ST. PAUL PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS DISCUSS PERSONAL WATER CRAFT OR JET SKI HAZARDS - PART 3

MINNESOTA PRODUCT LIABILITY LAWYERS SPEAK OUT ON WHAT MANUFACTUERS OF PERSONAL WATER CRAFTS AND JET SKIS SHOULD BE DOING TO KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SAFE

In my last two entries, I discussed the problem of body cavity injuries the can occur if a person - usually a passenger - falls of the back of a jet ski or personal water craft into the jet wash. I also discussed how including fine print warnings on the back of the jet ski doesn't fix the problem and won't, in my opinion, absolve the manufacturer of product liability claims.

So what should a manufacturer do? There are a few simple and cost effective answers. First, manufacturers should install seat-backs on the back of these multi-passnger crafts. The seatbacks don't have to extend up two feet. Many manufacturers, including Yamaha and Kawasaki, are using shorter seat-backs on some of their crafts that help to keep passengers from falling off the back. These seat-backs should, in my opinion, be on every mulit-passenger craft.

Second, most of these jet skis just don't have a good place for the passenger to hold on. They should have grab handles on the sides of the seats that are easy to find and hold on to.

And last, all personal water crafts have to have a lanyard that attaches to passengers as well as the driver. If the driver falls off, the lanyard pulls from the machine and cuts the engine. For years, manufacturers have been saying that lanyards don't work for passengers because they don't cut the engine quickly enough to avoid body cavity injuries. Of course, with the money they've spent defending their designs, they may have been able to develop a lanyard shut off switch that could have solved the problem.

If you need to speak with a personal water craft or jet ski attorney, call product liability lawyer, Nate Bjerke of Champion Law in St. Paul, Minnesota at 651.766.5886.

ST. PAUL PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS DISCUSS PERSONAL WATER CRAFT OR JET SKI HAZARDS - PART 2

MINNESOTA PRODUCT LIABILITY LAWYERS WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE ON PERSONAL WATER CRAFTS AND JET SKIS


In my last blog entry, I discussed the potential for horrific orifice injuries that can happen if a person falls off the back of a personal water craft or jet ski. People who fall off the back often land on their back with their feet up in the air, leaving themselves open to the jet thrust of water that propels these crafts. The injuries are life changing and can literally rip out a persons insides. So why do these injuries happen? Because manufacturers have ignored one of the most basic rules of product design.

THE DESIGN TRILOGY
In designing products and Minnesota product liability law, there is a long-held axiom that manufacturers must analyze the potential product for hazards. After identifying the hazards, the designer or manufacturer must then follow a three step process: 1) determine if it is feasible to eliminate the hazard by simply designing it out of the product; 2) if the hazard cannot be designed out of the product, there should be a guard installed. An example is a guard on a punch press or other industrial equipment that prevents users from getting their hands caught in dangreous areas of the machine; and 3) if it is not feasible to either design out the hazard or guard against it, the manufacturer must warn users about the hazard.

Unfortunately, many manufacturers of personal water crafts and jet skis have moved straight to the third option and left a dangerous design that allows people to fall off the back of the crafts into the jet wash. They use fine-print warnings like the one shown above.

In the next entry of this blog, I will discuss the things manufacturers of personal water craft and jet skis should be doing to eliminate this hazard.

If you have any questions about Minnesota product liability law, personal water craft lawsuits or jet ski lawsuits, visit the Champion Law web-site or call product liability attorney, Nate Bjerke, at 651.766.5886.

ST. PAUL PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS DISCUSS PERSONAL WATER CRAFT (JET SKI) INJURIES UNKNOWN TO MOST MINNESOTANS

MINNESOTA PRODUCT LIABILITY LAWYERS WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE ON PERSONAL WATER CRAFTS AND JET SKIS



A largely unknown risk of riding personal water crafts like the one shown here relates to falling off the back of the craft. If riders of these jet skis are not wearing wet-suits or other protective clothing and they fall off the back, they can suffer serious internal injuries from the personal water craft's jet propulsion. The water stream created by the craft can thrust water into the person's orifices, causing devastating injuries.



