Defective Products

Auto defects have been known to cause fatal and catastrophic injury. For some drivers this may come as a shock. The reality is that an auto defect could cause serious harm to you or a loved one when you least expect it.

Why Do Auto Defects Happen?

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The pharmaceutical liability attorneys at BISNAR | CHASE have represented numerous victims of defective drugs -- people who have themselves been seriously injured or those who have lost loved ones as a result of severe or adverse drug effects. Now, we all know that all drugs have some type of side effect or other. We are prepared to deal with minor issues or effects, for instance, nausea, dry mouth or a stomach upset. However, year after year, we come across drugs that are not properly tested to begin with, that are hastily put on our store shelves and in pharmacies. Read the rest »

The California personal injury lawyers at Bisnar | Chase have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against General Motors, GMC Truck Division; Takta Restraint Systems, a seatbelt manufacturer and Dave Smith Motors, a Wyoming car dealer. The auto product liability lawsuit we have filed on behalf of our client alleges that General Motors and the co-defendants acted with callous disregard for the safety of Joanna Campbell, who died in a rollover car accident while riding in a GMC sport utility vehicle. We have filed this lawsuit on behalf of Paula Savino for Campbell's surviving adult children. We are seeking compensatory and punitive damages on the family's behalf.

The fatal rollover accident occurred July 10, 2007 when Carmen L. Todd lost control of her 2002 GMC Yukon Denali on Interstate 90 in Wyoming. The SUV rolled over, crushing its roof and causing it to cave in. Campbell, who was a passenger, was partially ejected. She suffered a severe skull fracture, which proved to be fatal. Our auto product liability attorneys are alleging in the lawsuit that the seatbelt manufacturer and car dealer sold this SUV without warning consumers about its defective and unsafe seat restraint system. Read the rest »

Applica Consumer Products Inc. is recalling 584,000 Black & Decker Spacemaker Coffeemakers because of a serious burn hazard. According to a consumer alert released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Applica Consumer Products issued a voluntary product recall for these defective coffeemakers because its brew basket can shift out of alignment allowing hot water to overflow. This poses the risk of serious burn injuries and scalding to consumers. So far, the company has received 235 reports of hot water overflowing and burning consumers. There were 10 reports of consumers suffering second-degree burns. Read the rest »

Many defective product attorneys have received word of product liability found in recalled strollers. The company Bugaboo is recalling about 22,500 defective strollers because of possible stroller brake failures. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, Bugaboo has already received 121 reports of brakes failing in its Bee brand strollers. However, so far, no personal injuries have been reported as a result of this product defect. Bugaboo Bee strollers have the item code "580210" on a label on the back of the seat and the item code "50100" on a label on the plastic support under the seat. The strollers were apparently sold in various colors including blue, khaki, pink, red, yellow and black. The strollers, manufactured in Taiwan, were sold at children's product retailers nationwide and online between August 2007 and April 2009 for about $530.

Those who own or use these recalled stroller product are asked to stop using them immediately and contact Bugaboo to receive a free repair kit. For more information, please call the company at 1-800-460-2922. Read the rest »

Skywalker Holdings has recalled 60,000 defective trampoline products because the enclosure can fail resulting in a fall hazard and serious personal injuries. According to news article in Consumer Reports, the company has received at least 250 reports of support straps that connect the top of the enclosure to the poles, breaking. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission officials say that so far no injuries or deaths have been reported as a result of these product defects.

This product recall includes a 13-foot square trampoline and enclosure combination, which has blue spring pads, a black net enclosure and a jumping mat. The name "Skywalker Holdings" is printed on a label located under the jumping mat. These defective trampolines were made in China and sold at specialty stores and major retailers nationwide and online from January 2007 through February 2009 for between $400 and $600. If you own one of these defective products and have questions, please stop using it immediately and call 1-866-603-5867 for a free repair kit. Read the rest »

Recent reports have pointed to serous product liability on a coffee and tea brewer. Bunn-O-Matic is recalling about 35,600 single cup pod coffee and tea brewers because the pod drawer of the brewer can open unexpectedly during a brew cycle, posing a serious burn hazard to consumers. According to a report in Consumeraffairs.com, Bunn-O-Matic has so far received 10 reports of the drawer opening unexpectedly, including one report of burn injuries.

This product defect recall apparently involves Bunn Single Pod Brewers. The models included in this defective product recall are MCP and MCA. The pod brewers have a black body with stainless backsplash and measure 12 inches high by 8 inches wide. The brand name "Bunn" is printed on the front and lights up when the pod brewer is on. Read the rest »

Car defect attorneys have noted a Jaguar recall. Jaguar will recall about 15,000 of its 2004 XJ models because of concerns about a possible condition that could lead to a defective braking system and result in a car accident. According to a report in Consumeraffairs.com, company officials said that a noise reduction pad fitted to the under tray could contribute to a build-up of water and dirt, which could cause corrosion of the brake pipes. That could in turn, lead to the braking circuits failing, possibly causing a complete loss of braking.

