Hill Sportswear is recalling 300,000 Kid brand pullovers and sweatshirts after a 3-year-old boy in Fresno, California, was strangled to death when the drawstring on his hooded sweatshirt became entangled in a playground set. According to this news report in Consumeraffairs.com, the recalled sweatshirts – Kid Pullover Hood Sweatshirt and Kid Zipper Sweatshirt with Hood – have drawstrings through the hood. These strings should be removed right away because they pose a serious strangulation hazard for children in Fresno.

This recall includes the Kid Pullover Hood and Kid Zipper with Hood. The recalled sweatshirts were sold at various small retailers in California and Texas from August 1999 through December 2008 for about $8. Parents who bought these pullovers or sweatshirts are urged to immediately remove the drawstrings from the garments or return the clothing to the place of purchase or to Hill Sportswear for a full refund. Consumers with more questions are asked to contact Hill Sportswear at 1-877-322-8760.
More

Jazmin Bojorguez, 21, of Los Angeles was killed in a two-car crash in Santa Fe Springs on February 14, 2009. According to this article in the Whittier Daily News, Bojorguez was the passenger in a vehicle driven by a 20-year-old man. Their vehicle was eastbound on Telegraph Road when it collided with a Nissan Pathfinder at the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue. The vehicle then struck a palm tree and a cement pole and rolled over many times. Bojorguez was ejected from the vehicle. The driver of the Nissan Pathfinder was apparently not injured in this Los Angeles County fatal auto accident.

Whittier police officials say it appears one of these vehicles ran a red light. Investigators are also looking into the possibility of the involvement of alcohol. Neither driver has been arrested or cited pending an investigation.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of young Jazmin Bojorguez for this tragic, untimely and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your prayers.

There are many questions that remain to be answered here. Which one of the vehicles ran the red light? Which one of the drivers was operating under the influence of alcohol? Why did Bojorguez get ejected from the vehicle? There is no mention in this article if Bojorguez was wearing her seatbelt.
More

I came across this news interview in The Orange County Register with John Clinard, manager of Ford Motor Company’s Western region communications and Octavio Navarro, assistant manager of Western region communications. The interviewer basically asks questions about Ford’s plans for the future and for surviving this economic downturn, which has especially been hard on auto manufacturers.

These Ford officials were asked a number of questions about how they would make their cars better. Clinard and Navarro talked about a lot of general issues from fuel efficiency to quality control. But one topic that was conspicuously missing in their conversation was – auto safety. There was absolutely no talk about how Ford would persevere to make their cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles safer for its occupants. Better tires, seatbelts, seatbacks, anti-rollover technology, better airbags and most importantly better roof strength – these issues were just not in the picture.

As Southern California auto product defect attorneys who have represented victims of substandard vehicles made by Ford Motor Company, we are appalled that “auto safety” is not one of the issues Ford officials are overly concerned about. Our firm has represented clients in seatbelt failure, seatback failure and roof crush cases associated with Ford vehicles. In these cases, our clients had lost loved ones or had themselves been catastrophically injured in auto accidents involving defective Ford vehicles. For Ford officials, making automobiles safer does not seem to be of interest and certainly isn’t a priority.
More

A crash test done by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) on three big pickup trucks – Chevy Silverado 1500, Dodge Ram 1500 and Nissan Titan – show that the side crash protection provided by these 2009 model vehicles is “wimpy at best.” According to this news report in Consumeraffairs.com, these three pickups earn poor or marginal ratings in the IIHS side crash tests and although they are equipped with side airbags, the protection offered to occupants is no better than marginal.

IIHS officials say they expected these three pickups to ace the side impact tests given their size, weight and height. But as it turned out, these large vehicles tested poorly even when compared with passenger cars that were tested by IIHS. While the Dodge Ram earned a marginal rating, the Nissan Titan and Chevy Silverado earned poor ratings when tested without their optional side airbags. The Titan’s rating improved slightly with side airbags, but the Silverado’s poor ratings remain unchanged even with the side airbags.

IIHS’s side impact tests gauge occupant protection in vehicles struck in the side by sport utility vehicles or pickup trucks. Results of such a test can be compared across vehicle type and weight categories, but that’s not true of frontal crash test ratings. That’s because the kinetic energy involved in the side test depends on the weight and speed of the moving barrier. So technically, the three pickups that were tested should have an advantage in side crash tests over smaller vehicles.
More

Marzocchi brand bicycle forks are being recalled for a product defect that could cause a crash, Consumeraffairs.com reports in this article. The suspension system on bikes with the recalled forks could become completely compressed and fail to return to its original position after a forceful landing. This can apparently cause riders to lose control of the bicycle and crash. The forks can also expand forcefully if the consumer attempts to repair it, posing a risk of serious injury. So far, the company has eight reports of damaged forks including one report of an injury from a fall.

