Washington Personal Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Regan Zambri & Long Law Firm : DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire

CNNMoney.com reports that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently recalled 2.1 million cribs, citing defective hardware that can cause children to suffocate. The federal agency "said parents should immediately stop using Stork Craft drop-side cribs, which are made by Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., of British Columbia, Canada," according to the report.  The recall includes about 150,000 Stork Craft drop-side cribs that have a Fisher-Price logo on them, announced the CPSC.

The CPSC has warned that the cribs' drop-side can become detached unexpectedly, creating a gap between the crib wall and the mattress, in which a child can get trapped and either fall or suffocate. The report indicates that there "have been 110 documented incidents of drop-side detachment, including 67 in the United States and 43 in Canada. Among those, four resulted in suffocation and 20 resulted in falls that caused injuries ranging from concussion to bumps and bruises."

This is the second time cribs manufactured by Stork Craft have been recalled.  Earlier this year,  535,000 were recalled due to safety concerns.

Many retailers sold the recalled cribs, including: BJ's Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Meijer, Sears (SHLD, Fortune 500), USA Baby, and Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) stores and online at Amazon.com (AMZN, Fortune 500), Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com (TGT, Fortune 500), and Walmart.com from January 1993 through October 2009.

Please do not use these cribs.  If you have one in your home, disassemble it immediately. 

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire

A Virginia jury just recently awarded $8 million in damages to a woman who suffered severe injuries as a result of being struck by a bus owned by the GRTC Transit System.  The plaintiff now suffered significant chronic pain as a consequence of serious injuries to her spine and shoulder, as well multiple fractures to her hip and pelvis.  Although the jury awarded what it believed was fair, the injured victim of the bus company's negligence will be forced to endure a lifetime of pain and suffering, and will be plagued with physical restrictions forever.

I have represented many people who have been hit by bus and truck operators who have failed to pay attention while operating their large vehicle, altering the lives of innocent people forever.  We encourage employers to carefully screen their employees, so that only good drivers are behind the wheel of such dangerous automobiles.  Employers should continue to test and train their employees throughout their tenure on the job as well. In addition, operators should be given incentives to drive carefully.  People should always be put before profits.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire

The website of KSL-TV of Salt Lake City reports that more than 640,000 pacifiers have been recalled because they pose potentially fatal choking hazards.  According to the report, "The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on Wednesday a voluntary recall of 641,000 'Bobby Chupete' pacifiers." The government "says there is a choking hazard because the pacifiers' mouth guards are too small."

These pacifiers are made in China and imported by Grand World Inc., of Maspeth, N.Y.  To learn more about the recall, please click here.

We urge our readers to immediately stop using these pacifiers and to take them away from children.  Do not leave them in any place where they can be obtained by children either.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire

Teens and their parents are texting fanatics.  That's what a recent study shows.  And it's getting worse.

A report by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project indicates that one out of four (25%) of American cellphone-owning teens ages 16 to 17 text while driving, and "almost half of Americans ages 12 to 17 say they've been in cars with someone who texted while behind the wheel," according to a Washington Post report.

Not surprisingly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that the rate of distracted-driving deaths is highest among drivers below 20 years old.  According to the Post report, "The administration said that 5,870 people died and about 515,000 were injured last year in accidents attributed to distracted driving. Twice as many fatalities, 11,773, were attributed to drunken driving."

Of course, the actual number of accidents caused by texting is likely much higher than what is reported since it is much harder to detect whether someone was texting at the time of the collision.

We need tougher laws that meaningfully punish those who make conscious decisions to distract themselves while placing their own lives and the lives of other in great danger. Tougher laws will also deter would-be texters from doing so behind the wheel.  And parents need to set better examples. If your child sees you text (or use your hand-held phone, or eat) while driving, then he or she will believe it is fine to act so selfishly and dangerously.

Here' s a link to a graphic public service video shown in Britain.  It shows a terrible car crash. The at-fault driver was texting, got distracted, and killed someone.  This video has been widely viewed on the internet, but it has had little impact on teen driving habits. 

I hope teens, and Americans of all ages, learn quickly how dangerous it is to drive while being distracted.  If they don't, more tragic deaths and serious injuries will result.

We encourage our readers to be active in your community to foster change.  Your voices are strong.  Be heard.  Educate your children and fight for tougher laws so that our American roadways can be safer for all people.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire

Marketwatch recently reported that "Toyota Motor Corp. will make changes to gas pedals in certain U.S. models under an agreement with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to a published report, in response to accidents blamed on the accelerators getting stuck to the floor mats."  Nevertheless, Toyota "still maintains that the vehicles are not actually defective. But to settle the potentially image-damaging issue, it will change the gas pedals so they are less likely to get stuck." Reuters covered the story as well.

We believe that it is important for Toyota to make the accelerator pedals as safe as possible.  A stuck accelerator on one car is a serious defect on one car too many, as the lives of those in the car, others driving, and nearby pedestrians are at stake.  The goal should always be to put people over profits.  We are pleased that safety modifications will be made.

To read another of my blog's about a Toyota recall, please click here.

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