A recent ABC News report raises the important issue of the dangers of reclining car seats. The article presents the example of car accident survivor Prashant Kumar, who is lucky to be alive after sustaining liver, lung and kidney damage. What caused Kumar’s serious injuries? He was wearing his seatbelt, but his seat was reclined. What Kumar and many others do not know is that when you have your seat in the recline position, you dramatically increase your chance of suffering major or fatal injuries.
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Baby Matters LLC has issued a defective product recall for 30,000 of their Nap Nanny portable baby recliners after the death of a 4-month-old. According to a Consumer Reports article, the recall was issued after one fatality report involving an infant who fell over the side of the Nap Nanny, became entrapped and died. The recall involves all Nap Nanny recliners sold between January 2009 and July 2010. The defective product was sold at children’s retail stores across the country for about $130.
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A woman was injured in an Irvine car accident after her vehicle blew and tire and she lost control on the 405 Freeway. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury crash occurred the morning of July 28, 2010 at Laguna Canyon Road. California Highway Patrol officials say the Lexus ES300 blew a tire and swerved into the center divider. The female driver was transported to a local hospital with neck and back injuries. Her injuries were not life-threatening.

I’m relieved to hear that this accident did not result in catastrophic or fatal injuries. I wish this injured victim the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
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Car and truck tire tread separations are an unfortunate by-product of steel-belted radial tire technology. It is extremely difficult to adhere rubber to steel and all steel-belted radial tires have the potential for tread separation. The danger of tread separation increases at high speeds and in hot weather.

Tire tread belt separation is the most common mode of failure in steel-belted radial tires. This is a result of both design and manufacturing defects. Some recent examples of tire separations are the Firestone ATX and Wilderness tires on Ford Explorers, Continental General tires on Lincoln Navigators, the Firestone Steeltex tires on Excursions, and the Goodyear Load Range E tires on most 15-passenger vans.
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When you buy a luxury vehicle like a Lexus, you probably expect it to be the safest vehicle you can buy. Unfortunately, that is not always true. Luxury car makers are no more concerned about your family’s safety than traditional car makers. The newest Lexus recall of the HS 250h luxury hybrid sedan is a perfect example of this.

Lexus and Toyota claim to put your family’s safety first by making the safest cars and SUVs available. Why then is the newest recall for a fuel line failure that all car makers have known about for at least 30 years? Lexus has failed to meet the minimum standards for fuel system integrity, and the results of this failure could be disastrous if you are involved in a rear-end collision.
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Nissan has issued a vehicle defect recall for 46,000 of its 2009 and 2010 Cube models because of possible problems with fuel spillage and fire hazards in the event of a rear-end collision. According to an Associated Press news report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s documents show that the fuel spillage occurred in rear-end crash tests where the vehicle also spun around. Regulators found that more fuel was spilled in these crashes than federal standards allow.
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Crystal Lopez, 15, was killed in a San Diego car accident after the pickup in which she was a passenger went out of control and crashed. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the fatal car crash occurred the morning of July 24, 2010 when Crystal was riding with her mother in a pickup traveling west on Interstate 8 near Crestwood Road. California Highway Patrol officials say it was then that they heard a popping sound. The truck went out of control, struck the center divide and rolled over several times before landing on its wheels. Crystal, who was wearing her seatbelt at the time, died before she could be transported to a nearby hospital. An investigation is ongoing.
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If the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act passes, which it is likely to do, it will be much easier for you and your family to recover damages you may have suffered as the result of defective foreign products.

Currently, if you are injured by a defective overseas product, you have to have your attorney translate all service of process into the primary language of the foreign company (usually Chinese or Mandarin) and then track down a foreign address and someone in their country to hand deliver service of process for any civil claims. This is time consuming and expensive. Many times, the foreign company will simply ignore the service anyway — leaving U.S. consumers stuck with defective and worthless products.
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If you own a Lexus HS 250h luxury hybrid sedan, you should be concerned about the effects of rear-end collisions. This Lexus is known to leak gas from the fuel system when struck from behind. Toyota, Lexus’ parent company, is aware of this problem, but is not sure how to fix it. Just like the Ford Pinto of the 1970s, Lexus owners are furious that Toyota would sell vehicles to them, knowing that they could explode in even the smallest of fender benders.

Toyota has recalled over 8.5 million cars worldwide in the past year because of poorly designed cars. They have recalled everything from brakes to engine springs, to gas pedals. This Lexus recall is only one in hundreds of recalls that are currently underway at Toyota.
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Samantha Hunter, 22, was critically injured in a car accident the afternoon of July 18, 2010 after she lost control of her vehicle and crashed on the 5 Freeway. According to a news report in the Redding Record-Searchlight, the major injury accident occurred on the freeway in south Redding when Hunter, who was driving in the southbound lanes, suddenly went off the roadway. Her car then rolled over when she tried to get it back on the roadway. Hunter was trapped upside down and had to be extricated from the mangled wreckage. She remains in critical condition. Officials say Hunter sustained two broken legs, internal injuries and may have lost an eye in the crash. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be factors in this accident.

My heart goes out to Samantha Hunter, who has obviously suffered catastrophic injuries in this car accident. I hope she makes it through these critical injuries and pray that she recovers quickly and completely.
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