Manufacturers like Polaris, Sea Doo and Kawasaki have known about this danger for years. In response, they starting placing warning labels warning of "orifice injuries" on the back of these products (in tiny print) and in owner's manuals since about 2002. But these warnings just aren't effective. First, they often aren't read - especially by passengers who are likely to be on the back of these personal water crafts. Second, if they are read, the odds of a passenger having a wet-suit handy are slim.



So what should the manufacturer's do? I'll discuss that issue in my next blog entry.



If you have questions about a personal water craft or jet ski injury, contact a Minnesota product liabilty lawyer like me, Nate Bjerke, of Champion Law LLC at 651.766.5886.

ST. PAUL ATTORNEYS DISCUSS HONDA AIRBAG RECALL THAT WILL AFFECT MINNESOTANS

ST. PAUL PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS DISCUSS IMPORTANT AIRBAG SAFETY NEWS FOR MINNESOTANS WHO OWN HONDA CIVICS AND ACCORDS

Honda is recalling model year 2001 Civic and Accord vehicles after determining that the driver's airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure. If an affected airbag deploys, the increased internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. If this happens, metal fragments could pass through the air bag cushion material, leaving the driver vulnerable to shrapnel type injuries.

If you have a 2001 Honda Civic or Accord, take the vehicle in to a Honda dealer who will replace the airbag inflator, free of charge.

If you have questions about airbags defects or other vehicle safety defects, contact Minnesota automobile product liability lawyer Nate Bjerke of Champion Law LLC who knows the industry secrets. Give us a call at 651.766.5886 or log onto our personal injury and product liability web-site. We'll be happy to answer your questions, free of charge.

• Click here to view the federal government's synopsis of the recall.
• Search the federal governments list of recalled vehicles.

MINNESOTA PRODUCT LIABILITY LAWYERS DISCUSS RECENT BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRE RECALL

The Minnesota product liability and tire defect lawyers Champion Law are spreading the word about a recent Bridgestone/Firestone tire recall.



Bridgestone is recalling 127,183 Firestone FR380 tires, size P235/75R15, manufactured from September 9, 2007 through July 2, 2008. These tires were produced with insufficient tread base gauge. Continued use of the subject tires may lead to vibration and groove cracking and eventually, tread separation. When the tread from a tire separates, the vehicle becomes extremely difficult to control. Tread separation was the basis for the product liability claims in the Ford/Firestone cases that received so much media attention several years ago. Tread separation often leads to rollovers, especially in trucks, vans and SUVs.



If you have Bridgestone/Firestone tires on your vehicle, check the tires to see if they fall within the recall range - the tire number is printed on the sidewall of each tire. If so, stop driving on these tires and get to a Bridgesone/Firestone tire dealership for a free replacement. For more information on this recall, visit the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's web-site.



The Minnesota tire defect lawyers at Champion Law haven't just talked about or studied tire defects, we've told the tire defect story to real people in jury boxes. If you have questions about a Bridgestone/Firestone tire defect or recall, call us at 651.766.5886 or visit our web-site for more free information.

NEW BRIGHTON DROWING - WERE SAFETY RULES BROKEN?

I have a five and a six year old. And I've taken them to Long Lake Beach in New Brighton many times - its the beach where I used to swim when I was in high school. So it hit especially close to home last week when a young boy drown at the beach on a school outing.

Reports state that six-year-old Kyarke (Jackie) Lah set out to swim from shore to the swimming raft and never made it. A lifeguard spotted Lah as he struggled in a designated corridor between the shallow swimming area and the raft. Rescuers called 911, but Lah was unresponsive when they pulled him from 8 feet of water several minutes later. He later died at Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul.

By Thursday afternoon, the rafts at Long Lake and Roseville's Lake Josephine, where a 16-year drowned Saturday evening, were gone for good.

