South Carolina Lawyer BlogAccording to Knoxnews.com, the father of a 4-year-old girl whose foot was mangled in an escalator because she was wearing the popular shoe by Crocs, Inc. has settled his multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the company.
Articles Posted in Product Liability
New Jersey Man Receives $2 Million in Yamaha Snowmobile Accident
The Daily Record reports a Sparta man will receive $2 million from Yamaha following a snowmobile accident. The judge added $900,000 to the $1.1 million award from the jury.
Toyota Recalls 3.8 Million Cars for Acceleration Problem
Toyota has recalled 3.8 million cars, the biggest car recall in their history, for a construction flaw where the floor mat can become lodged under the accelerator pedal, making it impossible to stop the moving vehicle.
Vehicles involved in the recall:
Toyota Camry: 2007 – 2010
Philip Morris Ordered To Pay $300 Million To Former Smoker
The $300 million awarded to an ex-smoker who needs a lung transplant would be the nation’s largest award to an individual suing a tobacco company, if the award survives appeal, reports the New York Times.
The award could also encourage thousands of other smokers to file suit in Florida since a supreme court ruling a few years ago made it easier to pursue the suits there than in other states. In 2006, Florida had a legal ruling which lowered the plaintiff’s burden of proof against a tobacco company.
The 61-year-old woman was awarded $56 million in compensatory damages and $244 million in punitive damages. She started smoking when she was 20-years-old and quit when she was 45. She now has severe emphysema and needs a lung transplant which she is unable afford.
$8.5 Million Awarded SUV Rollover Lawsuit
The Gadsden (Alabama) Times reported that an Etowah County Circuit Court jury has awarded $8.5 million to a woman injured in a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer rollover.
Two people were killed in the accident and two were injured, including Latoya Duckett. Ms. Duckett filed a product liability lawsuit against Ford Motor Company alleging the vehicle was unstable and rolled over too easily.
As a result of the accident, Ms. Duckett’s right leg had to be amputated just below the knee and her left arm is paralyzed and suffered brain injury, the paper reported in October.
Yamaha’s Rhino Investigated by CBS News
According to an exclusive CBS News investigation, there have been 59 deaths and hundreds of injuries linked to Yamaha’s off-road vehicle, the Rhino.
CBS reports that before the Rhino was available for sale, it was tested on trails in Kentucky in July 2002. During those tests, Keisuke “Casey” Yoshida, president of a U.S. subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Co, Ltd. drove a Rhino prototype with a company vice president in charge of Rhino development sitting in the passenger seat. After coming down a hill onto flat ground the Rhino tipped over, injuring the passenger’s foot. CBS News reports after that incident, Yoshida stated, “Casey wants update on instability of vehicle for future liability cases..
The Rhino was introduced 15 months later in the fall of 2003 and more than 150,000 were sold. The once popular vehicle is now the subject of many lawsuits because of injuries and deaths linked to its instability. There are more than 400 wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits pending and Yamaha has settled other cases.
Patient Awarded $9.8 Million For Malpractice During Heart Surgery
A Lexington, KY hairdresser who became paraplegic after a routine heart surgery has been awarded $9.89 million in the largest medical malpractice verdict ever in Fayette County.
The plaintiff had valve surgery in April 2006. The surgery took less than an hour and was successful, but medical experts testified that the surgeon misplaced a hose to a machine that pumps blood during the surgery, causing too much blood and oxygen to be pumped to her right hand — and too little to her brain and thoracic spinal cord.
If you or someone you care about has been injured by the carelessness of a medical professional, you should speak with an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney like the ones at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys can help you evaluate your case; protect your legal right to the courts; and stand by your side throughout the legal process. For a free consultation, call the Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm today at 1-866-410-5656.
Widow Sues Pfizer, Alleging Husband’s Suicide Was Linked To Stop-Smoking Drug
An Indiana woman whose husband committed suicide in January 2008 has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer, the manufacturer of Chantix, a smoking-cessation drug her husband was taking.
The woman alleges that the company failed to warn consumers that the prescription medication might cause serious psychiatric symptoms such as suicidal thoughts.
If you or someone you care about was seriously injured by a prescription drug, you should speak with a South Carolina pharmaceutical litigation attorney at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible. We have won justice for South Carolinians since 1959, and recovered millions of dollars to help sick and injured people heal and move on. And because we know injured people are often suffering financially as well as physically, we never charge for an initial case evaluation. For a free consultation, call us today at 1-866-410-5656.
S.C. Courts’ Openness in Settlements Could Spread to Other Jurisdictions
In South Carolina, thanks to U.S. Judge Joe Anderson and State Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal, settlement records in cases involving public safety have been open for several years. That is a benefit to the public, according to a recent news report, because it lets consumers know just how dangerous a product might be. Judge Anderson recently testified in Washington about the need for openness in other jurisdictions.
The Louthian Law Firm has served injured South Carolinians since 1959. We have won millions for our clients and are committed to protecting consumers’ right to a fair and honest marketplace. And because we know victims are often stretched thin financially, we always offer free consultations to potential clients. To speak with an experienced consumer protection attorney today, call us at 1-866-410-5656.
Full story – http://www.thestate.com/local/story/479745.html
Safety Failures Right Where You Don’t Need Them
Families have probably heard a lot this year about recalls of defective toys with unsafe lead paint. But as the holidays approach, people buying “toys” for older loved ones should watch out for product defects too. The latest case in point, reported by The State on Nov. 29, is a recall of defective Performax and Wilton brand motorized miter saws whose safety switches can fail, causing the saw to keep running until it’s unplugged and putting users at risk of serious cuts. The defect can also cause electrical problems, which in turn causes it to smoke, spark and trip circuit breakers, and could cause the safety brake to fail.
A miter saw is a rotating blade that the user brings down against an object on a built-in platform to make a short, precise cut. It’s widely used in woodworking, especially for home builders. It cuts very fast and very deeply; it can sever an adult man’s fingers in an instant. Safety switches are there to prevent this type of serious accident, but when they fail, they fail to protect the consumers who trust them. In this case, failure can also cause electrical problems that could lead to a fire, or at least to an expensive and time-consuming work stoppage.
If you’ve already bought one of these defective miter saws, you’re eligible for a refund or replacement; the Consumer Products Safety Commission can help you find out more. But a recall after the fact can’t help South Carolinians who have already suffered a serious injury from the defective saws or other defective consumer products.