In May 2008, the BBC Watchdog programme alerted viewers that a number of people were reporting itches, blisters, burns and rashes after buying imported Chinese leather sofas.
The reason: sachets containing the chemical dimethyl fumarate (DMF) had been used by Chinese manufacturer Linkwise to prevent mould from growing on their leather sofas during transportation and storage.
Unfortunately, the chemical, which is sometimes used as a fungicide, led to severe allergic reactions in some people using the sofas.
Tests have shown that DMF can cause severe eczema, a term referring to a range of skin conditions which are difficult to treat. The allergic reactions occur when the substance warms up.
Consultant dermatologist Dr Sandra Winhoven explained the condition at the time: ‘The substance that’s causing the sofa dermatitis outbreak is a fungicide, and this fungicide has a very low vapour point. So when it gets warm, more of it gets released.’ As a result, the summer months led to higher numbers of allergic reactions.
Symptoms of eczema
Eczema, which is sometimes known as dermatitis, can refer to a range of unpleasant and distressing symptoms including itching, blistering, redness, swelling, dryness, crusting, flaking, cracking, oozing and bleeding of the skin. These symptoms can be very damaging to a person’s quality of life, and some of the sofa rash sufferers reported symptoms of depression as a result.
With up to 50,000 households having been sold a contaminated sofa, and many people suffering from increasingly severe reactions, sufferers were often unaware that the reaction they were experiencing was connected to their sofa.
Some sufferers even unwittingly aggravated their injuries by staying at home to recover from their symptoms, thereby further increasing their contact with the problem sofa.
How the stores reacted
The sofas were sold by Argos, Land of Leather and Walmsley Furnishing. After learning of the problem with their sofas, the shops selling them responded in different ways. According to a Daily Mail report from June 21, 2008, Argos, who had sold the most contaminated sofas, withdrew the sofas from their shops and notified buyers, contacting them to arrange collection of the products.
Land of Leather, meanwhile, withdrew the sofas but was criticised for not notifying buyers, while Walmsley said they had removed the sachets from sofas they sold after they learned of the issue, though they also did not recall the sofas which had already been sold, as Argos had done.
Claiming compensation for sofa rash
In the UK’s largest ever consumer injury claim, thousands claimed for compensation against the stores where they bought their sofas. Compensation is expected to total up to £10m for this initial class action.
Along with the thousands already claiming compensation, an estimated tens of thousands could have suffered or still be suffering from burns which have not yet been linked to their sofas. These cases could lead to further claims for compensation.
If you have been affected by a ‘toxic’ sofa and experienced skin problems as a result, you could be entitled to claim compensation for your injuries and money lost due to time off work.
National Accident Helpline can help you make a sofa burn claim. We will put you in touch with a specialist personal injury lawyer to help you with your claim.
Filed under Health Insurance by on Sep 3rd, 2010. Comment. 
Group Health Insurance is a benefit that some companies offer their employees, enabling them to receive private medical treatment quickly and at no cost should they need it. This means that employees receive the medical treatment they need without the long wait and undue suffering.
Of course, this type of scheme has many benefits to both the staff and the employer.
For the employer, a member of staff needing medical treatment will receive it quickly, thereby helping speed up recovery and keeping disruption due to sickness in the office to a minimum. The employee will also be more focussed on their job as they will not be spending time worrying about a long wait for the treatment on the NHS, or a diagnosis etc or suffering undue pain.
For the employee, being a member of a Group Health Insurance plan has many valuable benefits, which a monetary value cannot be put on. In the first instance, they don’t have to pay out huge premiums for a private medical insurance plan – which can literally run into three figures every month. And they have the peace of mind that should they need it, expert medical help is available immediately.
As part of the Group Health Insurance Plan, many companies who do offer this benefit to staff will also pay for their employees to have a once a year ‘healthcheck’ at a private hospital. These health checks cover weight, height, levels of fitness, blood pressure, blood tests etc and are carried out to check that the member of staff is in optimum health or to spot a so far undiagnosed condition. Either way, the screening is beneficial to staff and their employers.
For an individual who is not part of an employers scheme to have the same sort of health screening, the cost can be anything from £150 upwards, so there is an added value to the benefit.
Any staff benefit, like company health insurance, of course also helps boost staff morale as it shows that the employer really cares about their staff.
Although health plans will vary from provider to provider and employer to employer, a typical Group Health Insurance package will offer cover for:
1. In-patient and day-patient treatment once the employee has received a diagnosis
2. Out-patient treatments (for example, physiotherapy)
3. Free Helplines – for example, a GP Helpline and Stress Counselling Helpline.
4. Specialist consultations following a referral from the employee’s GP
If you are an employer who has not yet instigated a company health insurance plan, consider this – you may find that the benefits of taking out group health insurance (such as better staff morale, employees having less time off due to serious illness, attracting a higher qualified level of staff etc) will far outweigh the cost. And in the long term, no doubt it will have a positive effect on your business.
Jason Hulott is Business Development Director of Protection Insurance. Protection Insurance is an internet based insurance business dedicated to getting consumers the very best insurance rates and the best products. Our product portfolio includes many specialist products such as private medical insurance
Filed under Health Insurance by on Sep 2nd, 2010. Comment.
What health insurance plan should I buy?
Hi I’m currently looking for a health insurance. I live in southern California. I’m a 27 year old female, 30 lbs overweight, no known medical condition, looking for something to cover mainly major or serious medical problems.
Dont know whats better Kaiser Permanente or Blue Shield Blue Cross?
Should I look for a high deductible plan or a copayment plan, PPO or HMO? Really confused!!!!!!
Kaiser is going to limit you care to their doctors and when you are out of the area, on vacation for example you can only get emergency care. You will have a primary care provider which acts as a gatekeeper and you need to see them before you can see a specialist.
With Blue Cross they offer an PPO which is a network of doctors you can choose from and you can go straight to a specialist if you feel you need one.
Some people hate the HMO gatekeeper others don’t mind at all it is really personal preference.
You need to figure the cost of the plan two ways. First what will the plan cost if you have no medical bills for the year. What is your total premium for one year?
Then what will the plan cost if you have a serious illness or bad accident. I usually figure $50,000 in medical bills for this scenario. For this you need to add the total premium + deductibles + coinsurance.
Now you can compare the plans to see which one is truly the best deal, you will usually find the high deductible plans work best in either scenario. Then consider a Health Savings Account qualified plan, this can create additional tax savings.
Or you can just call a qualified broker who has probably already done this work.
With all the different health carriers and plans available most people really should use a health insurance broker. A Broker represents multiple carriers and can help you sort through all the different insurance companies and plan options in your state.
For example a typical broker can have access to 10 major carriers and 60 different plans just for one state.
You can try doing your own research on the internet, but if you give a good broker 5 minutes they will be able to make suggestions on which carrier may fit you best.
I suggest using yellowpages.com to search for health insurance brokers in your area.
Don’t call your auto and home agent they specialize in property and causality insurance. You need someone that specializes in health insurance.
Good Luck
Filed under Health Insurance by on Aug 30th, 2010. Comment.