Category: Product Injury
November 4, 2021 / Product Injury
Sunbeam Crock-Pot Recall
Burned by a Sunbeam Crock-Pot? – You May be Entitled to Compensation When you buy a product and use it as intended, you don’t expect it to injure you; too often, though, products we assume are safe fail and cause major injuries or even death. Victims may be left with high medical bills and physical and mental pain and suffering, and be unable to work. In cases like these, when someone has been harmed by using products that should have been safe, a product liability attorney can fight for compensation for the damages the defective product caused. An example of a defective product that has harmed consumers, is the Sunbeam Crock-Pot. On November 24, 2020, Sunbeam voluntarily recalled more than 900,000 Crock-Pot multi-cookers due to a[...]
September 3, 2018 / Product Injury
Dangerous Hope Chests
Do you have a cedar chest, otherwise known as a “hope chest,” in your home? Perhaps you inherited it, or maybe you bought it secondhand. If you have children in your home, pay close attention to the following recall. They could be at great risk. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants everyone who has a cedar chest in their home to check and see whether it is a “Lane” or “Virginia Maid” brand chest. These chests manufactured between 1912 and 1987 have been recalled because, when the lid closes, it locks automatically. It is this flaw that has suffocated 14 children who have gotten trapped inside. A few cases stand out: During 2001 alone, three St. Louis, Missouri, kids suffocated together in a chest, and[...]
July 9, 2018 / Product Injury
Death from a “Mech Mod” Vape Pen
It’s been noted previously that e-cigarettes can explode, usually because of the lithium-ion (LI) battery in use. A number of e-cigarette accidents have taken place with horrific results. But in May, 2018, a vape pen malfunction meant death in St. Petersburg, Florida, where a man was found burned on 80 percent of his body. It is believed to be the first death directly attributed to a vape pen or e-cigarette. But it wasn’t the burns that killed him. He died because the force of the explosion drove two pieces of the vape pen into his skull. The man was using something called a mechanical mod vape pen, or a “mech mod.” Mech mods are frequently used by more experienced vapers, but they expose a person to more hazards. What Are E-Cig[...]
December 20, 2017 / Product Injury
There’s Danger Brewing in the Kitchen
Most of us wouldn’t think twice about whether our coffeemakers are unsafe, but surprising developments have come to light about two companies. Keurig Green Mountain, which sells machines that make coffee for you in seconds, has landed in hot water twice. In the most recent case, an insurance corporation is suing Keurig because of a house fire. In the second instance involving 7 million recalled coffeemakers, Keurig must pay $5.8 million because the company delayed recalling the K10 model, which was responsible for seriously burning 90 people. Finally, there was a decision in a Black & Decker coffeemaker carafe case. Liberty Mutual vs. Keurig Green Mountain A fire supposedly caused by a Keurig K70 machine at an Upton, Massachusetts, [...]
December 20, 2017 / Product Injury
The Trouble with Airbags
It’s estimated that roughly a stadium’s worth of people—39,976—were kept alive by frontal airbags from 1987 to 2012. Side airbags with head protection have done their part as well. An Australian study found that the likelihood of upper-body injuries and deaths to drivers was reduced by 61 percent, a percentage similar to an earlier (2006) IIHS study. However, such protection comes at a cost. Even when airbags deploy as they should, you can be injured by them. When airbags deploy improperly, they can severely injure and kill. The Takata-manufactured airbags in many major vehicular brands have been implicated in 19 deaths and more than 180 injuries in the U.S. alone. Airbags can become more likely to rupture with age due to cert[...]
November 28, 2017 / Product Injury
New Standards and 2017 Recalls for Baby Products
As parents, our highest priority is always to protect our children. They trust that we will take the very best care of them. Defective products break that trust. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), nearly 60,000 children under the age of five in 2015 suffered from emergency department-treated injuries caused by nursery products. In the latest figures available for fatalities under the age of five (from 2011 through 2013), approximately 300 children died from nursery products. Nursery products include cribs and mattresses, infant carriers, baby gyms/walkers/exercisers, baby gates, strollers, and many other commonly-used products. We have recent recalls of infant items to inform you about, as well as information con[...]
June 30, 2017 / Product Injury
Recalled Pickup Trucks: Dangerous Vehicles on the Streets of Indiana
Auto recalls in the U.S. hit a record high last year, with more than 50 million vehicles deemed unsafe. A significant percentage of these vehicles, including many best-selling pickup trucks, have not yet been returned to the dealer for repair. This creates a real and ongoing safety hazard for motorists in our state. Traffic accidents occur in various ways. Some result from driver error. The error can be any type of driving mistake, from changing lanes without signaling, to driving while intoxicated. In all such cases, though, the potential victims are limited to those in the immediate vicinity at the time of the crash. Other traffic accidents result from auto manufacturer error. The danger associated with these accidents is broader. D[...]
January 3, 2017 / Product Injury
Baby, It’s Cold Outside—Stay Safe When Using Portable Heaters
Many of us dislike winter and the way it sometimes feels as if we can’t get warm enough. But how pleasant it can be to relax in front of our portable heaters! A lot of us also enjoy the money-saving aspects that allow us to feel warm and comfy without heating our entire home. But these pleasures don’t come without some risks attached. Home heating dangers arise largely from space heaters and open flames, such as fireplaces. While the fires, deaths, and injuries due to open-flame heating went down from 2005 to 2014, deaths, injuries, and dollar losses from heating systems rose nationwide: 47,600 fires 245 deaths 850 injuries $604,200,000 in losses. While these figures include all heating system losses, it is estimated tha[...]
May 18, 2016 / Product Injury
Keyless Equals Dangerous
Do you have a keyless ignition system in your car? It’s likely you do if you drive a newer, higher-end model car. Carmakers from Hyundai to Mercedes-Benz now offer the system in their cars; they are standard issue in 245 automotive models. For those who’ve never experienced keyless ignition, it is also known by some as “push-button-start.” Inside the car is a button you push to start the car—no more ignition key—but the button will not start the car unless you have the proper “smart access” key fob. Here’s how it works: The key fob sends a coded signal at intervals. If the coded signal registers with a computer in your car once it comes within a certain distance range, the computer activates several automotive systems, [...]
April 14, 2016 / Product Injury
E-cigarettes: The Danger Continues
A few months ago we brought the problems of e-cigarettes, or vaping, to your attention. With further local developments, we thought we would revisit the situation, as many folks now use e-cigarettes. While there’s no hard number for how many people are vaping in Indiana, across the U.S. as many as 3.5 million individuals supposedly are using electronic cigarettes instead of the real thing. A large number of these vapers are former cigarette smokers who are trying to cut their risk of lung cancer and other illnesses. Explosions and Injuries Across the U.S. There have been a number of stories involving e-cigarettes and explosions which have resulted in injuries: February, 2016: an Owensboro, KY, resident experienced acute burns on his[...]