The recent recall of more than 200,000 baby cribs manufactured by Graco Cribs has spurred Government officials to consider a wholesale ban on all Drop Side cribs, CNM News Network reports. The dangerous crib design is equipped with a gate-like mechanism that allows the sides to slide up and down, giving parents easier access to their infant.
However, the hardware allowing the side of the crib to slide can occasionally break or detach, causing the drop side to separate entirely from the rest of the crib. If this happens, a hazardous gap can be created between the crib mattress and the drop side. Babies can become wedged in the gap, causing injury, suffocation or strangulation. Thirty-two infant deaths have been attributed to Drop Side crib malfunctions in the last decade, and seven separate recalls of cribs using this design have affected eleven million cribs in the last five years.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the Graco recall and has recommended that parents immediately discontinue use of the cribs and find alternative sleeping arrangements for their children. Tasked with ensuring the safety of consumer products for the general population, the CPSC is extra-vigilant in monitoring products marketed for children’s use because children are especially vulnerable to serious injury and death from unsafe manufactured goods. Of the CPSC’s ten most recently announced recalls, five deal specifically with children’s products.
If your child has been injured by a malfunctioning product, the experienced Los Angeles child product defect attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP will aggressively support your legal rights. Our injury attorneys have extensive experience in product liability litigation and can handle the most complex cases. To learn more about how we can help you obtain the compensation that you deserve, please call (877) 800-1700 today for a free consultation.
A www.wishtv.com article discusses a recent $5.6 million settlement for the children of a single mother and flight nurse member of an Air Evac helicopter rescue team who was killed in a 2008 Indiana helicopter accident. An investigation conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board and research collected by expert air crash investigators determined that the helicopter’s rotor blade cracked because of flaws stemming from the manufacturing of the blade.
As this particular helicopter collision demonstrates, when rotor blades are not designed or manufactured correctly, catastrophic failure of these helicopter components can lead to sudden blade fracture and subsequent fatal or injury accidents. According to the article, the blade split mid-air, causing the helicopter to crash.
Defective helicopter parts are responsible for many catastrophic injury and wrongful death helicopter accidents. Determining whether a design flaw or a manufacturing defect contributed to a helicopter crash requires meticulous investigation and a thorough examination of evidence. Pilot error or a combination of factors can also cause helicopter crashes. Family members who have lost loved ones due to helicopter collisions deserve to know the series of events leading up to the accident. These investigations also play a critical role in the creation of new helicopter manufacturing, operation and maintenance rules and regulations that help prevent future incidents from taking place.
The California helicopter crash attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have obtained several successful case outcomes for helicopter accident victims and family members of fatal helicopter accident victims. Our law firm has built a national reputation in aviation disaster and product liability litigation, lending us the legal knowledge and experience to take on any helicopter crash case. For more information about your legal rights and how the attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP can help you, please visit www.psblaw.com or call 877-800-1700 for a free consultation.
Two big rigs were involved in an accident on Interstate 5 in Castaic on the morning of July 12, 2010, according to an LA Times article. One of the large trucks collided into the rear of the other, causing the closure of three of four southbound lanes and the backup of traffic. One of the big rigs caught fire as a result of the crash. There was reportedly no risk of hazardous material leaks since the truck that caught fire was only carrying bread.
The article does not discuss the exact cause of the collision. However, some of the most common causes of big rig accidents in California and throughout the United States include inexperienced drivers, legal and illegal drug use, traveling too fast, unfamiliarity with the roadway, and driver fatigue. Big commercial truck accidents, especially those that involve more than one big rig, are particularly dangerous, especially for smaller cars on the road.
Truck accident litigation is highly complex and requires a firm that will dedicate substantial resources to investigating and prosecuting cases against negligent truck drivers and trucking companies. The Los Angles truck accident lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have handled numerous truck accident cases and recently obtained the largest verdict ($21 million) for a stroke victim in California history resulting from a truck accident involving a negligent driver. The case was included in the June 28, 2010 edition of The Recorder for the largest California verdicts of 2009. Our dedicated and aggressive Plaintiffs’ firm is prepared to handle any big rig accident case, no matter how serious or complex. Call 877-800-1700 today for a free consultation or visit www.psblaw.com for more information.
In light of the stroke suffered by Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, doctors are now saying that strokes occur more often than we may assume. Even healthy individuals who eat well and exercise regularly are still at risk for suffering a stroke, which can leave a person paralyzed, have adverse affects on speech and motor skills, or cause death.
According to an article by the Los Angeles Times, Dr. David S. Liebeskind of the UCLA Stroke Center says that strokes can affect people of any age and are caused by a number of different factors. It is a common misconception that only elderly people are at risk for a stroke, and he explained that strokes can be triggered by various sporting activities, including even something as simple as a tennis serve or a repetitive swimming motion.
