Pfizer Inc. may have skewed the results of studies testing possible off-label uses for the epilepsy drug Neurontin, a new analysis of research data has concluded. In the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researches found inconsistencies including reporting positive results in trials that were initially found to be negative, and the altering of study goals. In a statement, the company denied that it attempted to mislead doctors about off-label uses for Neurontin.

An Ohio water park was negligent in the drowning death of a 3-year-old boy earlier this year, a lawsuit filed by the boy’s family claims. The lawsuit claims that Kalahari water park failed to ensure that the child was wearing a life vest and that park failed to provide adequate lifeguards at the time of the drowning. A spokeswoman for the park declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Lockheed Martin Corp. knowingly used substandard equipment to build F-22 Raptor stealth jets, according to a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former engineer for the defense contractor. In the lawsuit, Darrol Olsen claims he was fired after complaining to supervisors that the company used defective stealth coatings on jets built between September 1995 and June 1999. The lawsuit asks Lockheed to pay $50 million for each of 183 F-22s built during that period.

A jury has ordered Mississippi Valley Silica Co. to pay $7.6 million to former sandblaster who developed an incurable lung disease. According to the lawsuit, the company knew that the use of its sand in abrasive blasting could cause silicosis. The company is expected to appeal the verdict.

A Connecticut-bases stroller manufacturer announced yesterday that it is recalling about 1 million baby carriages because of a finger amputation risk to children. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Maclaren USA Inc. had received at least 12 reports injuries resulting in amputation during the past decade from children placing their fingers in the side hinges of the strollers. The recall covers all umbrella strollers sold by the company since 1999.

A Tennessee judge has ruled that a GM employee may be able to recover more damages in a workers’ compensation case because of the automaker’s restructuring since bankruptcy. At issue is a state law that caps damages in workers’ compensation cases. The court held that because GM is essentially a new company, the damage cap can be waived.

An increasing number of patients and their families are accusing an Illinois psychiatrist of overmedicating patients with powerful antipsychotic drugs, according to the Chicago Tribune. Medicaid records show that in 2007 Dr. Michael Reinstein wrote more prescriptions for the drug clozapine than the combined number written by all doctors in Texas. Clozapine carries a so-called black box warning due to side effects including increased risk of seizure, enlargement of the heart and rapid drops in blood pressure.

Federal health regulators have announced that they are undertaking efforts to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries caused by drug dosage errors, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Food and Drug Administration plan, called the Safe Use Initiative, aims to identify drugs and circumstance that commonly result in misuse of medication. Researchers say that given the scope of the problem, such an examination in long overdue.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Wednesday slammed Toyota Motor Corp. for asserting that 3.8 million recalled vehicles were without defect, the Los Angeles Times reports. In a statement, the agency said that Toyota and Lexus vehicles have design defects in the accelerator pedal and the driver’s foot well. Toyota had denied that a defect was to blame for a number of uncontrolled-acceleration incidents across the country.

The Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that questions the liability of medical professionals for their patients’ actions. At issue is whether the estate of a doctor killed by a former patient can be held liable for injuries suffered by another patient present during the June 1999 shooting. Attorneys for the plaintiff argue that Dr. Reuvan Bar-Levav deviated from the standard level of care by exposing their client to the gunman.