Every day developments in the area of product safety occur. Whether it be recalls, the launch of defect investigations by NHTSA, or national or regional news about advancements in automotive safety technologies, news and information in this area is constantly changing.
To assist consumers and attorneys, some of the more notable developments are noted herein for easy reference. If you have any questions about any of these topics or desire more information do not hesitate to call us.
May 4, 2011 -
General Motors Co. is recalling 154,112 of its top-selling Chevrolet Cruze compact cars to check that the steering shaft was properly installed, the automaker said on Wednesday.
April 19, 2011 -
Several major rental car companies have told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that in some cases they continue to rent vehicles that have been recalled if they believe the problem is not serious.
April 15, 2011 -
Ford, which had recalled 144,000 of the F-150 pickup trucks this year because some front-seat airbags inadvertently deployed, is now recalling more trucks from the 2004 through 2006 model years. It also is recalling the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT.
April 15, 2011 -
Traffic deaths in the United States have dropped to their lowest level since 1949, according to a report released this month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Remarkably, this drop occurred even as Americans drove 21 billion more miles in 2010 than they had the previous year.
April 1, 2011 -
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the number and rate of traffic fatalities in 2010 fell to the lowest levels since 1949, despite a significant increase in the number of miles Americans drove during the year.
March 21, 2011 -
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has revised its child restraint guidelines to be categorized by age rather than by type of child seat in order to keep pace with the latest scientific and medical research and the development of new child restraint technologies.
March 18, 2011 -
Continental Tire Americas LLC said it will recall 390,657 light-truck tires because they may wear unevenly, vibrate or experience separated belt edges that could lead to tread separation.
February 28, 2011 -
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered a South Carolina court to reconsider its ruling that a suit against Ford Motor Company over allegedly defective windows is preempted by federal law, citing the recent high court decision in a similar case against Mazda Motor Corp. The justices held that their ruling last week in Williams v. Mazda case, which involved defective seat belts, meant the Ford decision by the South Carolina Supreme Court must be revisited.
February 24, 2011 -
Toyota said on Thursday that it was recalling another 2.17 million vehicles to fix problems that could cause their accelerator pedals to become stuck, a setback in its efforts to rebound from the uncertainty that swirled around the carmaker last year.
February 1, 2011 -
Red-light cameras saved 159 lives in 14 of the nation's biggest cities from 2004 to 2008, according to a recent national study. If such cameras had been operating in all large U.S. cities, 815 deaths could have been avoided during the four-year period, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said.
January 20, 2011 -
The justices tackled issues of both specific and general jurisdiction last week, hearing arguments in two cases involving alleged defects in foreign-made products. “If people who are hurt are going to have any real right of recovery, this kind of jurisdiction needs to be OK,” said John Vail of the Center for Constitutional Litigation, who represents the plaintiffs in one of the cases.
January 13, 2011 -
U.S. auto-safety regulators will require automakers to take steps to prevent passengers from being ejected from side windows in rollover crashes under a rule issued today.
January 11, 2011 -
A jury has recommended that a San Diego Ford dealership pay more than $14 million to the family of a couple killed in a 2006 rollover crash. The verdict was reached against Mossy Ford. Three sons of Casey and Melanie Barber filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the dealership.
October 28, 2010 -
Nissan North America announced a recall on Thursday of 747,000 trucks and SUVs in the U.S. because of the risk of failure to the electrical systems. Nissan said the recall extends to Nissan Armadas and Titans from 2004 to 2006, Infiniti QX56s from 2005 and 2006, as well as Nissan Frontiers, Pathfinders and Xterras from August 2003 and June 2006.
October 28, 2010 -
The decision to bail out U.S. carmaker Chrysler was made by the narrowest of margins, President Obama's former "car tsar" has revealed. Steven Rattner told the BBC that in March 2009 nine members of the government's bail-out team voted on whether or not to save Chrysler. His vote, along with Larry Summers, the president's economic adviser, swung the decision 5-4 in favor of a rescue.
October 22, 2010 -
U.S. car-safety policies for child passengers have become some of the weakest in the developed world, according to safety advocates.
October 21, 2010 -
Toyota recall and others could make 2010 the year of the recall. But it also could signal that cars are getting safer.
August 17, 2010 -
Mazda Motor Corp will recall 215,000 Mazda 3 and Mazda 5 vehicles sold in the United States because of the risk that they could lose power steering without warning. The Mazda recall of vehicles from the 2007 through 2009 model years was announced in a filing with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
August 2, 2010 -
Stability control systems already on the market for tractor trailer trucks, including tank trucks hauling hazardous loads, could prevent nearly 3,500 rollover accidents and save an estimated 106 lives a year if they were required on trucks.
July 29, 2010 -
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the lineup of 2011 model year passenger vehicles that will receive new safety ratings under the agency’s revamped and updated 5-star safety ratings program.
July 26, 2010 -
Nissan is recalling 51,100 of its Cube hatchbacks in the United States and Canada because of possible problems with fuel spilling during rear end collisions.
June 3, 2010 -
The first Yamaha Rhino trial in the multi-district litigation (MDL) will begin in October 2010.
May 21, 2010 -
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved a new federal safety standard for infant bath seats. The vote on the final rule was 5-0.
May 21, 2010 -
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is releasing today the names of the drywall manufacturers whose drywall emitted high levels of hydrogen sulfide in testing conducted for the agency by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).
May 7, 2010 -
As part of its commitment to ensure safe sleep for young children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is once again warning parents and caregivers about deadly hazards with drop-side cribs.