We at Champion Law offer our sincerest condolences and prayers to the Lah family. If asked, I would counsel the family to hire an experience personal injury lawyer to investigate the cause of this tragedy.

As parents, this tragic case should serve as a harsh reminder for things to look for to keep our kids safe at the beach or pool.

First, it goes without saying that even if your child is a strong swimmer, kids get tired. They need breaks and constant supervision when they are in the water. If you're not sure about their ability in the water, make them wear a life vest.

Second, beware of swimming rafts. Swimming rafts like the one that was just removed at Long Lake are not nearly as common as they once were simply because they do pose a dangerous risk to weaker swimmers or young children. In fact, none of the public beaches run by Minneapolis, Washington County or the Three Rivers Park District have rafts, parks officials said Thursday. Nor do beaches at Lake Phalen in St. Paul or Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Dakota County.

Third, make sure there are enough life guards on duty for the popluation of people in the water. Reports in this case have varied from three to five lifeguards being on duty. But with more than 100 people in the water - many of whom were children - that may not have been enough.

And last, if you send your child to a beach or pool with a group, make absolutely certain there are enough adults supervising the trip. I have heard only rumors about the number of adult supervisors on the Long Lake trip, so I won't commment on whether the amount was adequate. But in my view, anything less than a 3:1 child to adult ratio is unacceptable.

For more information on this tragic story, click on the following links:

St. Paul Pioneer Press
Raft removed from Long Lake Beach
KARE 11
Star Tribune - are swimming rafts hazardous?

MINNSOTA ROLLOVER ATTORNEYS DISCUSS FATAL OAKDALE ROLLOVER ACCIDENT

A rollover accident took the life of a 19-year-old man from Blaine Monday night. According to the State Patrol the rollover crash happened around 11:30 p.m. Monday night on Interstate 694 at Tenth Street in Oakdale.

The cause of the rollover crash isn't clear, but is being investigated. As a rollover lawyer who used to represent automobile manufacturers, I've seen all kinds of causes for rollover crashes like this one. Some vehicles, like SUVs, tend to roll over more easily because they are too tall and narrow. Others may rollover when they shouldn't because they either don't have electronic stability control (ESC) or poorly designed ESC systems.

And manufacturers know their vehicles will be in rollover crashes. So they have a legal duty to protect occupants in rollover crashes by making roofs strong enough so they don't crush occupants and seatbelts that keep occupants inside the vehicle. Investigators believe the young man who was killed was ejected from the vehicle. There should also be an investigation into whether there was a seatbelt defect that caused it to unlatch during the rollover accident. The vehicle involved in this rollover accident should be preserved so a full investigation can be conducted.

If you have questions about rollover accidents, contact a Minnesota rollover attorney like Nate Bjerke of Champion Law LLC who knows the industry secrets. Give us a call at 651.766.5886 or log onto our web-site. We'll be happy to answer your questions, free of charge.

For more information on this Oakdale rollover accident, see the Kare 11 report.

MINNESOTA SEATBELT ATTORNEYS HELP YOU SPOT SEATBELT DEFECTS

According to the NHTSA, seat belts save more than 10,000 lives in the United States every year. As I've discussed before on this product liability blog, wearing a seatbelt is the most effective way to prevent injury or death in car accidents. During the accident, a properly designed seat belt will prevent passengers from being thrown about or ejected from the vehicle and will distribute the forces of impact to the strongest areas of the body – the hips, shoulders and chest. But if a vehicle’s seat belts are poorly designed or manufactured, serious injury or death can result. So how do you know if a seatbelt defect created enhanced injuries in a car crash?

Here are some classic signs of seatbelt defects:

• Both serious and non-serious injuries to belted occupants. For example, one seatbelted occupant walks away while another seatbelted occupant is paralyzed or suffers a serious head injury;



• An injured occupant is found wearing a loose-fitting seatbelt. This could indicate excess slack caused by improper retractor performance;



• An occupant is found unbelted but witnesses swear the occupant was seatbelted before the crash. Better yet, the occupant has seat belt marks on her body, but was unbelted after the crash. All of these could indicate unlatching or false-latching of the seatbelt buckle;



• Serious injuries in only moderately severe crashes. When restraint systems work properly, occupants typically are not seriously injured in moderate speed crashes; or



• The seatbelt webbing is torn or ripped or the seatbelt is pulled loose from one or more of its anchors.

