Important Car Safety Recalls July/August 2013, Continued

To keep our readers informed and safe, we wanted to share more July and August recalls and alerts announced by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigation (ODI). If you think your vehicle needs to be inspected, bring your car to your local dealership right away.

Toyota Seat Belt Failure Recalls; Recall schedule to be determined
Approximate number of vehicles recalled: 342,451
Reason for recall: Seatbelt failure. Loosening of screws over time affecting the function of seatbelts; may lead to catastrophic injury in the event of an accident.
Models affected:
• 2005-2010 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured September 14, 2004 through March 29, 2010
•  2011 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured July 1, 2010 through September 7, 2011.
Owners may call: Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.  Reference NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 13V337000.
Ford Child Safety Lock Defect, Expected to begin August 5, 2013
Approximate number of vehicles recalled: 12,569
Reason for recall: Auto defect in child safety locks. Locks may unexpectedly switch to inactive mode, posing threat of harm if a child opens the door during operation. Parents should check to ensure locks are active until vehicles are serviced.
Models affected:
• 2013 Ford Explorer, Taurus, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured November 29, 2012 through December 12, 2012
Owners may call: Ford at 1-866-436-7332, reference safety recall no. 13S07 or NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 13V270000
Michelin Defective Tire Recall, Expected to begin late July 2013
Approximate number of vehicles recalled: 100,000
Reason for recall: Defective tires. Perforation in sidewall may cause tires to lose air pressure potentially leading to tire failure.
Models affected:
• For a detailed list of affected models, please click here.
Owners may call: Michelin at 1-855-851-4951, reference NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 13T006000.
Ford Head Injury Safety Recall, Expected to begin on August 19, 2013
Approximate number of vehicles recalled: 33,021
Reason for recall: Failure to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201 – “Occupant Protection in Interior Impact.” This standard applies to requirements for the reduction of head injuries to vehicle occupants.
Models affected:
• C-Max hybrid vehicles
Owners may call: Ford at 1-866-436-7332, reference safety recall no. 13C02 or NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 13V303000
2014 Nissan Versa Recalls for Safety Defects, Expected to begin on August 12, 2013
Reason(s) for recall: 1. Manufacturing defect. Reduction in strength of rear seat latch bolts. 2. Missing or incorrectly torque bolts in lower body. This may affect integrity of vehicle, specifically during rear impact accidents.
Models affected:
• 2014 Nissan Versa Note vehicles manufactured between April and July 2013
Owners may call: Nissan at 1-800-647-7261, reference NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 13V326000 and/or NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 13V324000
Chrysler ECS Recall, Expected to begin sometime in August 2013
Approximate number of vehicles recalled: 45,961
Reason for recall: Software defect in Defect affects Electronic Stability Control (ESC) module. ESC module may disable upon starting the vehicle, potentially resulting in loss of directional control and increasing risk of accidents.
Models affected:
• RAM 1500 4×4 trucks manufactured June 26, 2012 through February 5, 2013
Owners may call: Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753, reference safety recall no. N37 or NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number:
13V287000.

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Premises liability

PREMISE LIABILITY

$450,000

James was searching for equipment for painting at Home Depot. In the aisle next to him, there was a worker on a lift stocking the highest shelf. The worker pushed boxes so far across the shelf that they fell off the other edge and hit James in the head. The force almost knocked James unconscious. He sat down and the loud bang got the worker off the ladder to see what fell. When they saw James they offered him a bucket and made a report. James did not recall leaving the store or how he got home. He did not recall much except being at home depot and getting hit in the head. Home Depot told him that it was a small box of dust masks that hurt him. We discovered it was actually a large box of emergency kits that fell off the shelf.

Personal injury

PERSONAL INJURY

$850,000

In this case, our client slipped and fell on water that had accumulated near the hot tubs/showers on the Lido deck of a major cruise line ship. The client suffered torn ligaments to her shoulder that required 2 arthroscopic surgeries. The cruise line took the position that the condition on the floor was open and obvious.

Premises liability

PREMISES LIABILITY

$980,000

Georgia was visiting a friend in the hospital when she walked out of the elevator and into her friend’s room. As soon as she entered the room she slipped on a newly mopped floor without any wet floor sign present. The floor was so wet that Georgia’s entire outfit was soaked. Because of the muted tile floor, the water was invisible. Georgia needed a back operation which was unsuccessful and caused her to slip into a coma. She luckily survived.

Motor vehicle accident

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT

$1.1 MILLION

AUTOMOBILE REAR END COLLISION

Rodrigo was driving his work truck home when he was rear-ended at a stoplight. Rodrigo needed a fusion of his thoracic spine. A terrible and complex operation. Unfortunately, while Rodrigo was undergoing the spinal operation, one of his children died and he was unable to be with his grieving wife. It was a tragic case that eventually settled.

Bicycle vs car accident

BICYCLE VS CAR ACCIDENT

$1.45 MILLION

David was a teacher at a local high school. He rode his bike to school in the morning and after school would ride another 10 miles for exercise. On a sunny afternoon on his way home an older driver turned right into him as he was riding down the street. He hurt his shoulder and neck and needed two operations. Defendant felt his injury was due to playing football 10 years earlier and would not provide him a fair or reasonable offer.

Car vs commercial truck accident

CAR VS COMMERCIAL TRUCK ACCIDENT

$3.4 MILLION

Joe was driving his 18 wheeler on the Florida Turnpike headed south after a long-haul run.  He was “bobtailing” which means he did not have a cargo trailer on the back of his truck rig.  A drunk driver lost control of his car causing Joe to avoid the accident but drive off the highway and into a canal.  He was injured in the accident but also witnessed a child die when he climbed out of the truck and came to the accident site.  There the injured child was trapped under the car and he was powerless to save the child before it passed.

Auto accident T-Bone

AUTO ACCIDENT T-BONE

$4.5 MILLION

Xao, a Vietnamese immigrant was driving home after work at night to see his pregnant wife. He stopped at a 4-way intersection and looked both ways. He did not see anyone in either direction. As Mr. X when through the intersection he was hit on the passenger side door by a mid-sized black SUV driving without their lights on. Mr. X was catastrophically injured.

Personal injury

PERSONAL INJURY

$8.2 MILLION

This was a hard-fought pedestrian accident case, in which our client was struck by an SUV driven by a teen driver, as they attempted to cross North Military Trail in West Palm Beach, FL. As a result of the accident, our client suffered numerous fractures, partial loss of vision and frontal lobe brain injury that affected his speech, and other personal injuries that required him to be hospitalized for 58 days.

At the time of the accident, our client was a cashier at Walmart and has been unable to return to work.

“This case is the epitome of what we consider part of our Core Culture and broad vision – which is to be Warriors for Justice,” stated Brian LaBovick. “Mr. Jacobus has serious permanent injuries and will continue to fight to regain his life into the foreseeable future. This verdict will allow him to get the professional help he needs to safely navigate the rest of his life.”

Medical malpractice

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

$15 MILLION

Brain damages child due to medical negligence.  Mother was misdiagnosed upon entry to the hospital while under contractions.  The child was born severely disabled.