Product Defect Liability Lawyer Blog

A defective product recall has been issued for several models of tires because they may cause tire tread separation. The following tires have been recalled: Cyclone Radial SUV tires (size 245/70R17) manufactured between November 15 and December 19 of 2009; and Definity Dakota H/T tires (size 245/70R17) manufactured between November 15 and November 28 of 2009. According to a Consumeraffairs.com report, these tires fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 139 for "New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles."

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A California Highway Patrol official prevented what could have been a catastrophic San Diego car accident by helping slow a runaway Toyota Prius, which accelerated uncontrollably. According to an Associated Press news report, Prius driver James Sikes called 911 the afternoon of March 8, 2010. Apparently, the gas pedal got stuck after he accelerated to pass another vehicle on the Interstate 90 near La Posta. Then, Sikes, 61, said he tried to apply the brakes, but the Prius would not stop and continued to accelerate until it reaches speeds of 92 mph.

A CHP officer who responded to the call drove alongside Sikes and told him over a loudspeaker to push the brake pedal to the floor and apply the emergency brake. The car then decelerated to 50 mph. Sikes turned off the engine and brought the vehicle to a stop. Toyota has sent a field technical specialist to investigate this incident.

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Thousands of Toyota and Lexus owners have experienced sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) in their vehicles since 1999. SUA has occurred in numerous different situations making the cause of the issue hard to find. To date, at least 815 crashes, 341 injuries and 19 deaths have arisen from accidents where SUA was involved.

Possible causes of SUA are said to be floor mats and floor mat arrangement on the driver's side, the pedal mechanism, the pedal placement or a combination of these problems.

Continue reading "No Fix for Sudden Unintended Accelerator Found Yet" »

Defective auto products have been a constant danger to drivers and passengers. On September 9, 2008, Christopher Wilson was on Arizona State Route 68 as a passenger in a 1998 Ford Ranger. It was a clear day as Christopher traveled through Mojave County, Arizona. While traveling the Ford Ranger's Spector A/T tires experienced a blowout. The blowout in the tire caused the Ford Ranger to lose control and rollover one or more times, ejecting Christopher Wilson.

Christopher suffered serious and traumatic brain injuries. He lingered on severely impaired and in damaged health for approximately 14 months. On November 8, 2009 Christopher passed away due to hypostatic bronchopneumonia and persistent vegetative state from traumatic brain injury

Continue reading "Tire Blowout and Ford Ranger Rollover to Blame for Death of Christopher Wilson" »

Nissan Motor Co. is issuing an auto product defect recall for about 540,000 pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans worldwide to fix problems with brake pedals and fuel gauges. According to an Associated Press news report, the product defect recall affects 179,000 vehicles in the United States. According to Nissan officials, a pin in the brake pedal assemblies on certain vehicles can come loose and cause reduced braking force increasing the possibility of a car accident. This recall involves 2008 to 2010 Nissan Titan pickups, Infiniti QX56 and Nissan Armada SUVs, and some 2008 and 2009 Nissan Quest minivans.

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David Irving Epstein, 87, was killed in a San Diego car accident the morning of March 2, 2010 after he lost control of his Toyota sedan and crashed into a big rig on Route 15. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, Epstein was driving the car north on the freeway, near Ocean View Boulevard, when the crash occurred. For reasons that are not yet known, Epstein went across traffic lanes and onto the Ocean View off-ramp. The Toyota then hit the rear of a disabled big rig that was parked on the shoulder. Epstein was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the big rig, who was standing in front of the disabled truck, was seriously injured. California Highway Patrol officials are investigating the incident.

Continue reading "Elderly Driver Killed in San Diego Car Accident" »

For years, Toyota has blocked access to data stored in devices known as "event data recorders" (EDRs) similar to airline black boxes that can help explain car accidents blamed on sudden unintended acceleration, according to an Associated Press news report. The news agency apparently reviewed Toyota auto product defect lawsuits nationwide as well as interviews with crash experts. AP's investigation found not only that the auto maker has been inconsistent but even contradictory when it comes to disclosing what these EDRs record and don't record.

