agency (your “file disclosure”). You will be required to provide proper identification, which may include your Social Security number. In many cases, the disclosure will be free.
You are entitled to a free file disclosure if:
- a person has taken adverse action against you because of information in your credit report;
- you are the victim of identity theft and place a fraud alert in your file;
- your file contains inaccurate information as a result of fraud;
- you are on public assistance;
- you are unemployed but expect to apply for employment within 60 days.
All consumers are entitled to one free disclosure every 12 months upon request from each nationwide credit bureau and from nationwide specialty consumer reporting agencies.
You have the right to ask for a credit score. Credit scores are numerical summaries of your credit-worthiness based on information from credit bureaus. You may request a credit score from consumer reporting agencies that create scores or distribute scores used in residential real property loans, but you will have to pay for it. In some mortgage transactions, you will receive credit score information for free from the mortgage lender.
You have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. If you identify information in your file that is incomplete or inaccurate, and report it to the consumer reporting agency, the agency must investigate unless your dispute is frivolous.
Consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information. Inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information must be removed or corrected, usually within 30 days. A consumer reporting agency, however, may continue to report information it has verified as accurate.
Consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information. In most cases, a consumer reporting agency may not report negative information that is more than seven years old, or bankruptcies that are more than 10 years old.
Access to your file is limited. A consumer reporting agency may provide information about you only to people with a valid need – usually to consider an application with a creditor, insurer, employer, landlord, or other business.
You must give your consent for reports to be provided to employers. A consumer reporting agency may not give out information about you to your employer, or a potential employer, without your written consent given to the employer. Written consent generally is not required in the trucking industry.
You may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report. Unsolicited “prescreened” offers for credit and insurance must include a toll-free phone number you can call if you choose to remove your name and address form the lists these offers are based on. You may opt out with the nationwide credit bureaus at 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).
An FCRA Right With Respect To Nationwide Consumer Reporting Agencies – Consumers Have The Right To Obtain A Security Freeze
You have a right to place a “security freeze” on your credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization.
The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. You, however, should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit.
As an alternative to a security freeze, you have the right to place an initial or extended fraud alert on your credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a one-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting 7 years.
A security freeze does not apply to a person or entity, or its affiliates, or collection agencies acting on behalf of the person or entity, with which you have an existing account that requests information in your credit report for the purposes of reviewing or collecting the account. Reviewing the account includes activities related to account maintenance, monitoring, credit line increases, and account upgrades and enhancements.
Common Errors You Should Look For On Your Credit Report
Identity Errors
- Errors made to your identity information (e.g., wrong name, phone number, address)
- Accounts belonging to another person with the same or a similar name as yours (known as a “mixed file”)
- Incorrect accounts resulting from identity theft
Incorrect Reporting Of Account Status
- Closed accounts reported as open
- You are reported as the owner of the account, when you are actually just an authorized user
- Accounts that are incorrectly reported as late or delinquent
- Incorrect date of last payment, date opened, or date of first delinquency
- Same debt listed more than once (possibly with different names)
Data Management Errors
- Reinsertion of incorrect information after it was corrected
- Accounts that appear multiple times with different creditors listed, especially in the case of delinquent accounts or accounts in collections
Balance Errors
- Accounts with an incorrect current balance
- Accounts with an incorrect credit limit
For more information about disputing credit report errors, please click Can I fix errors on my credit report?
Can I Take Legal Action If I Have Been Harmed By Violations Of The Fair Credit Reporting Act?
Yes, you may seek damages from violators. If a consumer reporting agency, or, in some cases, a user of consumer reports or a furnisher of information to a consumer reporting agency violates the FCRA, you may be able to sue in state or federal court. States also may enforce the FCRA, and many states have their own consumer reporting laws. In some cases, you may have more rights under state law.
Have You Been The Victim Of Fair Credit Reporting Act Violations?
Individuals who believe they have been harmed by violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act are encouraged to contact Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. for a free, no-obligation evaluation of potential legal claims by completing the form above on the right or via e-mail to [email protected]
*Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumerfinance.gov (Accessed 01.31.2022)
Jan 28, 2022 | Archive
Kia Soul (2014)
Front air bags may not deploy. Front air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash. For more information about this recall, which potentially affects 128,280 Kia vehicles, please click NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V096000.
