A door latch may seem to be a relatively unimportant auto part. In fact, it is an integral component of an automobile's safety systems. Not only can a door latch failure compromise the structural integrity of an automobile, it is the likeliest cause of occupant ejection during an accident. The likelihood of suffering a serious injury or death increases considerably when one is ejected from an automobile during an accident.
An automobile occupant who is ejected during a rollover accident, for instance, risks striking a tree or being crushed by his or her own vehicle, often resulting in broken bones, spinal, or head injuries. This type of eventuality could have been and can be prevented with properly functioning door locks and latches.
But for a victim of such an auto accident to prove that the automaker improperly manufactured or designed the car door or door latch is quite another matter. In order to receive compensation in a lawsuit, the following elements may need to be proven:
* The door latch failed during the accident
* The door latch failed to meet National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) crashworthiness standards
* The door failed as the result of a weak or malfunctioning door latch
* The door failure caused you or your loved one a serious or fatal injury
Several automakers are facing lawsuits for improperly designed or manufactured door latches responsible for causing serious injuries in auto accidents. About 100 people have been injured or killed after being ejected from GM vehicles whose "type III" door latches failed. Mitsubishi Motors has been found to have omitted evidence regarding door latch failures in its vehicles. Chrysler has settled cases involving defective door latches.
More notably, from 1997 to 2000, the Ford Motor Company equipped F-150 and F-150 trucks, Expeditions, and Lincoln Navigators with substandard door latches made by Donnelly Corp. A recall was scheduled for March, 2000 so that the torque of the latch springs could be increased. The recall was not only subsequently cancelled, owners of vehicles with the defective door latches were not notified of the potential hazard.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Defective Airbags Lawyers
Thanks to better airbag technology, increased use of seat belts, and more infant and children being placed in the back seat of automobiles, airbag-related injuries and deaths have continued to drop.
But while newer cars and trucks have the best airbag records, defective airbags have killed 264 people since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began keeping a record of airbag-related fatalities. And airbags continue to kill and injure people, even those in the newest automobile models.
In addition to frontal airbags, which inflate to prevent passengers from impacting the interior of the vehicle in a frontal crash, side-impact airbags have been introduced to help protect a passenger’s head and chest in a side-impact collision. Chest SABs are mounted in the door or in the side of the seat, and head SABs are typically mounted on the roof rail. SABs differ from frontal airbags in that in order to provide additional protection, they remain inflated for several seconds during the collision.
Most airbags deploy with varying strength depending on location and size of the occupants in the vehicle and whether they are wearing seat belts. Sensors that are built into passenger compartments determine the force of deployment. It is not uncommon, however, for airbags to detonate with over1200 pounds of force at speeds exceeding 230 miles per hour.
While this force often merely results in burns and bruises when an airbag deploys, it can also cause severe injuries such as blindness, or much too often in the case of children or small passengers, even death. Late airbag deployments also have the potential to cause serious injuries and fatalities. Late or unnecessary deployment by SABs with faulty designs can also cause serious injuries.
While the NHTSA estimates that airbags have saved nearly 20,000 lives, problems with airbags that continue to kill and injure people include:
* Untimely deployment – to work properly, an airbag must be fully inflated before making contact with the passenger. A faulty sensor or wiring system design can deploy an airbag at the wrong time
* Deployment in low-speed accidents – some older designs will deploy in a collision at seven to fifteen miles per hour, potentially causing injuries to an unsuspecting passenger. Most newer designs will deploy in collisions at fifteen to eighteen miles per hour
* Lack of tethers – these are straps sewn inside an airbag, which makes it inflate into a flatter pillow shape away from a passengers face. Older designs often lack these
* Horizontal inflation – some SABs inflate directly into the head of a child or shorter person rather than inflating vertically, which keeps the airbag clear of the passengers head
* Deployment with too much force
* Airbag inflates too slow
* Failure to deploy
But while newer cars and trucks have the best airbag records, defective airbags have killed 264 people since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began keeping a record of airbag-related fatalities. And airbags continue to kill and injure people, even those in the newest automobile models.
In addition to frontal airbags, which inflate to prevent passengers from impacting the interior of the vehicle in a frontal crash, side-impact airbags have been introduced to help protect a passenger’s head and chest in a side-impact collision. Chest SABs are mounted in the door or in the side of the seat, and head SABs are typically mounted on the roof rail. SABs differ from frontal airbags in that in order to provide additional protection, they remain inflated for several seconds during the collision.
Most airbags deploy with varying strength depending on location and size of the occupants in the vehicle and whether they are wearing seat belts. Sensors that are built into passenger compartments determine the force of deployment. It is not uncommon, however, for airbags to detonate with over1200 pounds of force at speeds exceeding 230 miles per hour.
While this force often merely results in burns and bruises when an airbag deploys, it can also cause severe injuries such as blindness, or much too often in the case of children or small passengers, even death. Late airbag deployments also have the potential to cause serious injuries and fatalities. Late or unnecessary deployment by SABs with faulty designs can also cause serious injuries.
