Current Events

What Can You Do?  Be Involved in Your Health Care

1. The single most important way you can help to prevent errors is to be an active member of your health care team.

That means taking part in every decision about your health care. Research shows that patients who are more involved with their care tend to get better results. Some specific tips, based on the latest scientific evidence about what works best, follow.

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DETROIT — A company that makes after-market floor mats for General Motors full-size pickup trucks and SUVs is recalling more than 45,000 of them because they can interfere with the gas pedals.

Omix Ada of Suwanee, Georgia, says the recall covers Cabela's Custom Fit, Line-X Truck Gear, Rugged Ridge All-Terrain and Tread Lightly mats. They can move forward unintentionally and stop the gas pedal from returning to the idle position. That can increase the risk of a crash.

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After the Ford Motor Company recalled about 1.1 million vehicles this year for power steering failures, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the same problem on another 938,000 cars.

The safety agency is investigating whether a recall is necessary on Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans from the 2010-12 model years and Mercury Milan sedans from the 2010 and 2011 model years, according to a report posted Monday on the agency’s website. 

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General Motors said it was recalling more than 57,000 vehicles in the United States for potential problems ranging from a wiring problem in the steering column to inadvertent shutdown of the engine.

The recall of 57,182 vehicles in three categories came a day after GM recalled 524,384 cars and sport utility vehicles globally for different problems. The No. 1 U.S. automaker now has issued 74 recalls this year, affecting some 30 million vehicles.

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General Motors Co.’s compensation fund has now approved 24 death claims for people killed as a result of defective ignition switches in since-recalled cars, an increase of one since last week. The number of approved claims for injuries remains unchanged at 16, the fund said in a report Monday.

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After a lull in September, General Motors picked up the pace of its safety campaign this week, announcing two recalls on Friday of more than half a million vehicles worldwide and an order to dealers to stop selling some pickup trucks because of a problem with the air bags.

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Drivers of the 2012 Ford Focus sustained more injuries than those in any other vehicle in the U.S., according to The Safety Institute’s quarterly “Watch List.” The complaints, which are made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), center on two issues: allegations that the electric power steering shuts down randomly and intermittently, and complaints about delaminating steering wheels that lacerate drivers’ hands. Currently there are no investigations by NHTSA into either issue. The list is compiled using death and injury claims filed to NHTSA’s Early Warning Reports System. The system is one of the tools the agency is supposed to use to discover potential problems with vehicles.

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General Motors is recalling 117,000 vehicles for an issue that could cause the vehicle to stall or not start. GM said that it is aware of no crashes, injuries or fatalities connected to the problem.

The issue affects a small number -- about 1% -- of the 117,000 cars and trucks, GM said.

The chassis control module -- a part of the vehicle's electronics system linked to the braking, steering, and suspension -- could be short-circuited by small metal fragments. If this happens, drivers may see a warning, such as the check engine light, turn on. Also the vehicle may stall.

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Endo International Plc (ENDP:US) agreed to pay more than $400 million to resolve lawsuits alleging its vaginal-mesh implants eroded in some women and left them in pain, people familiar with the settlement said.

Endo, which rose almost two percent today, said it settled “substantially all” the remaining U.S. suits against its American Medical Systems Holdings unit over the Perigee, Apogee and Elevate mesh implants, Chief Executive Officer Rajiv De Silva said yesterday in a statement. De Silva said the company was adding $400 million to its $1.2 billion liability reserve for the devices, designed to support pelvic muscles and treat incontinence.

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Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) may face dual setbacks as a U.S. regulator renews its scrutiny of claims involving unintended acceleration and the company begins to recall 690,000 pickup trucks.

As many as 1.69 million Toyota Corollas with model years from 2006 to 2010 could be subject to investigation after owners said they experienced unintended “low-speed surging,” according to a notice yesterday from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Separately, Toyota recalled Tacoma trucks to fix suspension parts that may break down.

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The number of deaths linked to General Motors' defective ignition switch has risen again - to 23, according to new figures posted Monday by the program set up to compensate victims.

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