Product Defect Liability Lawyer Blog

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.

Continue reading "Runaway Toyota Prius Almost Causes Car Accident in San Diego" »

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.

Continue reading "Nissan Recalls Pickup Trucks for Brake Problems" »

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 " »

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Drugs and other chemical substances is probably the most commonly occurring crime in the United States and that is why, there are a number of laws pertaining to DUI in the country and a number of penalties in the event of a breach of these laws. This is also why Driving Under the Influence is stressed upon by many lawyers and institutions because a lot of people have questions about DUI in their respective States. However, there are many facts about DUI that are common among all the States and we believe that the following information can help you clear some of your confusions about DUI:

Continue reading "Frequently asked Questions about DUI" »

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.

Continue reading "GM Recalls 1.3 Million Cars for Steering Problems" »

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.

Continue reading "Product Liability Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Subaru" »