While the NHTSA estimates that airbags have saved nearly 20,000 lives, problems with airbags that continue to kill and injure people include:
* Untimely deployment – to work properly, an airbag must be fully inflated before making contact with the passenger. A faulty sensor or wiring system design can deploy an airbag at the wrong time
* Deployment in low-speed accidents – some older designs will deploy in a collision at seven to fifteen miles per hour, potentially causing injuries to an unsuspecting passenger. Most newer designs will deploy in collisions at fifteen to eighteen miles per hour
* Lack of tethers – these are straps sewn inside an airbag, which makes it inflate into a flatter pillow shape away from a passengers face. Older designs often lack these
* Horizontal inflation – some SABs inflate directly into the head of a child or shorter person rather than inflating vertically, which keeps the airbag clear of the passengers head
* Deployment with too much force
* Airbag inflates too slow
* Failure to deploy
Defective Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) Lawyers
The anti-lock braking system (ABS) is one of several computer assisted braking systems that have come into widespread use in production automobiles since its adoption in the 1970s. Computer assisted breaking systems have evolved to include not only the ABS function (which prevents the brakes from locking), but also electronic control of the front-to-rear bias (EBD), traction control (TCS or ASR), electronic stability control (ESC, ESP or DSC), and emergency brake assist (EBA, BA or HBA), amongst others.
Electronic Stability Control systems (ESP or ESC) are an evolution of ABS systems. Additional sensors allow the ESP to detect whether the direction the car takes coincides with that intended by the steering wheel. If not, the ESP brakes the necessary individual wheel or wheels so that the vehicle goes in the intended direction.
The continuing advances in brake technologies have dramatically improved braking performance and safety. But if the brakes have design or manufacturing flaws, even the most advanced technologies will not prevent a potentially dangerous situation. And as the complexity of braking systems increases, so does the number of ways they can fail. If the computer malfunctions due to substandard workmanship, for instance, the brakes may engage when they shouldn't. Conversely, the computer may prevent the brakes from functioning at all.
Electronic Stability Control systems (ESP or ESC) are an evolution of ABS systems. Additional sensors allow the ESP to detect whether the direction the car takes coincides with that intended by the steering wheel. If not, the ESP brakes the necessary individual wheel or wheels so that the vehicle goes in the intended direction.
The continuing advances in brake technologies have dramatically improved braking performance and safety. But if the brakes have design or manufacturing flaws, even the most advanced technologies will not prevent a potentially dangerous situation. And as the complexity of braking systems increases, so does the number of ways they can fail. If the computer malfunctions due to substandard workmanship, for instance, the brakes may engage when they shouldn't. Conversely, the computer may prevent the brakes from functioning at all.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Castleberry Botulism Recall Lawyer
On July 23, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised once more that everyone check their kitchen shelves and throw out any of over 90 different canned goods produced at a plant linked to a botulism outbreak. The cans and any food prepared with their contents should be immediately disposed of in double plastic bags.
The products, which are being recalled, include cans of hot dog chili sauce sold under the brand names of Castleberry's, Austex and Kroger, and cans of certain pet foods. For a complete list of the products being recalled, go to the FDA's Web page, "Chili Products (Botulism) Recall."
The recall was triggered by a situation that is especially dangerous because it could involve tens of millions of cans of potentially tainted food that have already been sold. Botulism is also a serious form of food poisoning that can be fatal if not treated immediately.
Symptoms of botulism include blurred vision, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and muscle weakness, and can begin to be experienced from a few hours up to a couple of weeks after eating the contaminated food. As the illness progresses, more serious symptoms may include paralysis of the arms, legs and breathing muscles.
All of the products being recalled were produced by the Castleberry Food Company in Augusta, Georgia. Only the chili sauce products have been linked to the botulinum toxin, which causes botulism, but because the same equipment was used to can other products, the recall was expanded to include all brands that were canned on the same line.
Commercially canned foods are typically heated long enough and at high enough temperatures to kill toxic spores. Dave Melbourne, senior vice president for Castleberry's, confirmed that the chili sauce that was contaminated was undercooked. Melbourne added that "...we [have] agreed to shut down our entire facility in Augusta. We will not process any more food there until the FDA and the USDA agrees it is appropriate to reopen."
The products, which are being recalled, include cans of hot dog chili sauce sold under the brand names of Castleberry's, Austex and Kroger, and cans of certain pet foods. For a complete list of the products being recalled, go to the FDA's Web page, "Chili Products (Botulism) Recall."
The recall was triggered by a situation that is especially dangerous because it could involve tens of millions of cans of potentially tainted food that have already been sold. Botulism is also a serious form of food poisoning that can be fatal if not treated immediately.
Symptoms of botulism include blurred vision, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and muscle weakness, and can begin to be experienced from a few hours up to a couple of weeks after eating the contaminated food. As the illness progresses, more serious symptoms may include paralysis of the arms, legs and breathing muscles.
All of the products being recalled were produced by the Castleberry Food Company in Augusta, Georgia. Only the chili sauce products have been linked to the botulinum toxin, which causes botulism, but because the same equipment was used to can other products, the recall was expanded to include all brands that were canned on the same line.
Commercially canned foods are typically heated long enough and at high enough temperatures to kill toxic spores. Dave Melbourne, senior vice president for Castleberry's, confirmed that the chili sauce that was contaminated was undercooked. Melbourne added that "...we [have] agreed to shut down our entire facility in Augusta. We will not process any more food there until the FDA and the USDA agrees it is appropriate to reopen."
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