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Below is a list of dangerous drugs that have been recalled due to a threat of possible injury as a result of taking them:
Avandia
Birth Control Patch
Dead Jaw
Depakote
Digitek
Ethex
Fen-Phen
Fleet Phospho Soda
Kugel Mesh Patch
Levaquin
NuvaRing
Paxil
Pain Patch
Raptiva
Reglan
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Trasylol
Yaz
Toyota's recall troubles continue to grow, with the total number of vehicles affected by two recalls involving gas pedals growing to at least 5.3 million.
The latest addition to the recalls was announced Wednesday, with 1.1 million vehicles added to the 4.2 million recalled in November to fix a problem in which the gas pedal can become caught on the edge of the removable floormat. That problem can cause the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably.
A separate recall of 2.3 million vehicles announced last week -- involving accelerator pedals that can stick on their own -- is being expanded to include an undisclosed number of vehicles in Europe.
In most cases, the same vehicles are involved in both recalls. It was not immediately clear how many different vehicles, in total, are part of the two actions.
The vehicles being added to the floormat-related recall are the 2008-2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Venza, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe.
General Motors' Pontiac car is included in the recall because the Vibe and Toyota's Matrix are similar vehicles that were produced under a partnership between the two companies.
The vehicles originally included in the floormat-related recall were the 2007-2010 Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2004-2009 Prius, 2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2007-2010 Lexus ES350, 2006-2010 IS250 and the 2006-2010 IS350.
A jury awarded more than $100 million to 10 workers who accused BP North America Inc. of releasing toxic chemicals into the air at its refinery in Texas City. The workers were among dozens who were treated for sore throats and dizziness related to chemical exposure in March and April 2009. The plaintiffs' attorneys said the plant had a poor safety record, citing a 2005 explosion that killed 15 people and injured 170, and they contended BP had failed to take adequate steps to remedy the problems. BP denied releasing any hazardous substances into the plant, but the jury disagreed. It found the energy giant negligent and awarded each plaintiff $10 million in punitive damages, plus between $5,000 and $244,000 apiece for medical expenses, lost earnings and pain and suffering.
A trucker's wife who said she was injured when a trailer struck her husband's parked rig received a $400,000 settlement. In 2008, Polly Snell, then 43, was sleeping in a bunk in the cab of the 18-wheeler when Leandro Telles' tractor-trailer made a tight turn and dragged across the front of the Snells' cab, which was parked at a truck stop in Amarillo. The impact knocked Snell out of the bunk and she hit her head and neck on a cabinet as she fell to the floor. She was diagnosed with a herniated cervical disc and underwent fusion surgery. She said she continues to suffer from debilitating pain and hand tremors. Telles' attorney argued that the collision was minor and did not cause Snell's neck problems. The settlement was reached in mediation.
A construction company agreed to pay $400,000 to the family of a worker who died when the street sweeper he was operating tipped over. Everado Reyes, a married father of two, was employed as an equipment operator for Madden Contracting Co. However, his family claimed he didn't have a driver's license and wasn't qualified to operate the sweeper. They blamed Madden for his death, alleging the company failed to train him properly and didn't adhere to its own regulations regarding seat belt use and licensing. Madden argued Reyes was at fault for turning a corner too sharply and failing to wear a seat belt. It contended Reyes was instructed on how to use the sweeper by other employees. Reyes' family also had a products liability suit against the maker of the street sweeper, which settled for a confidential amount.
A judge awarded $990,000 to the parents of a man killed in a collision with a federal government-owned vehicle. In 2008, Shane Morgan and his 12-year-old daughter were killed when Luis Joel Miramontes, a Navy officer, attempted to a pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone and collided with Morgan's car. Miramontes was later found guilty of manslaughter. Morgan's wife sued the federal government, alleging it was responsible for Miramontes' negligence. Morgan's parents, Larry and Linda Morgan, joined the suit as intervenors, and made loss of consortium and mental anguish claims. The government settled with the wife and surviving child, but it argued there was no evidence that Larry or Linda Morgan suffered from depression or significant adjustment problems. Judge David Folsom disagreed and awarded each parent $495,000.
A jury awarded $4,044,051 to a man who developed multiple infections after a botched colon surgery. In 2003, Dr. Guillermo Ponce De Leon performed a colon resection on William Orton Jr., then 41. Orton alleged the surgeon perforated his colon during the procedure and then failed to diagnose it. In the months that followed, Orton developed infections and other complications. As a result, he had to be hospitalized for several weeks and underwent two more operations performed by Ponce De Leon. In April 2004, Orton saw a specialist in New York, who diagnosed a leak related to one of the surgeries. Orton was referred to an abdominal surgeon and his condition greatly improved after surgery. Orton sued Ponce De Leon for more than $2 million, alleging the surgeon's error and failure to diagnose it led to his post-surgery problems. Ponce De Leon argued that Orton's complications resulted from Crohn's disease.
An Arlington police motorcycle officer was killed Wednesday morning in a fiery crash with a school bus.
"This is a very difficult time for me personally and for this police department," said Arlington Police Chief Theron Bowman.
"It is very painful to have to announce that early today we lost one of our own."
The school bus driver and the nine students aboard escaped injury. The students, ages 6 to 12, were from Crow, Ditto and Dunn elementary schools, and Bailey and Young junior high schools.
The collision occurred about 7:15 a.m. at South Cooper Street and West Inwood Drive, near Arlington High School
A jury awarded $11.9 million for a head-on crash that killed six children and injured three others because a Michelin tire allegedly detreaded. In 2006, Jesus Guzman Reyes was driving his pickup truck with his wife and three children. He lost control and struck an oncoming sport utility vehicle that was carrying the six children. The plaintiffs claimed that a leaky roof at a Michelin plant allowed water to enter the tires during manufacturing, which caused air bubbles to form and weaken the tire. Michelin denied that the tire was defective, claiming that the tire damage occurred during the crash, not before it. Defense counsel argued that Reyes was to blame for the crash, but the jury found otherwise.
