Can Chantix help people stop smoking? Or, will it kill them long before cigarettes put them six feet under?

Evidence now surfacing suggests that the “six-feet-under” scenario could very well apply to those with a mental illness and those who suffer from depression. So why are we just now learning about this side effect of Chantix? It’s been on the market since 2006.

A lengthy, investigative story about the dangers of the anti-smoking drug has just been posted on a new website that reports on safety, health and corporate conduct. The article on Fair Warning’s website reveals that between 2006 and the middle of 2009, the Food and Drug Administration received reports that 100 people taking the drug committed suicide, 200 attempted it and 5,000 suffered serious “psychiatric events.”

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Tis the season of recalls!

Since the first of October 2010, at least one million cars have been recalled for potentially dangerous defects by 10 automakers known for some of the most reliable cars on the road,   according to the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. They include BMW, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, General Motors, Aston Martin, Isuzu, Hyundai and Nissan.

Their car problems are surprising, leaving unsuspecting drivers potentially in need of an accident attorney. Those interested in car safety should take the to heart because the vehicles needing auto repair have a range of defects that put drivers and passengers at risk.

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Luxury equates with safety. Or so it would seem. Mercedes-Benz with its gold-plated reputation for luxury cars, crafted with German precision, should be immune to car problems.  But the German auto maker now joins the less pricey Toyota in recalling cars that pose a danger on the road, both to drivers and other vehicles. The Japanese automaker has 19 recalled models listed on its website. MB has its first, raising questions about its reputation for putting the most reliable cars on the road.

The Mercedes-Benz recall began this month. Anyone who plunked down $50,000 or more for a 2011 Mercedes-Benz diesel-powered R- Class mini-van is probably shocked that the car has been recalled for a defect that could injure other drivers by making highways dangerous.

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An important safety feature that could save a child from severe injuries in some mid-size GM and Isuzu pick-ups does not meet American and Canadian standards for car seats. As a result, more than 192,000 of the pickups are being recalled. They include the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon models from the 2004 to 2011 model years, the Isuzu I-280 and I-350 pickups from 2008 and I-370 pickups made in 2007 and 2008.

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Are big companies getting away with using people as guinea pigs to make money?

The August 2010 recall of a failing hip replacement system looks like it. The Food and Drug Administration had reports that the device was defective but it remained on the American market until it was recalled recently by DePuy Orthopaedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson, the company that makes the device.

Personal injury attorney Jim Adler has charged for years that the FDA fails to protect the American public by adequately testing new drugs and medical devices before big companies are allowed to market them in the U.S. The victims in this instance are often frail and elderly. Their only recourse, if they got one of the defective Johnson & Johnson devices, is to have another total hip replacement to repair the hip joint.

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Americans are being sickened by tainted eggs harboring salmonella food poisoning. But even non egg-eaters may be sickened by the news of how the food system failed them.

In its probe of two Iowa plants from which 550 million eggs were recalled, the federal government has found staggering evidence of manure, rats, flies and other insects contaminating the egg supply.

At Wright County Egg (owned by the ironically named Quality Egg), manure was piled so highly around the hen house that doors could not be closed. At Hillandale Farms, rodents ran rampantly, escaped hens tracked manure into the hen house and liquid manure was found seeping from a manure pit.

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The following is a guest post by Dolan Law Offices of Chicago, Ill.:

Chad Holley alleges that he was beaten by eight Houston Police officers on March 24, 2010.  The now 16 year old African American teen, who was 15 at the time of the alleged beating, was being chased by police because he was a suspect in a burglary.  Holley claims that he did not resist arrest by the police but that he was chased and beaten by eight officers.

Holley’s injuries were significant and caused him to spend several days in the hospital.

The entire incident was caught on a surveillance camera outside a Southwest Houston storage facility.  The Chief of Police has seen the video and has told ABC News that he is concerned.  The Harris County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI are also concerned and are conducting their own investigations of the incident.

Quanell X, an activist, was provided a copy of the tape by the storage facility.  He says that he has watched the tape and he describes seeing the police handcuff Holley and then begin to beat him.  After they were done, Quanell X reports seeing the officers congratulate each other.  In his words to ABC News, the police officers were like “a pack of hyenas on a piece of raw meat.”

The eight officers face potential state and federal charges if they are found to have committed police brutality.  All of the officers are on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The Chicago Civil Rights Lawyers of Dolan Law Offices have been closely following alleged civil rights violations involving the Houston Fire Department and are committed to following these serious and troubling allegations against the Houston Police Department.  In Illinois, our police brutality lawyers remain vigilant about holding police officers accountable for civil rights violations.

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Yes, drivers of cars cause many traffic collisions. But who causes the worst? And who has the most responsibility for avoiding such catastrophes? Big rig, diesel truck, tractor trailer, semi truck or 18 wheeler drivers, that’s who. Their enormous rigs take longer to stop, and when they crash they are far more destructive.

Also, too many of their drivers fall asleep at the wheel.

It’s an occupational hazard, since diesel truck drivers who haul large loads across the country often drive for long, dull hours, including the middle of the night. But it’s a crucial distinction, especially in view of two tragedies this week in Houston and Kentucky.

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Deer are in the headlights all over the United States. It’s mating season and the animals are on the move, making fall the peak time for deer-vehicle accidents. The danger is not restricted to country roads. You could be the victim of a head-on collision with a deer, or a car avoding a deer, when you least expect it.

There are about 150 deaths and 1.6 million collisions with deer in the U.S. every year. Urban sprawl and a growing deer population are the causes. Displaced animals are showing up in locations that once were deer habitat. They have been seen on busy highways and interstates near cities and towns and in suburban neighborhoods.

The Insurance Information Institute says the average collision with a deer costs about $3,000. Nationwide, the annual cost is nearly $4.6 billion when medical costs and out-of-pocket expenses are included.

Here are some safetry tips for city dwellers unaccustomed to seeing deer on roads and a refresher for rural drivers who encounter them every fall:

Deer often travel in groups. If you see one, there are probably more in the vicinity. Not only that, deer are unpredictable. They often dart right into traffic.

Drivers and their passengers should always wear seat belts. Motorcycle riders should always wear helmets. More than half of the people killed in deer-related collisions were not wearing seat belts or helmets. Use high beams to illuminate annimals’ eyes at night if there is no on-coming traffic. Be especially vigilant from sunset to midnight and shortly before or after sunrise or sunset. These are the high risk times for accidents with deer. Brake firmly if you see a deer but stay in your lane. Accidents often happen when drivers swerve into the path of an on-coming vehicle to miss a deer or lose contrl of their car after seeing or hitting one. If you hit a deer do not touch it. it could hurt you. Call the police if it is blocking the road.

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The Houston Chronicle reports a furor over a new Texas law, taking effect Sept. 1, which allows police to get a blood sample without a warrant in certain cases of suspected drunk driving.

Some consider it an outrage, violating civil liberties, the Constitution and perhaps apple pie and the flag. Others protest it will create a logjam at blood testing centers used by authorities in Houston, Harris County and elsewhere. In other words, it will be too time-consuming to test each potential DUI offender, so why not just let them go if they refuse a breathalyzer test?

Meanwhile, criminal defense attorneys worry that law enforcers will “run amok” if given such leeway.

All of these alarmists seem to disregard what’s truly alarming: Drunk drivers continue to wreak unspeakable carnage on America’s streets and highways. Since 1982, more than half a million innocent Americans have been killed in car accidents by drunk drivers, including many drunks who were repeat offenders. Think about it: More than half a million — dead — because people drove drunk.

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