When the car recall begins later this month, dealers will remove the pad and inspect the brake pipes for any rust and/or corrosion, free of charge. If you own one of these recalled vehicles and have questions, please call Jaguar at 1-800-452-4827. You may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236 for more information about this product recall.

I'm glad that Jaguar decided to recall these defective cars to rectify the potential dangerous issue with the brakes. Brake defects are extremely serious because we depend on our car's brakes to be able to stop. If the brakes fail or do not functions as they are supposed to, then the chances for a car accident increase exponentially. The sudden lack of braking function could lead to a catastrophic crash. Hundreds are killed in California each year because of defective brakes with problems that include premature lock-up, ABS failures, brake-line defects or brake fluid leaks. Corrosion of the brake pipes, as in the case of these defective Jaguars, can also lead to brake failure.

Many people in the United States are also seriously injured because of defective parking brakes. In fact, Bisnar | Chase is spearheading a $350-million car product defect class action lawsuit against General Motors on behalf of a Texas law firm. The lawsuit alleges that GM installed defective emergency brakes in several models of GM trucks and sport utility vehicles. For more information, about this class action lawsuit, please read this defective emergency brake lawsuit post.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a defectively manufactured or defectively designed car product, please contact a reputed California car product defect law firm with the resources to have the crashed cars analyzed by experts for evidence of product defects or mechanical malfunctions. It is the responsibility of car manufacturers to design and make a safe product for consumers. When they don't fulfill that responsibility, it is the consumer who suffers the tragic consequences.

Team-Tex America is recalling certain Babyride Infant child restraint systems (Model 374199) because the belt routing label with the "horizontal reference line" is incorrectly placed on the child restraint system. According to a report in the Auto Channel, these improperly routed belts could result in personal injury to the child during a crash. These defective child car seats were manufactured on December 18, 2008. Team-Tex has said that it will notify owners and mail labels along with instructions for proper placement of the label. This safety recall is expected to begin later this month. Anyone in need of more information is asked to contact Team-Tex at 1-877-912-1313.

Hundreds of children die each year in the United States because the child car seats are not properly placed in the vehicle. When that happens, children are not protected in the event of a car crash. But that said, any child car seat is still better than no car seat at all. Car seats save young lives just as seatbelts save thousands of lives each day in the United States. However, when these child car seats have defective parts, misleading information or mislabeling, then it becomes tough for parents to protect their children in the event of an car accident.

Defective baby seats have led to numerous personal injuries and deaths during traffic collisions and the manufacturers who produce such defective products must be held liable. Some of the product defects that may occur in baby seats include loose shoulder straps, flimsy parts, lack of proper pelvic protection, which allows the child to slide down in the seat during a car accident.
If your child has been injured or killed as a result of a defective child car seat, you should consult aggressive California product defect lawyers, who will protect your legal rights and recover the maximum monetary compensation for your losses. At Bisnar | Chase, our goal is not just recovering money, but also to right a wrong and help facilitate a process where manufacturers are forced to improve the quality of the products they design and make. We want to remind them that safety is not an option. It should be their top priority.

A car product defect that caused a Los Angeles bus fire on April 23, 2009 injured 27 people in suburban Calabasas, according to an Associated Press report. The Commuter Express was heading north on Highway 101 a few miles northwest of Los Angeles when it caught fire. The driver noticed flames and smoke coming from the rear of the bus. The driver pulled over and the 37 passengers aboard the bus were able to escape. However, 26 people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation while one woman was taken to the hospital for further observation. The cause of this fire is under investigation. Officials say it started in the engine compartment and may have been caused by a mechanical malfunction.

It is indeed a relief that this Calabasas California bus accident did not turn out to be catastrophic. With 37 passengers on board and flames shooting out, the bus could have crashed on the freeway, which would have made the personal injuries far more serious. Smoke inhalation, is however, not to be taken lightly. I wish all the injured passengers the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

What is smoke inhalation? Basically, it happens when you breathe in smoke from a fire, Breathing in a large amount of smoke can be dangerous because it can burn your throat and airways. Sometimes, smoke from a fire has poisonous gases in it which can cause breathing problems. Some of the most common symptoms of smoke inhalation include upset stomach, vomiting, headache, inability to speak or sore throat, drowsiness, headache and confusion.

I would be curious to find out what caused the mechanical malfunction in this bus that triggered the fire. Was it a car product defect or a mechanical problem caused by poor maintenance or just lack of maintenance? When a car accident is a result of a product defect, the auto product manufacturer can be held liable for the car collision and personal injuries caused. When a bus accident is caused by negligence on the part of a driver or a bus company (which includes lack of proper vehicle maintenance), the bus operator could be held liable. If you have been injured in a California bus accident, please contact experienced California bus accident attorneys to find out more about your legal rights and options.