Kia Optima (2013-2014)
Low pressure fuel hose may leak. A fuel leak can increase the risk of a fire. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Optima vehicles that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 20V-100. The low pressure fuel hose may be damaged, or missing heat-protective tape, which can result in a fuel leak. For more information about this recall, which potentially affects 72,848 Kia Optima vehicles, please click NHTSA Campaign Number 22V093000.
Kia K900 (2016-2018) / Kia Sportage (2014-2016)
Engine compartment fire. An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury. Kia Motors America (“Kia”) is recalling certain 2016-2018 K900 and 2014-2016 Sportage vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (“HECU”) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire. For more information about this recall, which potentially affects 126,747 Kia automobiles, please click NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V051000.
Kia Forte (2017-2018) / Kia Forte Koup (2017) / Kia Sedona (2017-2019) / Kia Soul (2017-2019) / Kia Soul EV (2017-2019)
Air bags may not deploy. Kia Motors America is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (“ACU”) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash. For additional information about this safety recall, which potentially affects 410,619 vehicles, please click NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V031000.
How Do You Know If Your Vehicle Has Been Recalled?
Your vehicle MAY be involved in a safety recall which MAY create a safety risk for you or your passengers. If not repaired, a potential safety defect could lead to injury or even death. Safety defects must be repaired by a dealer at no cost to you. To find out if your vehicle is included in the recall, please use the NHTSA’s VIN Look-up Tool.
What Is A Vehicle Recall?
When a manufacturer or the NHTSA determines that a vehicle creates an unreasonable risk to safety or fails to meet minimum safety standards, the manufacturer is required to fix that vehicle at no cost to the owner. The fix, or repair, can be accomplished by repairing, replacing, offering a refund (for equipment) or, in rare cases, repurchasing the car/vehicle.
What Should I Do If My Vehicle Is Included In This Recall?
If your vehicle is included in a specific recall, it is very important that you get it fixed as soon as possible given the potential danger to you and your passengers if it is not addressed. You should receive a separate letter in the mail from the vehicle manufacturer, notifying you of the recall and explaining when the remedy will be available, whom to contact to repair your vehicle, and to remind you that the repair will be done at no charge to you. If you believe your vehicle is included in the recall, but you do not receive a letter in the mail from the vehicle manufacturer, please call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236, or contact your vehicle manufacturer or dealership.
For additional information about vehicle recalls, please click Vehicle Recall FAQs.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
VEHICLE OWNERS AND LESSEES AFFECTED BY AUTOMOTIVE DEFECTS OR SAFETY RECALLS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE THE FORM ABOVE ON THE RIGHT OR CONTACT KEHOE LAW FIRM, P.C., [email protected], FOR A FREE, NO-OBLIGATION EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL LEGAL CLAIMS.
Jan 27, 2022 | Archive
Surge In Consumer Reports About Money Lost Via Scams Initiated Through Social Media
On January 27, 2022, the FTC reported that consumers in 2021 reported losing about $770 million to fraud initiated on social media—about one fourth of all reported fraud losses for the year and an 18-fold increase from 2017, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s latest Consumer Protection Data Spotlight.
Of those who reported losing money to fraud in 2021, more than 95,000 indicated that they were first contacted on social media, which was more than twice the 2020 number.
Investment scams topped the list of total reported dollar losses, followed by romance scams. The largest number of reports came from people who lost money to online shopping scams. Most of the reports about online shopping scams involved someone who ordered a product they saw marketed on social media that never arrived. Consumers who listed the social media platform where the undelivered products were marketed most often named Facebook or Instagram.
For additional information, please click the FTC’s “Social media a gold mine for scammers in 2021.”
Additional guidance about spotting, avoiding, and reporting scams, and how to recover money if you have paid a scammer, can be viewed at ftc.gov/scams.
Source: FTC.gov
Have you been financially harmed by scams, fraud, deception or other illegal activity?
If so, please contact Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. for a free, no-obligation evaluation of potential legal claims by completing the form above on the right or via [email protected].
Jan 26, 2022 | Archive
Philips Respironics Recalls Certain Trilogy EVO Ventilators For Potential Health Risks From PE-PUR Foam
Recalled Products & Model Numbers
- Manufacturing Dates: April 15, 2021 to May 24, 2021
- Distribution Dates: April 15, 2021 to May 24, 2021
- Devices Recalled In The U.S.: 215 Trilogy Evo ventilators; 51 Trilogy Evo repair kits
- Date Initiated By Firm: December 21, 2021
NOTE: Trilogy 100 and 200 ventilators were previously recalled in June 2021 due to the same foam risk. Certain other Trilogy models are NOT AFFECTED by this issue and are NOT SUBJECT TO THE RECALL: Trilogy Evo O2, Trilogy EV300, and Trilogy Evo Universal.
