Government Shutdown Impacts Consumer Product Safety Commission Operation

 Posted on October 03, 2013 in Defective Medical Devices

With the government shutdown looming over Washington and numerous federal locations across the country, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that their inspectors would be told to stay home as well. The Food and Drug Administration, which holds the responsibility for inspecting the food eaten all around the nation, suspended their regular inspections and monitoring activities for imported food and drugs. Illinois residents may receive injuries as the result of recalled or dangerous products, which may lead to an increasing number of personal injury lawsuits.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention officially furloughed nearly 70% of their existing staff, with the remaining personnel expressing concern about their ability to respond to any disease or food outbreaks. Since the length of the shutdown is currently unknown, there could be dire consequences from the shutdown that won't even be known for weeks or months after it's resolved. With the CPSC for the most part offline, the lack of reviewing and monitoring activities will lead to a pileup of work to be completed when the government returns to work. In the meantime, consumers across America could be interacting with dangerous products.

Since the CPSC is running at reduced capacity, it's also likely that their ability to respond to existing complaints will be diminished as well. The discontinuation of the critical services provided by these organizations could lead to serious problems for the public. The CPSC is the primary government arm by which recalls and information about dangerous products and medical devices are shared. Several of the products recalled in recent weeks include a circular saw with a serious laceration risk, surge protectors with fire hazards, and children's toys that carry a potential for laceration.

Without inspectors collecting and reviewing data about these risks, the public may face great danger. If you have already been injured by a faulty product and need to share your story, you should contact an experienced Illinois defective medical device attorney.