Birmingham Injury Law Blog

Category: Defective product

If You Drive an Older Jeep Cherokee Beware of Gas Tank Vulnerability

Recently, a Georgia jury awarded $150 million to the family of a four-year-old boy killed when a Jeep Cherokee caught fire after a crash. This was in Decatur County near Atlanta and they found that Chrysler acted with reckless disregard in selling the 1999 Jeep with a gas tank mounted behind the rear axle, thus making the vehicle more prone to fire on impact. The child was riding with his aunt when the vehicle was hit from behind by a pick-up truck in March 2012. The tank thereafter leaked...

Christmas Gifts You Should Not Buy for Your Kids

According to a recent paper in the Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, nearly 150,000 kids end up in emergency rooms due to toy-related injuries. More than a third are due to "ride-on" toys such as scooters, bicycles, and skateboards. The others spread the gamut of the toy and play universe. It's reasonable to assume that just because a product is on the shelf does not mean it's good for a child. We deal with personal injury cases of all varieties and many are tragic and often avoidable. So th...

Airbag Recalls Continue to Grow: What Should You Do

Auto news has been filled recently with reporting on defective airbags on 7.8 million vehicles from 10 manufacturers with airbags produced by Tokyo-based Takata Corp. Two more automakers, loath to be in the legal crosshairs, have joined the airbag recall ranks recently, with Ford recalling 200,000 vehicles and Audi a little more than 100,000 for airbag problems. Neither Ford's nor Audi's defects come from Takata, but they underscore how important automakers realize it is to move quickly to f...

Ford Issues Two Vehicle Recalls

Ford Motor Company has issued a recall of about 140,000 of its Escape SUVs.  The recall concerns overheating issues in the cylinder heads of its SUV which may then lead to oil leaks and potentially a fire in the engine compartment.  The problems were identified when Ford noticed a trend in warranty reports of fuel odor and leaks related to the engine compartment fuel lines which were improperly installed during a prior recall. Ford plans on notifying all of the effected vehicle owners by m...

Four Charged in Salmonella Outbreak Plead Not Guilty

It is very rare that food poisoning cases lead to federal criminal indictments.  However, when a company has shown by its actions a complete disregard for consumers and have endangered the health of the public to increase their profits, it will be held accountable by the federal government. In 2009, more than 1,000 people were sickened and several killed by an outbreak of salmonella that originated from the Peanut Corporation of America, a large manufacturer and distributor of peanuts l...

Chocolate-Coated Marshmallow Eggs Recalled

When a child reaches into his basket on Easter morning to discover what candy the Easter bunny left, he won’t find chocolate-coated marshmallow eggs made by Zachary Confections Inc. Last week, the Frankfort, Indiana firm issued a voluntary recall of the marshmallow eggs after testing revealed salmonella in one lot.  As a precaution, the company stated in a press release, all lots of the product are being recalled. The recalled product was shipped on February 20 and 21 to stores in Iowa...

Foster Farms Chicken Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced people in twelve states have been sickened by salmonella infections from raw poultry.  The agency reported the infections were probably caused by poultry from Foster Farms, one of the largest poultry producers in the country. CDC officials report most of the illnesses have occurred in Washington and Oregon, with approximately one-third of those contracting the infection requiring hospitalization.  Health of...

FDA Proposes Sweeping New Food Safety Rules

Aimed at preventing deaths from food-borne illnesses, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing sweeping food safety rules that many experts believe are long overdue. The new rules will require both farmers and food companies to take new precautions against contamination in the growing of and processing of food.  These new regulations are aimed at reducing the estimated 3,000 deaths a year from food-borne illness.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventi...

Energy Drinks’ Health Danger Probed by Food and Drug Administration

A very popular beverage in this country today is the energy drink, a  beverage which supposedly provides the consumer with  mental or physical stimulation. There are many different brands of energy drinks, and all usually contain large amounts of  caffeine, herbal extracts, amino acids and other stimulants. Energy drinks are used by consumers of all ages, but research has shown these drinks to be particularly attractive to the younger set, with  approximately 66% of the ...

900,000 Jeeps Recalled for Airbag Issue

Another manufacturer recall due to airbag safety defects in is the works.  Chrysler is the latest in a long line of automobile manufacturers to issue a recall because of problems with airbags.  Chrysler is recalling 900,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty SUV’s worldwide because of an airbag defect that could potentially cause the airbags to unexpectedly inflate while the vehicles are being driven. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports  the airbag problem in...

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