There are several types of strokes that can afflict an individual, each varying in severity and cause. Mild strokes can occur from blood clots. A more severe stroke called a “cerebral hemorrhage” is caused by the failure of an artery in the brain. Studies have also linked migraines to strokes, and according to Dr. Patrick Lyden of Cedars-Sinai Medical Hospital in Los Angeles, those who suffer from debilitating migraines are at higher risk of having a stroke during their lifetime.
Brain injuries and strokes can be catastrophic and lead to drastic changes in a person’s life. Even basic activities can lead to a stroke and the debilitating effects can devastate any family. Traumatic brain injuries can be caused by many things, such as a motor vehicle accident, a blow to the head, gunshot wounds and sports injuries. If a brain injury that causes a stroke is brought about by another person’s negligence or intentional conduct, then the injured individual may be able to obtain compensation to help pay for pain and suffering, medical bills and other damages.
The top California personal injury lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have the knowledge and experience to handle complicated and lengthy brain injury lawsuits. Whether your head injury resulted from an auto accident, a construction accident or a fall due to a dangerous condition, our aggressive legal team will protect your rights and ensure that you receive full and just recompense. Call us today at (877) 800-1700 for a case evaluation.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating a fatal plane accident that killed three people in a commercial strip near the Essex County Airport in New Jersey. According to The Star-Ledger, the investigation to determine the cause of the fiery plane accident could take months. However, preliminary findings reveal that the Cirrus SR22 single-engine plane collided with the ground nose-first at a steep angle. Fortunately, no one on the ground was injured or killed as a result of the plane collision.
While the circumstances surrounding the plane crash have yet to be determined, a spokesman for NTSB stated that a preliminary investigation usually takes five to 10 days and that the cause is not typically determined this early. The plane did not have a “black box” on board that would have recorded conversations in the cockpit, but the NTSB reported that some data may still be accessible on certain components within the plane.
Air travel poses unexpected risks for both pilots and plane occupants. No matter how many years of experience a pilot has, mistakes can happen. In addition, defective airplane components may compromise a pilot’s ability to control the aircraft or otherwise lead to a crash. When a catastrophic injury or wrongful death occurs in a plane accident that is caused by another person’s negligence, compensation may be sought for affected parties.
At Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, our California plane crash lawyers understand the challenges that aviation crash victims and their families must overcome. We have handled aviation disaster cases throughout California, the United States, and globally. To learn more about how we can assist you with your case, please call 877-800-1700 for a free consultation or visit our aviation disaster website, http://www.aviation-disaster-lawyers.com/.
A small plane crash near Lake Isabella – a recreation area about forty miles east of Bakersfield – killed two Bodfish residents just after 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 9, 2010. According to an article by the Bakersfield Californian, the two victims were flying an “ultra light” plane, which reportedly experienced a mechanical problem during flight.
The aircraft took off from Auxiliary Dam campground, and then started to suffer mechanical problems at about 1,000 feet from the ground. The two passengers were ejected from the plane before it crashed into the ground and were found dead at the scene when rescue teams arrived. The wreckage was found on the West Side of Auxiliary Dam Road and Eva Avenue.
What caused the mechanical error in the aircraft is currently unknown; however, the Sheriff’s Office and the National Transportation Safety Board are currently looking into the details of the plane accident in California. Further investigation will reveal if the cause of the crash was due to a mechanical problem, pilot error or poor maintenance.
Family members of aviation wrongful death victims may be able to seek compensation for damages associated with their loss. Manufacturers have a legal responsibility to consumers to ensure that their products are safe. If investigators find that the cause of this incident was due to a mechanical error, then the manufacturer may be held liable. The Los Angeles aviation disaster attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have a proven success record in aviation accident litigation. Please visit www.aviation-disaster-lawyers.com for more information on Panish, Shea & Boyle’s accomplishments or call 877-800-1700 for a free consultation.
The family of a man who was killed on September 23, 2009 by a wrong-way driver in a head-on collision on Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County has been awarded $7 million in a wrongful death settlement. According to a Santa Barbara Independent article, a Verizon employee drove the wrong way onto the freeway after suffering from a diabetic reaction. Before causing the six-car accident that took the life of the minivan motorist, the Verizon employee traveled southbound on northbound lanes for eight miles.
Brian Panish of the plaintiff’s law firm Panish Shea & Boyle LLP represented the deceased man’s family. In the article, Brian Panish states that Verizon knew of the employee’s diabetic condition but failed to do anything about it, and that the employee had a history of diabetic reaction incidents that were not appropriately dealt with by the company. Mr. Panish emphasized the importance of Verizon accepting its responsibility for the crash and his hope that this type of accident will not happen again.
As one of the largest wrongful death settlements on record in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, the $7 million will be divided among five family members with the man’s widow receiving $4 million and his children and grandchildren collecting either $1 million or $500,000 each.
The Los Angeles wrongful death attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have consistently been recognized by various organizations and publications as being among the best plaintiff’s attorneys in the United States. Our aggressive and skilled legal team is dedicated to helping our clients during what can be the most difficult and challenging time in their lives. Please call 877-800-1700 for a free consultation and to learn more about how the attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP can assist you with your case.