Continue reading "Investigation Finds Toyota Refused to Provide Key Car Crash Information" »

In a series of vehicle defect that have led to a recall of millions of vehicles, Toyota is now adding steering defects. Well, this has not yet risen to the level of a product safety recall. Toyota officials say it is still at an investigation stage, according to an Associated Press news report. So far, the company has reviewed nearly 100 reports of complaints about power steering in the Corolla. How serious is this problem? Just in 2009, Toyota sold nearly 1.3 million Corollas worldwide including 300,000 in the United States. Needless to say, it is one of the most popular vehicle models in the country.

Continue reading "Toyota Investigates Possible Steering Defects in Corolla" »

April 26, 2010 is the newly set trial date for the products liability wrongful death lawsuit the auto defect lawyers of BISNAR | CHASE have brought against Suzuki Motors Corporation, Takata Seatbelts, Inc, and affiliate Suzuki auto parts manufacturers. The suit alleges that the 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara model manufactured and sold by the defendants had a faulty restraint system and other defects that failed to function properly and lead to the catastrophic injuries and ultimate death of Grand Vitara driver, Andrea Bardonner.

In July of 2006, Andrea was driving her 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara east on Highway 16 in the Hamlet of Wildwood, Alberta, Canada, according to court records. Allegedly due to defects, Andrea lost control of her vehicle which tumbled down a steep embankment and rolled-over numerous times. The Grand Vitara's A and B pillars and roof rails collapsed, causing Andrea's otherwise properly buckled seatbelt system to slacken and eject her from the vehicle. Due to the severe injuries she sustained in the crash, Andrea died on the scene and her daughters, Nichelle and Makayla, who were passengers at the time, also suffered severe permanent injury.

Continue reading "Trial Date Set for Products Liability Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Suzuki " »

Sarah Rachelle Phillips, 31, was killed in a San Diego car accident after losing control of her SUV at a highway ramp and crashing. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Phillips was heading south on the I-805 in a Nissan Xterra, the morning of February 27, 2010, and had taken the connector ramp to the southbound 15 Freeway. It was then that she hit a puddle. Her SUV spun out of control, veered off the roadway and rolled over several times. Phillips was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Sarah Rachelle Phillips for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. This grieving family will certainly be in my thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Woman Killed in San Diego SUV Rollover Accident " »

General Motors is issuing a vehicle defect recall for 1.3 million Chevy and Pontiac compact cars to fix a problem with the power steering motors that can fail. According to an Associated Press news report, this recall affects 2005 to 2010 Chevy Cobalts, 2007 to 2010 Pontiac G5s, 2005 and 2006 Pontiac Pursuits (sold in Canada) and 2005 and 2006 Pontiac G4s sold in Mexico. General Motors officials say the recalled vehicles are still "safe to drive" and never lose their steering, but that they may be harder to steer while traveling under 15 mph.

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A product liability wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against Subaru of America, Inc., Fuji Heavy Industries LTD. of Japan and Autoliv North America by the California personal injury lawyers of BISNAR | CHASE. The suit alleges that the 2001 Subaru Forester manufactured and sold by Subaru of America contained a faulty occupant restraint system that lead to the wrongful death of Lisa Ann Thayer.

On October 27, 2006 Lisa Ann Thayer was driving her 2001 Subaru Forester west on Interstate I-40 in San Bernardino County, California when Lisa's vehicle suddenly veered onto the shoulder of the road, spun clockwise, swerved between lanes of traffic and rolled numerous times until it landed upside down on its roof. Although Lisa was properly restrained in the vehicle, the seat belt webbing tore, leaving her completely unrestrained in the vehicle and allowing her to be ejected from the Subaru. Lisa died as a result of catastrophic injuries and the impact from the ejection. Her daughter, Emma, was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the crash and suffered severe permanent injuries.

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A number of auto defects are uncovered every year. This can be somewhat surprising to most drivers. With the advancements in technology and manufacturing most drivers probably assume their car is safe.

Why Do Auto Defects Happen?
Uploaded by bisnarchase. - NASCAR, F1, tuning and drift videos.

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The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled, "Why We Need Trial Lawyers." This article highlights the importance and need for trials lawyers to ensure product liability and consumer safety. To prove this point, the article points to the recent Toyota vehicle defect recalls where dangerous and defective auto product issues were ignored by the auto maker and went unaddressed by federal auto safety regulators. The article explains how and why it is the job of trial lawyers to act as a check on these corporations when the government fails to do so.

