Crouse Law Offices. International ⁄ National ⁄ Local Accident Litigators

$1.8M Award Against Hyundai Following Teen’s Death

A jury in San Angelo (Texas) federal court has reached a $1.8 million award against Hyundai Motor Company in favor of the plaintiff – the father of a 19-year-old girl killed in 2007. 

The teenager was a passenger in a car driven by her sister when the car veered off the road and rolled over.  Although she was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, she was thrown out through the back window of the car because her seat was too far reclined.  She was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.  Experts testified a car seat reclined past 45 degrees is unsafe and the safest position for the passenger seat is in the upright position. 

 In filing the lawsuit, the father of the dead girl hopes to call on the auto industry to correct the design which allows a car to be driven with the seat reclined.

 The issue of the reclining seat got national attention in 1988 when the NTSB asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to research the problem. 

If you have been injured or a loved one killed in an auto accident, it’s important to make sure you understand your legal rights. You may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, funeral costs, as well as compensation for wrongful death or permanent disability.  Contact the experienced car accident attorneys at Crouse Law Offices for a free evaluation of your case at 1-919-861-0503 or fill out our confidential online form.

$3.8M Paid To Man Injured In Boating Accident

The Dallas Morning News reports a federal jury has ordered a boat manufacturer to pay $3.8 million to a man who was injured in a boating accident on Lake Austin.

An 18-year-old lost part of his leg while he was wakeboarding on July 4, 2007. The lawsuit alleged the boat, made by the Brunswick Corp., did not have proper safety devices in place to prevent such an accident. The suit claimed the young man’s leg became tangled in the propeller because the boat did not have guards and covers to protect him from becoming stuck in the propeller.

The company is considering an appeal.

North Carolina’s beautiful lakes and coastline present plenty of opportunity to enjoy every type boating and unfortunately, every type of boating accidents which result in personal injury. Crouse Law Firm has the technical and legal experience, both nationally and internationally, to sucessfully handle your personal injury concerns. If you or someone you care about has been injured or killed due to a faulty product, contact us today online or call us at 1-919- 861-0500.

Boating Personal Injury

$33M Awarded In Deadly Accident Due To Faulty Tires

Tire Review reports an Iowa jury has ruled against Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. in a deadly rollover crash in 2007 and awarded seven passengers $33 million.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged a manufacturing flaw in the tires caused the tread separation and the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager minivan carrying the passengers rolled over, killing one passenger, paralyzing another, and injuring the other five.

Cooper denies the tires were at fault and is expected to appeal the verdict.

Crouse Law Firm has the technical and legal experience, both nationally and internationally, to sucessfully handle product liabiltiy cases. If you or someone you care about has been injured or killed due to a faulty product, contact us today online or call us at 1-919- 861-0500.

Car Crash Due To Faulty Tires

Dad Sues Wheelchair Company In Son’s Death

The Boston Herald reports the father of a quadriplegic has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Tennessee based National Seating & Mobility in his son’s death. The father stated the lawsuit is about fair treatment for the disabled.

In December 2007, two technicians from the Tennessee company were in the young man’s home conducting routine repairs on his wheelchair. The technicians neither removed the man from his chair nor did they disconnect the battery while doing the repairs. As the repairmen were working on the electrical wiring, the wheelchair “jumped” pinning the man under the table, injuring his legs and causing him to have uncontrollable seizures.

The 29-year-old man was taken to the hospital by the rescue squad where he died the next day from his injuries. He had been a quadriplegic since a car crash at the age of 17.

The father said any settlement would go to the JPT Foundation, a non-profit foundation he set up in his son’s honor to help people with disabilities.

Crouse Law Firm has vast experience defective and faulty products at home or in the work place, and general negligence – where someone is injured because someone else was not careful. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed due to the negligence of another, please call us at 919-861-0500 or contact us by using our online form.

Wheelchair Negligence

Texas Family Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Toyota

KTRK in Houston reports the husband of a woman killed in a 2009 crash when the gas pedal of her Toyota Corolla malfunctioned is suing the automaker claiming Toyota knew there was a problem, but did not act quickly enough to fix it.

In December, the wife and mother of two was killed instantly when her car raced through a stop sign and crashed into a concrete wall. Her model car later appeared on Toyota’s recall list to fix the problems with the accelerators.

The lawsuit against Toyota, the gas pedal manufacturer, and the local Toyota dealership alleges gross negligence claiming the defective pedal existed at the time the car left the manufacturer.

Crouse Law Offices have the technical and legal abilities to handle negligence and product liability cases. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a car accident caused by a faulty product, please call Crouse Law at 919-861-0500 or contact us online.

Toyota Wrongful Death Lawsuit

U.S. Safety Officials Review Toyota Electronics

Toyota’s electronic throttle systems are cited in seven lawsuits as a possible cause of the sudden acceleration in Toyota’s vehicles, reports Bloomberg, causing the U.S. safety officials to examine this electronic system as well as that of other automakers.

Although Toyota has ruled out electronics as the culprit, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated one of the dynamics in question is whether electromagnetic interference from power lines could affect the computerized systems in today’s vehicles.

As of February 1, Toyota has begun shipping steel plates to U.S. dealers to fix the problem of the gas pedals sticking. The president of Toyota’s U.S. sales stated they know what the problem is and they have the fix.

As of November, 2009, one safety consultant reported more than 2,000 incidents involving the Toyota gas pedal resulting in 16 deaths and 243 injuries.

Crouse Law Offices have the technical and legal abilities to handle negligence and
product liability cases. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a car accident caused by a faulty product, please call Crouse Law at 919-861-0500 or contact us online.

Toyota Gas Pedal Accidents