Tag: Product liability

Providing effective advocacy in product liability issues

On behalf of Rooz Law posted in Product Liability on Friday, December 5, 2014.

If you’ve been injured or your property has been damaged because of a defective product, you may be able to pursue compensation for your losses. Serving clients in Toronto and the surrounding areas, our team of experienced personal injury attorneys are effective advocates when it comes to the rights of consumers regarding product liability claims.

When it comes to the issue of product liability, a plethora of services and products can lead to various injuries and damages. We understand each client has unique circumstances surrounding a claim. Whether your injury involved a defective vehicle, drug, home appliance or any type of equipment that was incorrectly repaired, our goal is to ensure that your rights are fully protected through our effective litigation procedures.

A case begins with an analysis in order to determine the party who may be responsible for your losses. Liable parties may include companies or service technicians who repaired, cleaned or maintained the particular product in question, the product’s manufacturer, vendors who sold the defective product or provided poor quality parts for the product.

Our attorneys have a thorough understanding of product liability laws and your rights along with the skill to negotiate a resolution with companies who try to deny liability for damages. In some cases, they may claim that they are not liable for damages caused by a product that was incorrectly repaired or maintained.

As a consumer, you have a right to be protected for faulty products and services that you have paid for. If you’re seeking information on what you should do after suffering damages from a defective product, please visit our page on product liability.

Source: Rooz PC Law, “Product Liability Lawyer For North York”, December 04, 2014

The danger of rebuilt air bags

On behalf of Rooz Law posted in Product Liability on Tuesday, November 18, 2014.

Individuals in Ontario might have heard that there may be danger in rebuilt air bags installed in vehicles. They may cause injuries to the head and upper body. National Sacs Gonflables Inc. is the company responsible for the rebuilt air bags, and they may be in any car that has had its air bag replaced since 1998. Vehicle diagnostic systems that would normally indicate a problem with the air bag cannot identify this particular defect. Only a qualified repair shop can determine whether a car’s air bag is rebuilt.

While the rebuilder was supposed to pay for the costs of air bag replacement, it filed for bankruptcy in 2001. Air bag replacement can cost around $1,000 or more. Individuals also have the option to have the air bag deactivated. The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec recommends deactivation and replacement, but Transport Canada can provide a packet regarding the possibility of leaving the air bag permanently deactivated.

There may be product liability issues with the air bag. An individual who is injured in such circumstances may sometimes file a lawsuit against the company responsible. However, in this case, because the manufacturer is bankrupt, the case may be more complex. Individuals who are injured by air bags may wish to consult a lawyer about what steps they might be able to take.

For example, an individual might have a used car and not know that the car was involved in an accident several years earlier and that the air bag was replaced. The individual might then be injured when an air bag deploys improperly. A lawyer might be able to suggest the best course of action if it is not possible to get a settlement from the air bag manufacturer.

Source: Ontario Ministry of Transportation, “Air Bags”, November 17, 2014

HP power cords recalled due to possible fire hazard

On behalf of Rooz Law posted in Product Liability on Wednesday, September 3, 2014.

Ontario residents may be interested to know about a recall issued by Hewlett Packard Aug. 26 for certain notebook power cords that could potentially overheat and cause a fire. Hewlett Packard has received 29 reports of cords overheating and two reports of minor burns. They also have received 13 reports of minor property damage associated with use of the cords. One confirmed and one unconfirmed report of overheating has been received in Canada. However, no injuries have been reported to Health Canada related to use of the cords.

1.37 million GM vehicles recalled in Canada, U.S. for bad switch

On behalf of Rooz Law posted in Product Liability on Thursday, March 6, 2014.

General Motors vehicle owners in Ontario may be among those being notified under a recall announcement if they have one of the following models in their garage: a 2006-07 model year Chevrolet HHR, a 2006-07 Saturn Sky, a 2007 Pontiac Solstice or a 2003-07 Saturn Ion. GM has been under fire lately from product liability and safety advocates because it admitted it had known as far back as 2004 that an ignition switch malfunction in certain vehicles could slip from “run” to “accessory” mode while the car was in motion, exposing drivers and passengers to serious injury or death in an accident.

The U.S. National Highway Safety Administration linked the switch problem to 31 crashes and 13 deaths involving drivers and front-seat passengers. The malfunction was believed to be especially deadly because the ignition switch moving into a mode other than “run” while the vehicle is in operation would shut off the engine as well as the cars’ electrical system. Without an operational electrical system, cars’ front airbags will not deploy in an accident. It would also be more likely for motorists to get into a crash when the engine shut off in traffic since the auto would stop, and other drivers might run into it at full speed.

The four models above were added to an earlier announcement from the automaker that covered 780,000 Chevrolet Cobalts and Pontiac G5s manufactured and sold for the 2005-07 model years. With the additions, the total of vehicles being recalled was last counted at 1.37 million, with 235,855 of those reportedly in Canada.

An automobile with faulty parts is not the only dangerous product threatening lives in Canada. Everything from dangerous children’s toys to defective industrial equipment might expose their manufacturers to product liability lawsuits from injured parties. A personal injury lawyer may be able to evaluate the case of someone seriously injured by such a device to look for a pattern of negligent manufacturing on the part of the manufacturer. If one exists, the lawyer may recommend a personal injury claim or class action.

Source: CBC News, “GM adds 4 models to ignition switch recall”, February 26, 2014

Courts agree to auto recall settlement

On behalf of Rooz Law posted in Product Liability on Monday, March 24, 2014.

Ontario residents who have been following the news concerning the Toyota recalls may be interested to know that four provincial courts have agreed to a proposed settlement with the company. According to the terms of the agreement in this product liability case, Toyota has agreed to provide $600,000 in scholarship funds to five engineering schools and reimburse plaintiffs for a number of the costs they incurred throughout the course of litigation. In addition, many affected Toyota owners can expect to receive up to 10 years of coverage for some vehicular component maintenance and repair procedures as well as a complementary brake system upgrade.