Product Defect Liability Lawyer Blog

A woman sustained injuries in a Los Angeles car accident after she lost control of her 1999 Toyota Camry and crashed into a fire hydrant. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Daily News, the accident occurred the night of November 29, 2009 at the intersection of Valley Boulevard and Proctor Avenue in the City of Industry. Eyewitnesses told Los Angeles Sheriff's Department officials that they saw the female driver stop for a red light. When the light turned green, she apparently accelerated at a high rate of speed and lost control of the Toyota Camry. The Camry hit the curb and rolled over before crashing into a fire hydrant. She was taken to an area hospital with injuries, but is said to be in stable condition.

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Toyota has announced that it will issue an auto product defect recall for 4 million of its popular car and truck models to repair problems with sudden acceleration in these vehicles. According to a news report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the auto maker will start notifying vehicle owners about the nationwide recall, which involves recent model years of Camry Avalon, Prius, Tacoma, Tundra and three Lexus models. Toyota's troubles started in August when a San Diego County Sheriff's Department concluded that a fatal crash that killed CHP officer Mark Saylor and three members of his family was caused by a stuck accelerator pedal in the loaner Lexus Saylor was driving.

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The Washington State Supreme Court has recently ordered Orange County-based Hyundai Motor Co. to pay $8 million in an auto product liability case involving a man who was rendered paraplegic in a car accident. The victim, Jesse Magana, sued the auto maker in 2000 in connection with a 1997 car accident when the Hyundai Accent in which he was a passenger, went off a roadway and hit a tree. Magana was ejected from the rear window and he claimed that his injuries were caused partly by seatback defects. The Hyundai Accent's seatback collapsed during the crash, the lawsuit alleged.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is asking Honda Motor Co. and Takata Corporation about why the auto maker delayed an important vehicle defect recall involving defective airbags. According to a news report, the federal agency is questioning Honda and Takata, who are Honda's airbag supplier, and asking for an explanation as to why the first recall did not include cars from the second recall. A total of 444,000 Accord and Civic sedans were recalled for potentially deadly airbag defects. The airbag inflator in these Honda vehicles can apparently rupture from too much internal air pressure sending metal fragments through the airbag and striking the occupants of the vehicle.

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Nissan North America is issuing a vehicle defect recall for more than 10,500 model year 2009 Sentra sedans that come equipped with Bosch master cylinders because of the risk of brake fluid leaking from the master cylinders. According to a news report in Automotive Fleet, the amount of brake fluid that is in the master cylinder reservoir could decrease to below the minimum level causing the system warning indicator to light up. The brakes at this point will not function properly.

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Ford Motor Company is issuing a vehicle defect recall for 4.5 million vehicles because of a faulty switch that can overheat and catch fire. According to a news report in the Detroit Free Press, this is Ford's eighth recall in 10 years involving the same switch. The faulty switches have led to the recall of more than 14 million Ford vehicles over a decade. Included in the present Ford vehicle recall are 1.1 million Windstar minivans model years 1995 through 2003. Also included in this recall are 3.4 million SUVs and pickup trucks including several Ford Excursion, Explorer and Ranger models going as far back as 1992. Ford officials say they are recalling these vehicles to "reassure customers and eliminate any future concerns" although their data shows that the recalled vehicles do not pose a significant safety risk.

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Federal auto safety investigators are apparently looking into a vehicle defect in Toyota Tundra pickup trucks involving premature frame rust so severe that it could lead to brake failure. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials are investigating 20 complaints on model-year 2000 and 2001 Tundra pickups alleging broken brake lines and spare tires that came loose. This NHTSA inquiry covers about 218,000 vehicles.

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Kristopher Raymond Kelly, a 13-year-old boy, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident on September 30, 2009 after his grandfather lost control of a U-Haul truck he was driving and crashed on the northbound 5 Freeway near Calgrove Boulevard in the Santa Clarita area. According to a news report in The Signal, Kristopher and his grandfather -- 68-year-old Phil Logan Kelly, were from Oregon. Kristopher was in the process of moving with his family to Oregon from Valencia. Kristopher was a passenger in the U-Haul truck when Kelly lost control and crashed the truck into a parked vehicle on the right shoulder.

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A bankruptcy court judge overseeing Chrysler assets has approved a $24 million settlement in the auto products liability lawsuit filed by the family of Los Angeles longshoreman Richard Mraz who died when he was run over by a 1992 Dodge Dakota due to a transmission defect. According to an Associated Press news report, the settlement comes two years after a Los Angeles jury awarded $55 million in damages to Mraz's family. The family's lawsuit alleged that DaimlerChrysler had failed to fix and properly warn consumers about a transmission defect that made it seem as if the trucks were in park position when they were actually between gears. After Chrysler's bankruptcy filing in April, negotiations began in this case, which resulted in the settlement this week.

