Product Liability

On January 20, 2010, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of 1.5 million Graco Children’s Products strollers after several reports of stroller hinges severing children’s fingertips. According to a report by the CPSC, the hinges on the canopy of the stroller have the potential to cause lacerations when opened or closed. There have been five reports of severed fingertips and two of fingertips being cut.

The Graco strollers were sold at major retailers including WalMart, Toys R Us and Target from October 2004 to December 2009. Consumers who own Graco Children’s Products strollers are advised to stop using the product immediately.

“It is long past time to re-evaluate our consumer safety procedures and make the needed improvements,” stated a CPSC representative.

This is the second major stroller recall in recent months. In November, the CPSC recalled one million strollers made by Maclaren USA Inc after similar incidents of hinges severing fingers. Following these two recalls, the CPSC stated that it would conduct a comprehensive review of all children’s strollers.

Toy and product defects can cause serious harm to children. The manufacturers of defective products are responsible for alerting consumers if there are any dangers associated with the use of their products. If an unsafe product has injured your child, you may be eligible to recover medical expenses and other financial losses incurred. Contact the San Fernando Valley product liability attorneys at the Mandell Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation. Our attorneys provide care and commitment for victims of accidents or wrongful death resulting from dangerous and recalled products as well as all other product liability cases.

Source:http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-strollers21-2010jan21,0,409322.story

In August 2008, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which expanded the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) budget as well as allotting the commission more tools to prosecute corporations, speed recalls and progress the banning of lead and phthalates in products. Despite these new laws, there are still plenty of toys on the market that are unsafe and may pose a threat to young children.

In the California Public Interest Research Group’s (CALPIRG) 24th Annual Trouble in Toyland Report, several toy cell phones were reported to emit sounds loud enough to cause hearing loss or impairment in young children. Even though toys containing the toxic chemicals lead and phthalate were restricted this year, a few toys slipped through the cracks. Lead is a potent neurotoxin that can lower children’s IQs as well as set the stage for a variety of other health problems. The negative health effects of phthalates are also severe.

A pre-school book available in stores had 20 times the legal level of lead. Another hazard is jewelry that also contains high levels of lead. This year alone, the CPSC has recalled 1.3 million toys due to violations of the lead paint standard.

These product defects can cause serious harm to children and even death. If an unsafe toy has injured your child, you may be able to recover medical expenses and other financial losses caused by the unsafe toy incident. Call the Mandell Law Firm at (818) 886-6600 for a free and comprehensive consultation with one of our experienced San Fernando Valley product liability attorneys.

Source:http://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/nov/24/consumer-group-says-many-unsafe-toys-are-being-sol/

Toyota has recalled four million vehicles in the United States in order to replace accelerator pedals. The vehicles being recalled are Toyota’s 2007-2010 Camry and 2004-2009 Prius, America’s best-selling passenger car and hybrid, the 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and several others. The U.S. government has reported that at least five deaths, two injuries and 100 cases are attributed to the acceleration pedals getting stuck because of faulty floor mats.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the floor mats are slightly longer than normal and could lock or cover the accelerator pedal. The case that shed light on the problem occurred last August in San Diego and involved the deaths of a California Highway Patrol officer and three family members. The accelerator pedal jammed causing the car to reach 120 mph. The vehicle then hit another vehicle, launched forward, rolled several times and ultimately burst into flames. The Japanese company has also extended the recall to Canada for 209,000 vehicles.

Manufacturers are under strict liability for their products and are responsible for any injuries sustained should their items be rendered defective or hazardous. In the above case, the victims’ family is entitled to compensation for wrongful death on four accounts and any other expenses relating to the accident, if a court of law rules that the defective product caused the accident.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured or affected by Toyota’s defective floor mats, contact an experienced Northridge product liability attorney at the Mandell Law Firm today. Our team of skilled lawyers will discuss your case, explaining your rights to compensation. Call (818) 886-6600 today for a free consultation.

Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gmKb2aKeW8fLflBGV0NNnp582M8Q