If you have questions about whether there is a seatbelt defect in your vehicle, contact Minnesota seatbelt attorney, Nate Bjerke, of Champion Law. I will answer any questions you have and provide a free evaluation as to whether you may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer. You can reach me at 651.766.5886 or by visiting our web-site.

MINNESOTA BURN INJURY LAWYERS DISCUSS WACONIA PROPANE FIRE

As reported in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and several other media outlets, a teenager was killed and another was injured when a propane tank exploded Wednesday at Waconia Farm Supply store in Waconia, Minnesota.

All of us at Champion Law send out our deepest condolences. I'm sure the family of these young men is wondering why this happened. Right now, nobody knows. There are, however, a few ways that propane fires typically happen.

Some propane fires are caused by negligent handling of propane. In this case, a routine safety inspection of Waconia Farm Supply on Feb. 17 found two violations related to the handling and storage of compressed gases, according to reports on the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration website. One violation was described as having the potential to result in death or serious harm. Waconia Farm Supply was initially fined $600 for the serious violation and $150 for the secondary offense. The case was closed on April 7 after the firm paid a total of $525 and reportedly fixed the problems.

Another possiblity relates to a defective product that lead to the explosion. Many propane explosions result from leaks in the propane tank or distribution system caused by negligent propane gas providers and tank manufacturers. If there are problems with the distribution system or the tank, there may be a product liability claim for the resulting burn injuries.

To get to the bottom of this and help assure fair compensation for these horrific losses, I would recommend the families of these two young men contact an experienced Minnesota burn injury attorney immediately. It is critical that a burn injury lawyer get to work right away to arrange for an investigation before critical evidence is destroyed when the company rebuilds the site.

At Champion Law, we are always willing to answer questions about burn injuries, product liability, or any other kind of personal injury, free of charge. If you have questions, visit our web-site or call us at 651.766.5886.

MINNESOTA SEAT BELT LAWYERS COMMEND LAW REQUIRING EVERYONE IN THE VEHICLE TO BUCKLE UP

As a Minnesota seatbelt lawyer, I am incredibly pleased that Minnesota law now requires that every person in every position of every vehicle on Minnesota roads is required by law to wear their seatbelt. Starting today, drivers can be pulled over if they or their passengers are not buckled in. Under the old law, officers had to have another reason for stopping a vehicle, then could issue tickets for unbelted occupants. The new Minnesota seatbelt law, which includes a $25 fine, was passed in the recent legislative session and signed last month by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Most seatbelts are properly designed and manufactured and do a wonderful job of protecting people in crashes. In fact, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates seatbelts save 10,000 American lives every year. Further, The Minnesota Seat Belt Coalition has estimated that the new law will prevent as many as 30 deaths and 400 life-changing injuries a year and save millions of dollars in medical expenses. So buckle up and make sure that everyone else in your vehicle has done the same.

Unfortunately, not all seatbelts are properly designed and manfuctured. Seatbelt defects can lead to tearing of the belt's webbing or the buckle unlatching during a crash, leaving you and your loved ones unprotected. If you have questions about the safety of the seatbelts in your vehicle, contact Minnesota seatbelt attorney, Nate Bjerke of Champion Law by visiting our web-site or calling 651.766.5886.

For more information on Minnesota's new seatbelt law, follow these links:

• http://www.startribune.com/local/47265472.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:D
• http://www.mnsafetycouncil.org/sbcoalition/

MINNESOTA PRODUCT LIABILITY 101

After I blogged for a few weeks on specfic product liability issues, a friend suggested that I back up and discuss some basics about Minnesot product liability cases. So here is a brief description of how product liability cases work in Minnesota.