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Wojciech Aleszewicz, 29, a British skydiver was killed after he suffered serious personal injury in a skydiving accident in Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, on September 18, 2009. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, Aleszewicz collided midair with another skydiver shortly after they started their jump. He fell 200 to 300 feet hitting the ground at the east end of Skylark Airport. It is not yet known whether Aleszewicz's parachute failed during his descent. The other skydiver who was involved in the collision escaped with minor injuries and wasn't identified.

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Robert Joseph Camargo, 49, died in a San Bernardino car accident the night of August 6, 2009 after his car overturned in Wrightwood, California. According to a news report in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Camargo was driving a Mercury east on Highway 2 when he crossed into the westbound lanes and his car rolled over. California Highway Patrol officials are investigating the incident.

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Dorel Juvenile Group is expanding its defective product recall involving its Safety 1st brand of stair gates for children. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, the hinges that hold these stair gates in place can break posing a fall hazard and serious injury hazard to young children, especially if the gate is placed at the top of the stairs. The recent recall is for about 31,500 gates. Another 100,000 gates were recalled in February.

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A 22-year-old Montclair man suffered major injuries in a San Bernardino rollover accident the morning of May 13, 2009. According to a news report in the San Bernardino Sun, the driver was in a Toyota PreRunner heading west on the 10 Freeway near Central Avenue when he lost control and the vehicle rolled over. He was ejected from the Toyota and thrown onto the roadway. The victim was taken to an area hospital with serious personal injuries, California Highway Patrol officials said.

My heart goes out to this young man and his family. I hope and pray that he makes a full and complete recovery from this San Bernardino rollover accident. Please keep him in your prayers.

According to the California's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were five fatal car accidents and 313 accidents involving personal injuries, in Montclair. In San Bernardino County as a whole, 308 fatalities and 9,920 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of car accidents.

In this case, based on the newspaper report, it is not clear why the man lost control of the Toyota pickup truck. There may have been many reasons why that could have happened such as driver error, a mechanical problem, a car product defect or a dangerous roadway. However, the other question is that why the man was ejected from the pickup. The article does not say that the man was not wearing his seatbelt. If I were a family member I would want to know whether his seat restraint system was working and whether his major injuries occurred because he was ejected and got thrown on the roadway.

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A man was killed in an Orange rollover accident the morning of May 8, 2009 on the 241 toll road near Santiago Canyon Road, The Orange County Register reports. California Highway Patrol officials said the white Honda Accord rolled over several times, ended up in the center median and caught fire. The driver, who was the sole occupant of the car, was partially ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver has not yet been identified.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of this fatal car accident victim for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. My heart goes out everyone who knew and loved this man. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to the California Highway Patrol's 2007 traffic accident statistics, there were 10 deaths and 814 injuries involving car accidents in Orange. In Orange County, there were 178 fatalities and 14,185 injuries involving car accidents in 2007. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that on an average about 10,000 people die in rollover crashes in the United States each year.

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Two women suffered injuries in a Riverside rollover accident after a van collided with a car while making a turn, The Desert Sun reports. Cathedral City police officials say that the Cathedral City car accident occurred when a Mazda MPV minivan traveling east on Ortega Drive the afternoon of May 6, 2009 made a left turn in front of a Chrysler Le Baron at the intersection of Cathedral Canyon Drive and Ortega Road. The minivan apparently halted at the stop sign and then made the left turn into the path of the Le Baron. The Le Baron broadsided the minivan, which flipped and landed upside down on its roof trapping the female driver. She was trapped for 10 to 15 minutes before she was extricated by Cathedral City firefighters. Both drivers were taken to a local hospital with personal injuries.

I'm relieved that neither driver suffered major personal injuries in this car accident. I wish them both the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were seven fatalities and 126 injuries involving car crashes in Cathedral City. In 2007, in Riverside County, 279 fatalities and 9,925 personal injuries were reported as a result of Riverside car accidents.

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Jose Diaz Lopez, 20, of San Juan Capistrano, was killed in a Newport Beach truck accident on the 73 Freeway the morning of May 1, 2009, the Daily Pilot reports. Lopez apparently lost control of a white 2003 Ford F350 truck that he was driving and crashed into the guard railing on the freeway near Newport Coast Drive. California Highway Patrol officials say the truck was traveling about 65 mph when it went out of control. Eyewitnesses who saw the Orange County truck accident are saying that the truck began swerving from left to right until it eventually crashed into the right shoulder.

