Car Defects

Evert Walker, 24, of Lake Forest, was killed in an Orange County car accident after he lost control of his vehicle and crashed. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal car accident occurred early morning on January 14, 2012 on the 73 Toll Road in San Juan Capistrano. California Highway Patrol officials say Walker's Dodge Dakota veered to the left of the roadway, crashed into a guardrail and a raised concrete pole base, before catching fire. Officials are still looking into the cause of this fatal crash. Anyone with information is asked to contact CHP officials at 949-487-4000.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an auto defect recall for 2011 and 2012 model year Ford F-Series pickup trucks, which apparently have defective automatic transmission interlocks. NHTSA officials say the faulty transmission interlocks can be found in about 16,091 pickup trucks. Drivers can shift the trucks from "park" into rear without stepping on the brakes increasing the risk of car accidents or even injury to nearby pedestrians.

These auto defects are also in violation of federal safety standards. The recall affects the 2011 model year Ford F-150 pickup trucks and 2012 model year Ford F-250, F-350, F-450, and heavy duty F-550 trucks, all manufactured last September. Ford will start notifying owners to bring their recalled trucks to dealerships. The affected brake shift interlock switches will be inspected and replaced at no cost to consumers.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an auto defect recall for certain Nissan 2010 and 2011 model year sedans because of vehicle defects that could potentially cause the vehicles to stall or crash. According to Consumer Reports, about 33,800 cars are involved in this recall. NHTSA reports state that these vehicles may have faulty battery terminals that cause an unexpected engine stall while the cars are in motion. Also, the defect may prevent an engine restart, increasing the risk of a car accident.

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Lola J. Matson, 31, of Vista, was killed in a Riverside car accident after she lost control of her vehicle, which rolled over several times and ejected her. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the fatal rollover accident occurred during the early morning hours of December 15, 2011. Police say Matson was driving a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer south on Winchester Road in Murrieta, near the French Valley Airport, when she suddenly turned left, went over the center median and hit the east curb line. The car rolled over several times and went down an embankment. Matson was ejected from the vehicle. She was transported to a local hospital where she died. An investigation is ongoing.

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Ford Motor Company and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have issued an auto defect recall for 2010-2011 model year Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans because of defective wheel studs. According to Consumer Reports, the vehicles involved in this recall may have defective wheel studs that can break and cause the wheels to separate from the cars, increasing the likelihood of a car crash. This problem could involve as many as 128,615 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan cars that are equipped with 17-inch steel wheels.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an auto defect recall involving approximately 7,365 Nissan Rogue vehicles due to power steering issues. According to a report in Consumer News, the vehicle recall involves Rogue crossover vehicles manufactured from August 2010 to October 2010. The report states that the electric power steering circuit board was installed improperly. This manufacturing defect puts an additional strain on the circuit board, and could result in a sudden loss of power steering, if the board breaks.

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The Newport Beach personal injury law firm of BISNAR CHASE has filed two auto products liability lawsuits against Nissan on behalf of one plaintiff who was rendered a permanent paraplegic, and family members of another victim who was killed. Both were involved in California car accidents where Nissan's defective seatbacks collapsed and caused the catastrophic and fatal injuries. The defective car seats in the Nissan vehicles in which these victims were traveling were the primary cause of the catastrophic injury and fatality.

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A 50-year-old Cypress woman was killed in a Riverside car accident after the Ford Explorer she was driving blew a tire and overturned in the center median. According to a CBS news report, the fatal rollover crash occurred on the 15 Freeway near Corona, the night of November 11, 2011. The woman was traveling at about 70 mph when the Explorer's right rear tire blew out. She lost control of the vehicle, which then rolled over. The woman was ejected from the SUV. Officials suspect she was not wearing her seatbelt. The woman's husband, who was a passenger in the front seat, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

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A motorcycle officer has been injured in a Newport Beach car accident, which occurred at a street intersection. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury motorcycle accident occurred the morning of August 1, 2011 at the intersection of Jamboree Road and San Joaquin Hills Road. California Highway Patrol officials, who are investigating the incident, say the collision involved the motorcycle and a late model silver Mercedes four-door sedan. The officer was taken to a local hospital with a leg injury. An investigation is ongoing.

I sincerely hope the officer in this case has not suffered major injuries. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

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A woman was killed in an Orange County car accident when her Toyota Camry crashed down an embankment, the afternoon of June 22, 2011. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal car crash occurred on Paseo del las Colinas at Star Drive in Laguna Niguel. The Camry was reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed when it jumped the curb, went over a fence, down an embankment and fell onto train tracks. The woman was pronounced dead at the crash site. At least one vehicle was sideswiped before the car left the roadway. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the crash and why the woman appeared to not brake during the accident.

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