When any of us uses a product, we assume that the manufacturer has looked out for our well-being and safety in designing, testing and making the product. Tragically, this isn’t always the case. Some manufacturers are more concerned with the bottom line than with the impact an unsafe product can have on its user. As a former product liability defense lawyer, I know this all too well. The end result is dangerous and unsafe products that lead to personal injuries.

Minnesota's Product liability laws exist to hold manufacturers and sellers of unsafe and dangerous products responsible by compensating injury victims. But proving a manufacturer was negligent – or did or didn’t do something they should have – can be difficult. So most states, including Minnesota, have adopted ”strict liability” laws to help level the playing field. Under strict liability, the focus is on the product rather than the manufacturer’s conduct. In other words, no matter how much care a manufacturer took in making a product, if the product is “unreasonably dangerous”, the injured person does not have to prove the manufacturer acted negligently.

In Minnesota, for example, to collect on a product liability claim, an injured person only has to prove that:

1) The product was defective and in an unreasonably dangerous condition;
2) That the defect existed when the product left the manufacturer or seller’s control; and
3) That the defect in the product was the proximate or substantial cause of the injury.

If you have been injured by a dangerous or defective product, contact an experienced product liability attorney Nate Bjerke at Champion Law. Our lawyers have handled product liability cases in the Twin Cities, greater Minnesota and across the country. Call us in St. Paul at 651-766-5886 or Minneapolis at 612-743-4918.

MINNESOTA PRODUCT LIABILITY RECALL ALERT: TRIPLE PLAY SIT-N-STROLL CHILD CAR SEAT

Attention parents: Triple Play is recalling some of its 4002 Sit-n-stroll child car seats due to a dangerous defect. At Champion Law, we're not only product liability lawers, we're dads and moms so child safety is especially important to us - especially when it comes to child seat safety and child seat cases.

When we strap our kids into a child car seat, we expect they will be protected. This Triple Play recall, however, addresses a serious safety defect in the webbing used to secure the child in the seat. Specifically, the webbing used int he center adjuster for the harness fails to comply with initial break strength requireements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213, "Child Restraint Systems." Because of this child seat defect, the child may not be properly restrained in a crash, resulting in possibly injuries or even death to the child.

If you have one of these seats for your infant or toddler, stop using the seat immediately. Triple Play should be contacting you, but if you have questions in the meantime, contact Nate Bjerke or one of the other Minnesota child seat product liability lawyers at Champion Law to discuss your options. You can call us anytime for free at 651.766.5886.

FORD PINTO FIRE BURNS MAN IN ST. CLOUD MINNESOTA

Last weekend, a defect in a 1979 Ford Pinto caused a fire that severely burned an 18 year old man. The St. Cloud Times reported that Jeffrey Paul Hinkemeyer was westbound on County Road 51 when he was rear-ended by a 1991 Ford Taurus as he slowed to make a left turn. His car, a 1979 Ford Pinto, caught fire at the time of impact, according to a Stearns County sheriff’s report.

The Ford Pinto is one of the most notorious examples of corporate greed and puttingt profits over safety. The photograph above shows another Pinto that was burned after a crash. Ford knew the Pinto's fuel tank was in a dangerous postion - behind the rear axle - that left the tank virtually unprotected if the Pinto was involved in foreseeable rear-end accidents. In fact, Ford wrote a "cost-benefit" memo that discussed the cost of fixing the problem versus the cost of paying off claims and lawsuits brought by people who were hurt or killed by this deadly defect. This is the epitome of corporate greed and a case that certainly gives rise to an automotive product liability suit against Ford for its reckless choices.

My advice to Mr. Hinkemeyer and his family would be to make sure the vehicle is preserved and stored in a safe place and to immediately contact an experienced automotive product liability attorney to take the steps needed to investigate the accident and allow him to focus on his recovery.

If you or anyone you know has questions about automotive defects, crashworthiness or other product liability claims, I would be happy to answer your questions. Just call me at 651.766.5886 or visit our firm's web-site.