Reason For The Recall
Philips Respironics has recalled certain Trilogy Evo ventilators with specific serial numbers due to potential health risks. A Philips supplier incorrectly used polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam, a non-conforming material, in the muffler assembly of the affected Trilogy Evo ventilators. The issue was identified during lab testing of the Trilogy Evo ventilator. The Trilogy Evo ventilators with non-conforming foam were distributed to customers in the United States and Korea. There have been no reported injuries or death to date.
The polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam, which is used to reduce sound and vibration in these affected devices, may break down and potentially enter the device’s air pathway. If this occurs, black debris from the foam or certain chemicals released into the device’s air pathway may be inhaled or swallowed by the person using the device.
For more information, please see the Potential Health Risks from Sound Abatement Foam section of the Update: Certain Philips Respironics Ventilators, BiPAP, and CPAP Machines Recalled Due to Potential Health Risks: FDA Safety Communication.
Who May Be Affected
- People using these devices and their caregivers
- Health care providers and facilities
- Durable Medical Equipment (“DME”) suppliers
What To Do
Philips Respironics sent an Urgent Medical Device Recall notification to Trilogy Evo ventilator customers on December 21, 2021, and the company sent an updated version to clarify information on cleaning and filters on January 13, 2022.
The notification requested customers take the following actions:
- Create awareness of this safety information by forwarding to your organization’s personnel.
- Identify all of the impacted devices purchased by your organization.
- Do not stop or change patient therapy unless the patient has consulted their health care provider or unless a replacement Trilogy Evo ventilator has been provided.
- Instruct patients and/or caregivers to closely monitor the bacteria filter for foam debris. Using an inline bacterial filter may help to filter out particles of foam. Additionally, after placement of an inline filter, instruct patients and/or caregivers to be aware of potential changes in breathing circuit resistance and monitor as ventilator performance may change due to increase in resistance of air flow through the device after filter placement. Bacterial filters will not help to reduce exposure to certain chemicals that may be released from the PE-PUR foam.
- Inspect and clean the patient circuit and accessories per the instructions included with the notification.
- A replacement Trilogy Evo ventilator will be provided by Philips. Once the patient has been transitioned, return the affected Trilogy Evo ventilator to Philips. Your Philips Representative will provide a return authorization and any support needed to facilitate this return. The packing instructions are in Appendix A of the notification.
For the repair kit for Trilogy Evo muffler assembly, the December 21, 2021 notification letter requested customers take the following actions:
- Segregate inventory of Repair Kit – Trilogy Evo Muffler Assembly Part Number 1135257, and quarantine any lot between 210414 and 210524.
- Do not use any quarantined material and contact Philips for return instructions. You will be shipped replacements.
- Determine if any Trilogy Evo devices have been repaired using Trilogy Evo Muffler Assembly Part Number 1135357 starting 14 April 2021 or later
- If the lot number used in repair is between 210414 and 210524. Contact Philips for next steps. Philips will replace the device these parts were installed into.
- If the lot number used in a repair is unknown, assume it is affected and contact Philips for next steps. Philips will replace the device these parts were installed into.
- If lot number is known and is not an affected lot, no further action is required.
For more information, please see the Recommendations section of the Update: Certain Philips Respironics Ventilators, BiPAP, and CPAP Machines Recalled Due to Potential Health Risks: FDA Safety Communication.
Contact Information, Full List Of Affected Devices & Additional Resources
Customers in the U.S. with questions about this recall should contact Philips Respironics at (800) 722-9377 or email [email protected].
A complete list of affected devices is available in the Medical Device Recalls database.
- Medical Device Recall Database Entries:
Update: Certain Philips Respironics Ventilators, BiPAP, and CPAP Machines Recalled Due to Potential Health Risks: FDA Safety Communication
Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration (Philips Respironics Recalls Certain Trilogy EVO Ventilators For Potential Health Risks From PE-PUR Foam).
If you have been the victim of a defective or misleading consumer product and/or product recall, please complete the form on the right or e-mail [email protected] for a free, no-obligation evaluation of potential legal claims.
