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Did GM Make A Defective Silverado?

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the family of a Perryton man in the Eastern District of Texas against General Motors for allegedly making a defective vehicle, reports the Southeast Texas Record. 

On June 24, the man was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado when another vehicle pulled out in front of him causing him to hit the rear of a tractor trailer and catch fire.  

The lawsuit accuses GM of manufacturing an unreasonably dangerous and defective vehicle because the vehicle failed to provide proper restraint, failed to prevent ejection from the seating area, failed to maintain survival space and for failing to control and distribute energy. 

The lawsuit further alleges the vehicle was defective because the safety systems failed to perform together like a safety chain and due to the lack of a fuel shut off switch and power shut off switch.

Suit Filed Against Lexus In Carbon Monoxide Death

One of new high-tech features on Toyota’s luxury car, the Lexus, maybe deadly as well as nifty.  The keyless ignition system is being linked to several carbon monoxide poison deaths when people leave the car running in the garage without knowing it because the engine runs so quietly. 

This is the case in the death of a 79-year-old Queens’ attorney, reports the NY Daily News.  In February 2009, his long time companion parked their new Lexus in the attached garage and accidentally left the engine running.  The next day she was found unconscious on the bedroom floor and he was dead from carbon monoxide poisoning.  Although she survived, she is unable to walk and has difficulty speaking. 

In her lawsuit, she accuses Toyota of failing to install a “shutdown” switch in the cars – which can be turned on or off at the touch of a button.  The switch would turn off the engine when the car is unoccupied or not touched for a certain amount of time.  The problem at this time is the engine continues to run even after the driver leaves the vehicle with the key fob which communicates with the car’s computer.

Another investigation is still underway in Palm Beach County as to whether or not the August carbon-monoxide death of a 29-year-old woman was caused by the Lexus in her garage.

This is just one more problem for Toyota which has had to recall millions of vehicle for other problems such as pedals and accelerators that could stick.  

As a personal injury attorney who is concerned when deaths occur which could have possibly been avoided, I hope Toyota can find a timely “fix” for this latest problem before any more deaths occur.

$175K Awarded In Escaped Race Horse Injury

A Madison County, Illinois, jury has awarded $175,000 to a man injured when race horses escaped from their pasture in 2008, according to the Madison Record. 

According to the lawsuit, the owners did not take proper precautions to keep their horses contained.   The plaintiff claimed the horses came out of nowhere onto Illinois State Road 159 and he saw them strike a mini van that was in front of him.  When he swerved to avoid hitting another horse, he heard a “pop” from his right shoulder and although he refused an ambulance the night of the accident, he sought medical help the following day. 

His lost wages and medical bills have cost him over $59,000. 

The owners of the horse farm have over 40 years experience with horses and this was only the second incident in the farm’s history.  Although they speculated the horses jumped the fence, they never found out how the horses escaped.

$65M Verdict In 2007 Motor Vehicle Crash Upheld By Appeals Court

Considered to be one of the largest in Polk County, the 2^nd District Court of Appeals has upheld a $65 million verdict for a woman injured in a 2007 traffic crash, reports the Lakeland’s ( Florida ) The Ledger. 

In 2007, the 19-year-old was driving her Dodge Neon when she was struck by a tractor-trailer at an intersection.  An eyewitness to the accident testified the young college student had the green light. 

Prior to the accident, she was majoring in psychology, could speak six languages, and was working as an aide for Florida Institute of Neurologic Rehabilitation.  Following the accident, she was left with extensive injuries and is totally unable to care for herself. 

The lawsuit was filed against Bynum Transport and the part-time truck driver who caused the crash.

$132M Awarded In Ford Rollover Crash

A Jasper County (Mississippi) jury has awarded the family of a young man killed in a rollover crash in 2001 $132 million – the largest award ever against Ford in a lawsuit involving a Ford Explorer or a Ford Expedition reports the Clarion-Ledger.

The 22-year-old, a Meridian High School standout and a top New York Mets baseball prospect, was killed in March 2001 when he was thrown from a 2001 Ford Explorer.  He was driving to spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fl., when he veered to avoid a vehicle and the Ford SUV rolled over.  The lawsuit blamed the death on a defective seatbelt and the tendency for that model Ford to rollover.  Ford settled for an undisclosed amount in the punitive-damage phase of the lawsuit. 

A passenger in the Ford Explorer received $1.5 million for the injuries he sustained in the crash. 

Ford’s corporate spokesman stated excessive speed and the fact the victim was not wearing a seat belt caused the young man’s death. 

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an $82.6 million verdict awarded to a woman in California who was paralyzed in an Explorer rollover.

At Crouse Law Offices we have vast experience in product liablity and wrongful death.  If you have been injured or have had a loved one  killed due to a defective product, call us at 1-919-861-0500 or contact us online.

$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.