GM TRYING TO AVOID PRODUCT LIABILITY SUITS

Last week, I blogged about how Chrysler is attempting to duck product liability suits, essentially shutting the doors to the courthouse for people who were injured by defective Chrysler automobiles. It now looks like GM is following Chrysler's lead by attempting to wash its hands of bad choices and mistakes that injured or killed hundreds - if not thousands - of people.

Like the two victims of Chrysler airbag non-deployments I blogged about last week, consumers injured by defective General Motors vehicles for things like rollover crashes, airbag defects, or seatbelt defects will be left without recourse if GM has its way.

Consumer groups like The Center For Justice and Democracy and the Center for Auto Safety are fighting side by side with product liability lawyers to prevent this from happening.

For more information, follow these links or contact the automobile product liability attorneys at Champion Law.

Bloomburg: Consumers Seek Relief as Chrysler Bankruptcy Derails Lawsuits

MSNBC: Hardet hit bankruptcy victims

Click on Detroit: Death of a Mother and Wife may go uncompensated (video)

Product Liability and Worker's Compensation: two sources of recovery for work injuries

People often ask product liability lawyers like me whether they are limited to worker's compensation benefits if they are injured by dangerous or defective products at work. The answer is usually "no." The law in most states, including Minnesota, does allow both avenues of recovery. My firm does not handle worker's compensation cases, but we partner with smart, tough worker's compensation lawyers who do.

For example, I am handling the product liability portion of the case involving the product shown above. A young man working for a tree service was injured at work when the flywheel on a stump grinder pictured above expoloded. The pieces of the flywheel flew into his hand, causing permanent injuries and loss of function.

So what can a product liability lawyer do for people who also have a right to worker's compensation benefits? Worker's compensation typically pays for medical expenses and a percentage of an injured person's wage loss. But people who have been injured at work often go through a great deal of pain and suffering. And these injury victims often simply can't do the things they did before the accident. A product liability suit is generally directed towards recovering non-economic damages for things like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, etc.

If you have been injured by a defective product at work, you need attorneys who will protect your rights in both the worker's compensation and product liability claims. Call the product liability attorneys at Champion Law for a free consultation at 651.766.5886 or visit us on the web.

CHILDREN'S PRODUCT LIABILITY: TOYS "R" US STEP2 PLAY SETS RECALL

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced a recall of about 4,300 children's play sets sold exclusively at Toys“R”Us stores. The child safety and product liability attorneys at Champion Law are working to get the word out to parents to stop using any Step2 Play Up Gym play sets purchased at Toys "R" Us.

The defect that may lead to product liability focuses on a fall hazard - the triangular hangers (pictured to the right) that attach the swing’s ropes to the upper rail of the play set can break and cause children to fall. If you own one of these Step2 Play Up Gym play sets, stop using it immediately and click on this link to receive free replacement parts.

Manufacturers of all products - but especially children's products - need very thorough and careful processes for designing, testing and manufacturing their products. Sometimes, however, manufacturers don't do what is right and what the law requires them to do. We are here to level the playing field.

Former product liabilty defense attorney, Nate Bjerke, worked for manufactuers in product liability cases for over a decade. He learned the secrets to holding manufacturers responsible for personal injuries. If you have questions about the Step2 Play Up Gym, other children's products or safety or product liaibility in general, contact Nate at 651.766.5886 for a free consultation or visit Champion Law's web-site.

CHRYSLER AND FIAT ASK COURT FOR PERMISSION TO "DODGE" PRODUCT LIABILITY

In a predictable but disturbing move, lawyers for Fiat and Chrysler have asked a bankruptcy judg to allow Fiat to avoid taking responsibility for product liability claims arising from defective Chrysler vehicles if Fiat buys Chryser. As reported in the New York Times, Fiat says it would be "unfair" to require it to take on this responsiblity if it buys Chrysler's assets.

Unfair? What about the people who were injured or killed by defects in Chrysler cars, trucks and SUVs. There are all kinds of Chrysler vehicle defects that have injured and killed hundreds of people - defects like airbags, weak roofs on trucks and SUVs that rollover too easily, seat belt and seat back defects.

