More on Recalls
This week, one of our partner's cars was on the recall list. Is your car affected, too? An automotive recall is a way for a manufacturer to tell you that there could be something about your car or truck that presents a risk of injury or property damage. And if you want to drill down to the very core of the issue, automotive recalls are intended to fix known problems with vehicles in an effort to keep roadways safer. Car wrecks are the number-one killer of Americans under the age of 34, and a staggering 42,000 deaths are recorded each…
Cycling Crash on Tracks Results In Traumatic Brain Injury
A woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury when she crashed her bicycle on the newly installed streetcar tracks has filed a claim against the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). Attorneys for Angel Welch sent notice of her personal injury claim to the RTA and city-owned Sun Tran transit service earlier this year, saying they'll settle for $3 million. State law requires claims to be noticed within 180 days for a specific amount (which needs to be the maximum the injury might warrant) against governmental entities. The crash happened in August as Welch was turning south from Congress Street onto…
Forklift Dangers
Forklifts are one of the most frequently used pieces of equipment in the U.S., with an estimated 856,000 forklifts (also known as “lift trucks” or “powered industrial trucks”) in operation at any given time. So it stands to reason that forklift accidents are among the leading cause of injuries on construction and industrial sites. In Arizona, forklift accidents are frequent – and sometimes fatal. The most common forklift injuries include: • Vehicle tip-overs, crushing the operator • Crushing injuries to a worker between the vehicle and another surface • Crushing injuries to a worker between the forklift and another vehicle…
Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (P&SS Act) takes its name from Virginia Graeme Baker, a young girl who drowned after she was trapped under water by the powerful suction from a hot tub drain. A twin and the youngest of five, 7-year-old Graeme, as her family called her, was the daughter of Nancy and James Baker IV, the son of former Secretary of State James Baker III. A member of her community swim and diving team, Graeme was able to swim without assistance since she was 3 years old. In June 2002, Graeme became stuck to…
Ford Unintended Acceleration
A multistate lawsuit filed Thursday says 2002-10 Ford Motor vehicles contain a "design defect" in the electronic control of the gas pedals, making them susceptible to sudden, unintended acceleration. The lawsuit filed on behalf of Ford owners in 14 states is seeking class-action status and goes into great detail about the alleged defect in the models named in the lawsuit that don't have brake override technology. That technology stops the car if both the brake and the gas pedal are activated at the same time. Ford began installing it, known as "brake over accelerator," in all vehicles it makes in…