The importance of product liability litigation cannot be minimized when it comes to keeping consumers safe. Toyota recently recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles for faulty gas pedals, defective floor mats and brake issues. More Corollas are under scrutiny now for steering defect problems. The list of problems with Toyota vehicles, once known for their safety and reliability worldwide, simply seems to expand with every passing day.

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A 49-year-old man was killed in a San Diego car accident the afternoon of February 21, 2010 after his SUV went off the roadway, crashed and rolled over on State Route 67. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the man was driving a 1994 Jeep Cherokee near Slaughterhouse Canyon Road, when he lost control of the vehicle. The driver overcorrected the SUV and it rolled over before coming to rest on its wheels, California Highway Patrol officials said. The man had his seatbelt on, but was killed as the Jeep's roof caved in, resulting in massive and fatal head injuries.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of this deceased victim for their tragic and devastating loss. Please keep this grieving family in your thoughts and prayers.

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Chrysler is issuing a vehicle defect recall for about 355,562 minivans to fix a problem with an airbag sensor. According to a Reuters news report, the recall campaign involves 259,437 vehicles in the United States, including the 2005-2006 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans. Chrysler officials say one of the front airbag crash sensors could crack under certain environmental conditions and allow water to enter the sensor. This could potentially cause the sensor to become inoperative. This could cause the airbag to fail in the event of a car accident. If you own one of these recalled vehicles, please take your minivan to a dealer as soon as possible to have it evaluated.

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A woman who was fatally injured in an Orange County car accident after her SUV was struck by another vehicle on the freeway, has been identified as 30-year-old Lorena Mancinas. The Orange County Register reports that this fatal car accident occurred the afternoon of February 24, 2010 on the 22 Freeway near Glassell Street. Mancinas' 2003 Chevy Tahoe SUV was struck by a Toyota driven by 26-year-oldYoung Woo Lee. The crash occurred when Lee's car struck the back of the Chevy while making a lane change. The Tahoe then rolled over several times. No arrests have been made yet and an investigation is ongoing.

My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved Lorena Mancinas for their tragic loss. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Continue reading "Woman Killed in Orange County Rollover Accident" »

Koua Fong Lee, a man who was sentenced to eight years in prison for causing a fatal car accident in Minnesota, always maintained that there was a vehicle defect or malfunction in his 1996 Toyota Camry that caused the crash that killed three people. However, a few years ago, jurors did not believe him. Now, according to an Associated Press news report, Lee's case is being reopened after new revelations of safety problems with Toyota vehicles. The Japanese auto maker has so far recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles – a majority of them for a problem with sticky gas pedals and faulty floor mats that could cause sudden or unintended acceleration.

Continue reading "Toyota Defense May Spell Freedom for Incarcerated Minnesota Man" »

Jaime M. Arias, an 18-year-old man, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident after the vehicle in which he was a passenger plunged into a ravine off Sand Canyon Road in the Placerita Canyon area. According to a news report in The Signal, a 17-year-old girl was driving a 2003 Mitsubishi on Sand Canyon Road the night of February 22, 2010 when she lost control of the vehicle. The Mitsubishi spun off the roadway and plunged 160 feet into a ravine. Arias was pronounced dead at the scene while the girl was transported to a local hospital with injuries. The extent of her injuries is not known. Alcohol or drugs were not factors in this fatal car accident, California Highway Patrol officials say.

My heart goes out to Jaime Arias' family and friends for this tragic, untimely and devastating loss. Please keep his grieving family in your thoughts and prayers. I also hope and pray that the young driver of the Mitsubishi did not sustain any catastrophic injuries. I wish her the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

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Amber Kerr, 14, was hospitalized with serious personal injuries after an ATV accident where she was thrown off the all-terrain vehicle she was riding and struck a steel propane tank. According to a news report in the Appeal-Democrat, Amber and 15-year-old Hope Travis, were both on the four-seater vehicle when the accident occurred the morning of February 21, 2010.

Amber was driving a 2001 Yamaha Wolverine on a private dirt road, when she approached a muddy stretch filled with standing water . She then, attempted to drive the ATV through the mud at high speed. Both she and Hope Travis were thrown over the handlebars and into the side of the tank. Neither teen was wearing a helmet. Amber was airlifted to a hospital for treatment of her major head injuries. Hope was said to have escaped injuries.

Continue reading "California Teen Seriously Injured in ATV Crash" »