My firm, Champion Law LLC, represent two people in automotive defect product liability cases against Chrysler who suffered catastrophic injuries when the airbags in their vehicles failed to deploy in severe crashes. Pictures of the vehicles are shown above. If Fiat and Chrysler get their way, my clients and hundreds - if not thousands - of other innocent personal injury victims will be left uncompensated. Medical bills pile up and these people can't work. Unfair? I'd say so.

Think about this - under the plan that Chrysler and Fiat are proposing, banks and other investors would get paid and personal injury victims would not. This, in my view, is backwards. The people who invested money in Chrysler did so knowing that, like any investment, there are risks involved. Personal injury victims, on the other hand, did not sign up to be hurt or maimed and accept the risk of going uncompensated.

Fortunately, product liability attorneys and other consumer advocate groups have been advocating on behalf of victims injured by defective Chrysler cars, trucks and SUVs. If you have questions about Chryler bankruptcy or automotive defects in general, contact product liability attorney Nate Bjerke at 651.766.5886 or visit Champion Law's web-site. Nate spent more than a decade defending the automotive industry in product liabilty cases and knows how to get them to take responsibility for their mistakes.

CANNONDALE BICYCLE RECALL – 2009 Models Six 5, Six 6, Six Carbon 5 and Six Carbon 6 Bicycles

As product liability and safety lawyers, we think it is important to spread the word about defective products to help prevent personal injuries from happening in the first place.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced a voluntary recall of several defective Cannondale bicycles. The Cannondale bicycles included in this recall are the 2009 models Six 5, Six 6, Six Carbon 5 and Six Carbon 6 Bicycles. This recall affects about 1,300 defective bicycles.

The defect exists because the Cannondale bicycles fail to meet the federal safety standards. Spoke protector discs, required on bicycles to prevent the bicycle chain from interfering or suddenly stopping the wheel, are missing from these bicycles. The photographs above show this hazard.

If you have one of these defective Cannondale bikes, stop riding it and immediately contact any authorized Cannondale bicycle dealer for a free repair. For additional information, visit Cannondale’s Web site at http://www.cannondale.com/.

I haven't determined why Cannondale sold bicycles without this important safety component - but it appears to be a simple manufacturing defect or oversight. Regardless of the reason for the defect, product liabilit law in Minnesota, Wisconsin and most states hold manufacturers like Cannondale responsible for product liability regardless of why the product defect exists. If you have questions about the Cannondale recall or any othe issues concerning product liability, contact former product liability defense attorney, Nate Bjerke of Champion Law at 651.766.5886 or visit the firm's web-site.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REQUIRE SEATBELTS ON COMMERCIAL BUSES

The federal government had some good news for product liability and safety advocates like attorney Nate Bjerke and Champion Law last week when it told Congress that it will require commercial motor coaches to have safety belts for their passengers. This is a move that product liability lawyers and the National Transportation Safety Board have been advocating for years.


Unfortunately, it took several deaths and needless injuries to bring about this change. After analyzing the events surrounding a 2008 Utah bus rollover in which nine people died and 43 were injured (pictured above), the NTSB concluded that federal regulations just don't protect bus passengers like they should. The American Association for Justice then got involved and called for new rules.

Safety advocates, including the NTSB and the AAJ, reproached the NHTSA for acting too slowly in making much needed safety improvements on commercial buses. “The finding from the NTSB shows how the public is endangered when federal agencies drag their feet,” said Gerie Voss, the AAJ Director of Regulatory Affairs. “The Obama Administration must make updating transportation safety standards a priority.”

According to Ron Medford, the NHTSA’s acting administrator, commercial bus safety has become one of the agency’s top priorities. “I think it is true that the NHTSA was slow to act,” he told the Detroit News. Although nearly as many Americans travel on commercial buses as they do airplanes, buses are the least regulated motor vehicles under the NHTSA’s jurisdiction.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a commercial bus crash or just has questions about product liability or product safety. call attorney Nate Bjerke of Champion Law at 651.766.5886, or visit the firm's web-site.