Lopez was pinned under the truck and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Jose Luis Arevalo Flores, a passenger in the Ford truck, suffered minor cuts and swelling. He was taken to an area hospital where he received treatment for his personal injuries.

My heart goes out to the family of young Jose Diaz Lopez for their tragic loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them. Please keep them in your prayers.

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Susan Jacobson, 52, suffered serious personal injuries the afternoon of April 21, 2009 in a SUV rollover accident after she lost control of her 1997 Ford Explorer on the Interstate 15, according to a 10news report. California Highway Patrol officials said Jacobson's Ford Explorer went out of control for unknown reasons on the freeway in the Rainbow area. The SUV then struck the guardrail, a tree on the shoulder, rolled over and tumbled down a 40-foot embankment. Jacobson was airlifted to a local hospital where she is receiving treatment for to her ribs, face and severe neck injuries.

My heart goes out to Susan Jacobson who has been severely injured in this Southern California SUV rollover accident. I hope her injuries were not catastrophic. I wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 traffic accident statistics, there were 268 traffic and car fatalities and 14,641 personal injuries involving traffic accidents in San Diego County.

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National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials have concluded that driver fatigue and lack of federal safety standards protecting bus passengers contributed to the fatalities and catastrophic injuries in the January 2008 Utah bus rollover accident. These findings assume even more significance after this week's Soledad California bus crash, which killed five and injured dozens. The fatal Utah bus accident, which was the subject of this NTSB study, occurred when an Arrow Stage Lines chartered bus taking skiers home to Arizona from Utah ran off a winding road and rolled down an embankment. The impact split open the bus' roof and threw some passengers 100 yards. Nine were killed and 43 were injured. In the recent Central California bus crash, the bus split in half and passengers were thrown from an overpass to the freeway below.

The NTSB's findings, in my opinion, warrant immediate response. I join my friends at the American Association for Justice (AAJ) in their call to transportation regulators to review pending pre-Obama administration regulations and open new rulemaking proceedings to enhance commercial transportation safety measures for both big rigs and buses. These pending safety regulations include on-board electronic recorders to monitor a driver's hours of operation and prevent fatigue, seatbelts, stronger roofs and windows. The NTSB has been calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to enact these regulations for nearly a decade.

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Fatal California Interstate 80 Bus Accident

One person, identified as 25-year-old Pablo Olivas of Reno, was killed in a California bus accident near Truckee, and 30 other people were injured after a bus transporting employees of the Resort of Squaw Creek rolled over on the westbound Interstate 80 near Reno, the morning of April 4, 2009. According to the Reno Gazette Journal, the bus was traveling west on the I-80 when the bus drifted over to the right shoulder and struck the guardrail, overturning into the ditch. California Highway Patrol officials said the bus rolled over at least once and came to rest on its wheels. At least 30 passengers were taken to hospitals in Reno and Truckee and at least four injury victims suffered serious injuries.

The bus apparently runs seven days a week transporting employees from Reno to the Squaw Valley resort. Officials said the people on the bus were all Reno residents and worked in the food and beverage and housekeeping departments at the resort. CHP officials are still investigating this California bus crash.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Pablo Olivas who died in this tragic bus accident. My heart also goes out to the injured victims who were all on their way to work. I wish all the injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

According to the Department of Transportation's bus accident statistics, there were 322 bus crash fatalities and 15,888 injuries nationwide in 2007. In California alone, 40 deaths and 1,307 injuries were reported as a result of bus accidents in 2007.

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Seven Chinese tourists were killed and 15 others were injured after a tour bus overturned on a highway near the Hoover Dam in Dolan Springs, Arizona, on January 30, 2009. According to this Associated Press news report, the fatal bus accident occurred about 190 miles northwest of Phoenix. The driver of the bus apparently lost control of the vehicle. The bus was traveling north on the U.S. 93 when it veered left and then right across the median. It rolled over at least once before coming to a stop.

Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said all but one of the fatally injured victims was ejected from the bus. The bus driver was also said to be in critical condition. The tourists on the bus were Chinese nationals who had arrived in San Francisco from Shanghai. The Chinese Government is yet to release the names of the victims. There were a estimate of 15 to 20 passengers in the bus. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials are investigating the cause of the crash.

I offer my deepest condolences to the families of these victims, who were killed in this tragic bus accident. I also pray for those who were injured in this crash. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Here was a group of people who’d come to the United States to travel and have a good time. It’s heartbreaking! Please keep these victims and their families in your prayers.

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