Dangerous Products
Oklahoma Single Car Crash Leaves Shawnee Woman Dead
A 70-year old Shawnee woman was killed in a single vehicle crash in Oklahoma when she lost control of her vehicle. According to an article on NewsOK.com, the woman was driving northbound on a county road about five miles north of Earlsboro when the accident occurred. The vehicle caught fire and the woman was trapped inside. Officials say that the driver sustained massive injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. In addition, it was unclear as to whether or not the deceased was wearing a seat belt.
There are a number of reasons that this Oklahoma auto accident could have happened including hazardous road conditions, debris in the road, or perhaps there was a faulty mechanical component on the car. If an investigation determines that a defective vehicle part played a role in the woman’s death, her family could hold the negligent party accountable and seek restitution. Millions of motorists place their trust in auto manufactures and designers to ensure that the vehicles they make are safe, reliable and free of defects. Should this responsibility be overlooked or ignored altogether, serious injury, or, as this accident demonstrates, death, can occur.
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Minimizing the Hazards of Tire Blow-Outs in Oklahoma
During the summertime, most people tend to take more vacations, which usually means driving longer distances than in comparison to the winter months. The increased travel results in greater rates of wear on vehicle tires and engines, and potentially an increased risk of accidents resulting from tire blow-outs.
Transportation authorities have reported that women are more likely to neglect vehicle inspections, especially with respect to the condition of their tires, because they often hold preconceived notions that car maintenance is primarily the concern of a man. Unfortunately, such out-dated notions can increase the risk of danger while driving, since they inhibit women from proactively taking precautions with their vehicles.
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Tire Blow-Out Causes Pushmataha County Crash, Kills Two
A recent Associated Press article reports that a 34-year-old male driver and a 29-year-old female driver were killed in a car accident in Pushmataha County following a tire-blow out from the man’s SUV.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) officials say that when the man’s front driver’s side tire exploded, he lost control of his SUV which went in to the opposing traffic lane. The man’s SUV collided with the woman’s pickup truck.
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Toyota May Have Purposely Delayed U.S. Venza Recall
Toyota Motor Corporation has faced scrutiny for months over its less than forthright decision making when it comes to publicizing vehicle defects. According to the Los Angeles Times, Toyota is now being accused of delaying a product recall involving its Venza vehicles. Reportedly, Toyota recalled the Venza in Canada last December, citing faulty floor mats that could become entrapped as a potential safety hazard. However, Toyota failed to issue the same product recall in the United States until six weeks after the Canadian recall. This prompted some federal regulators to further question Toyota’s accountability in knowing that its vehicles posed a potential risk to consumers.
After failing to recall more than 2 million vehicles due to unintended acceleration issues, federal regulators recently fined Toyota a record $16.4 million. Auto manufacturers have an obligation to thoroughly test automobiles, ensuring that consumers are not placed in harm’s way while operating them. In the event that a defect is discovered, the auto manufacturer must promptly notify consumers of the defect, particularly since failure to do so could lead to personal injury. A failure to notify consumers of any problems associated with their vehicles can be considered negligence, and as such, auto manufactures that have been negligent may be held liable in a court of law.
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Alachua County Woman Awarded Millions for Husband’s Tobacco Death
According to the Winston-Salem Journal, a widow was recently awarded a multi-million dollar settlement to be paid out by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. While a spokeswoman for the tobacco giant revealed that the company plans to appeal the decision, this verdict is nevertheless emblematic of negligent companies being forced to take responsibility when their products have caused harm to consumers. In the above mentioned case, the widow was awarded $5 million in damages and $12.5 million in punitive damages, all because the woman’s husband died from lung cancer, presumably after using R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. products.
Regardless of what type of product a person uses, the company responsible for that product has the obligation to manufacture a product that is free of defect, safe for consumers to use under normal conditions, and does not pose an unreasonable threat to a consumer’s well-being. In instances where a defective or faulty product harms a consumer, or if a product is improperly labeled or lacking an accurate warning notice, the consumer may be able to seek damages from the product’s manufacturer. Negligent manufacturer behavior can take multiple forms, but the most common types stem from the product’s initial design, the way the product is manufactured, and the way in which consumers are warned of potential hazards that a product poses via the product’s packaging and warning labels.
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Toyota Continues to Deny Electronic System Defect in Vehicles
On the heels of Toyota defect recall after recall, Toyota Motor Corporation is sticking by its claim that the issues causing its vehicles to unintentionally accelerate are not related to faulty electronic safety systems. Specifically, Toyota maintains that instances of unintended acceleration are caused either by gas pedals remaining in the depressed position due to an easy-to-fix mechanical problem or faulty floor mats. According to a Reuters.com article, Toyota has discredited outside sources which conclude that the issues surrounding Toyota vehicles may stem from electronic system errors.
Reportedly, Professor David Gilbert, an auto engineering expert at Southern Illinois University, was able to replicate the unintended acceleration scenario in which so many motorists have already been injured or lost their lives. Professor Gilbert did this by manipulating the Toyota vehicles’ electronic throttle control system. However, Toyota Motor Corporation representatives and researchers make the claim that conditions under which the unintended acceleration instances were brought about were hardly indicative of real world driving conditions. Therefore, the results of this study could not be used as evidence that the unintended acceleration issues were being caused by an electronic safety system malfunction.
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