CAR SEAT SAFETY IN MINNESOTA AND DEFECTIVE DESIGNN INFORMATION

Beginning July 1, 2009, Minnesota state law requires that children age 7 and under be restrained in an appropriate, federally approved car seat or booster seat, unless the child is 4'9" or taller. Car seats must be installed and used according to manufacturer's instructions.

Minnesota law also requires that infants under one year of age and weighing less than 20 pounds must ride in a rear-facing car seat. The state of Minnesota suggests that compliance with car seat safety law is a minimum safety standard, and suggests that children remain in a booster seat to 80 pounds and remain in the back seat until age 13.

Car seats are designed to protect a child from injury in the event of a car accident. The countless injuries and recalls over the past few decades seem to be evidence to the contrary. There are seven major manufacturers of child seats. Over the course of the last 10 years, the seven major manufacturers - Graco, Century, Cosco (Dorel), Evenflo, Fisher-Price, Kolcraft and Britax have recalled more than 11 million child safety seats for defects such as:

Child Seat Clip Defects

Child Seat Buckle Defects

Detachable Child Seat Defects

Improper Padding on Child Seats

Despite repeated design defects, these recalls are the results of the same types of defects. Unfortunately this is an indication of the failure to implement common safety standards by these manufacturers. Champion Law Office we are committed to protecting children by holding these companies accountable for this negligence. Nate Bjerke is a former products safety defense attorney who is now committed to representing injured victims. Let him share the secrets he has learned over the years in holding these companies accountable. Contact Champion Law at 651 or visit our website

NEW AND TOUGHER ROOF STRENGTH STANDARDS ENACTED TO IMPROVE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN ROLLOVER CRASHES

In a move designed to help stop needless deaths and injuries in rollover crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has adopted a new safety standards for both light vehicles (weighing up to 6,000 pounds) and heavier vehicles (weighing from 6,000 - 12,000 pounds) that will result in dramatically stronger vehicle roof structures.

Under the new standard, light vehicles weighing up to 6,000 pounds will have to withstand a force of three times the vehicle's weight on both sides of the vehicle's roof. The old standard required the roof to withstand a force of 1.5 times the vehicle's weight on only one side of the roof. Heavier vehicles, weighing from 6,000 to 10,000 pounds, will now have an actual roof safety standards they will have to meet - there is no such standard now. Their roofs will have to withstand a force equivalent to 1.5 times the vehicle's weight.

The phase-in period will start in September 2012 and must be completed for all vehicles within these weight ranges by the 2017 model year. This new standard should increase passenger protection during rollover crashes and we, like most product liability and safety advocates, are pleased with this development. But, we agree with the NHTSA that making roofs stronger is only way to help prevent injuries and deaths in rollover crashes. According to the NHTSA, about 10,000 people are killed in the US each year in rollover crashes, and roof strength was a factor in only 667 of those deaths. The NHTSA estimates that the new roof safety standards will prevent another 135 rollover fatalities each year.

The best way, of course, to prevent injuries and deaths in rollover crashes is to prevent vehicles from rolling over in the first place. The NHTSA says electronic stability control (ESC) can reduce rollover deaths by anywhere from 4,200 to 5,500 fatalities each year. Wearing your seat belts is another effective way to protect yourself in rollover crashes - the NHTSA estimates seat belts reduce fatalities in rollover crashes by as much as 80% in trucks and 74% in passenger cars, largely by reducing the likelihood of occupant ejection. In most instances, just meeting the minimum federal standards doesn't mean a manufacturer has done everything it should to make a vehicle safe in rollover crashes or any other kind of car accident.

When manufacturers sell vehicles that have defects in safety systems that cause personal injuries or death, the injury victim may be entitled to compensation under a product liability theory. If you have questions about rollover accidents or product liability in general, call the rollover accident attorneys at Champion Law LLC at 651.766.5886 or visit our web-site for more information