These defective bicycle forks were sold for installation on mountain bikes. The recall involves certain 2008 model year 888RC3WC suspensions with date codes beginning with T07D07, T07D08 and T07D09. The forks are white or black with red and black artwork on the legs. These forks that were manufactured in Taiwan, were sold at various bicycle parts distributors and retailers nationwide between July 2007 and September 2007 for between $1,000 and $1,700.
More

New research done at the Traffic Safety Center of UC Berkeley shows that placing infants and small children in age-appropriate car safety seats significantly reduces the odds that they will die in the event of an auto accident. According to this article on Health Day’s Web site, the recent study demonstrated that infants’ odds of dying in a car crash dropped by three-quarters if they were placed properly in a safety restraint seats. Older children also reduced their risk of dying in a crash by at least 60 percent, the report stated.

Auto accidents are the leading cause of injury and death for children older than 1 year. More than 500 children under the age of 3 died as a result of traffic collisions in 2005, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 93 percent of babies younger than 1 year were placed in child safety seats in 2006 while 91 percent of children between ages 1 and 3 also rode in car seats. The UC Berkeley study also found that safety seats were most effective in preventing fatalities in rollover crashes, in rural environments and accidents involving light trucks.
More

KTM North America has recalled about 2,700 defective all-terrain vehicles because the vehicles’ brakes and steering could fail. According to a public safety alert issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the rear brake caliper support can break and the front brake operation can experience a loss of pressure, posing a risk of the rider losing braking and steering control. Such a product defect, no doubt, could lead to catastrophic injuries or death.

These ATVs, manufactured in Austria, were sold by KTM dealers nationwide from August 2007 through January 2009 for between $9,300 and $11,700. The model name and KTM logo are located on the side of the recalled ATVs. The following models are included in this recall: 2008/2009 450 XC; 2008/2009 525 XC; 2009 450 SX; and 2009 505SX. Consumers who own these defective ATV products are asked to stop using them right away and immediately contact their local KTM dealer to schedule an appointment for a free repair. Those who own these ATVs should have received recall notices in the mail by now. For more information, please call KTM at 1-888-985-6090.
More

Field & Stream is recalling at least 6,700 defective camp stoves, which they say pose a hazard of serious burn injuries. According to this news report in Consumeraffairs.com, gas could flow through these burners at a rate that could produce higher than expected flames. Further, rain water in the burners can also prevent proper ignition and allow gas to build up and ignite without warning.

The defective camp stove recall involves the Field & Stream dual burner camp stove, which is a propane-fueled portable stove. The style number can be found on the product’s packaging. The Field & Stream logo can also be spotted on the back panel of the stove behind the burners. The stoves, made in China, were sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods stores nationwide and through the company’s Web site from January 2008 and October 2008 for between $100 and $200. So far, no injuries have been reported, but U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission officials say in their consumer alert that those who own these camp stoves must stop using them right way.
More

A mother and her infant were reported to be doing well after their Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle crashed and rolled over on the 241 toll road in Foothill Ranch the afternoon of February 3, 2009. According to this news report in The Orange County Register, the black Ford Explorer swerved to the right from the number two lane and rolled over at least once. The SUV apparently left skid marks and debris across two lanes of traffic before coming to rest on its wheels. Both the mother and the baby, who were not identified, were taken to a local hospital as a precaution. But officials say both were not seriously injured.

I’m extremely relieved that this incident did not involve catastrophic or fatal injuries. Given the intensity of the crash, it’s a miracle that both escaped without any serious injuries. This is yet another case that proves seatbelts and car seats do save lives. In this case, the mother was buckled up and her infant was securely placed in a car seat, which saved both their lives. I wish them the very best for a complete physical and emotional recovery from what must have been a traumatic experience.
More

Officials from several local, county and federal agencies pulled over numerous big rigs on the 57 Freeway in Brea that were in violation of federal truck safety regulations the morning of February 4, 2009, The Orange County Register reports in this article. Local law enforcement officials as well as California Highway Patrol officials were on the lookout for a variety of commercial vehicle violations. Some truckers were overloading their vehicles and others were driving with faulty brakes that were not routinely inspected as required by federal law. The checkpoint was run at Tonner Canyon Road on the 57 Freeway, which truckers apparently use to bypass a weigh station on the 91 Freeway.

Officials usually issue anywhere between 150 and 175 citations at these checkpoints per day, they say. Some of the violations described in this news report are extremely disturbing. One of the trucks pulled over had a registration reporting its weight at 10 tons, but the truck actually weighed 30 tons. One truck driver was operating his big rig with a suspended license and two truckers were stopped for faulty brakes. One of the drivers told the Register that he checks his truck every morning, but usually does not check his brakes. Several drivers were also cited for pulling over on the freeway shoulder for a non-emergency situation.
More