The Houck sisters were killed when the steering in the PT Cruiser they were driving failed. The car crossed the center median and hit a big rig traveling in the opposite direction.
Two years ago, we wrote about the jury’s $15 million verdict against Enterprise Rent-A-Car in connection with the girls’ deaths. As it turns
The popularity of ATVs has grown tremendously over the years, reaching 9.5 million vehicles in 2007. Accordingly, the rate of traumatic brain and spinal injuries resulting from ATV accidents has also risen, especially in children. Between 1982 and 2007, nearly 9000 riders died in ATV accidents and approximately 40% of them were children under age
Last month Judge Swigert, of Florida, overturned a jury verdict in Ford’s favor. The judge decided that that Ford had systematically concealed more than 30 years of data related to the problem of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and unintended acceleration (UA). The Judge’s 51-page decision lists Ford’s bad acts which include:
Who is more impaired – a drunk driver or a driver conversing on a hands-free phone? According to a University of Utah study and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it’s the driver conversing on the hands-free phone.
The University of Utah study showed that when controlling for driving conditions and
A parent can sometimes be liable for the harm his or her minor child causes to others.
Here are some situations in which, in California, a parent is automatically liable:
Does the recent NASA report spell trouble for the plaintiffs’ attorneys in the Toyota Unintended Acceleration Litigation?
No. Electronic malfunction was not the sole theory relied upon by victims of unintended acceleration. The strategy in most product defect litigation is (1) identify an aspect of the products design that caused the injury; and (2) show
Your tire is losing air. You drive to the gas station and learn you’ve "picked up a nail." The guy says he can fix the tire in 10 minutes with a "plug." He doesn’t even have to take the tire off the rim. Ten bucks. Wow. Sounds pretty good. And what’s the worse thing that can
What, exactly, does the the widely publicized NASA report say about whether 
Toyota’s unintended acceleration problems are caused by faulty electronics? According to DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, the NASA report concludes that there is "no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration."
But the consumer group Safety Research & Strategies, Inc. does not believe the
When a car shopper asks for a list of "must – have" safety features, I always mention air conditioning. That usually gets a chuckle.
How is an air-conditioner a safety feature? Simple. Half the people killed in rollover accidents were ejected — often through an open window. When windows are kept closed, occupants have a
A vehicle spins out on a wet road or highway. It crosses the median divide and ends up in oncoming traffic. If the vehicle is an SUV or van, it may even roll.
The driver wasn’t speeding. And the road may have been perfectly straight. So what happened? Just another hydroplaning accident? Driver error? Maybe.
