Consumers in Valley Center and throughout Southern California should be able to purchase products without worrying that a safety defect will cause serious or life-threatening injuries. However, product defects happen much more often than they should, and consumers often do not learn about recalls until other people have gotten hurt. According to a recent report in The Washington Post, a series of recent recalls highlights design and manufacturing flaws in a number of consumer products that could lead to serious personal injuries if consumers do not heed the recall information.

Defective Children’s Products and Child Injuries

A toddler bed has been subject to a recent recall after consumers reported that the bed “can collapse and entrap a child.” According to reports, The Land of Nod company’s “Nook” toddler beds have a faulty headboard and frame system. The recall notice indicates that the headboard can unexpectedly disconnect from the bed frame and can fall onto the bed, entrapping a child who is using the product. Currently, the company knows about four separate reports of the headboard disconnecting from the bedframe and falling onto the bed. Although no injuries have been reported, anyone in possession of one of these beds could be placing their children at risk of injuries.

If you have a toddler bed made by The Land of Nod, and it has the SKU number 404485, you should call the company for a replacement. These products were sold at various stores across the country as well as online between May 2015 and September 2017.

Bicycle Crash Risks and Mountain Bike Recall

Many outdoor enthusiasts in Valley Centers own bicycles, and many San Diego County area residents have mountain bikes. The report indicates that a particular mountain bike has been recalled due to the risk of brake failure, which could result in serious injury or death to the rider. The recall affects all Altitude, Instinct and Pipeline mountain bicycles, in all colors, from model year 2018. Anyone who has purchased a Rocky Mountain bike should learn more about the recall.

Specifically, the recall notice indicates that “the brake cable housing was not secured properly during manufacturing, which can cause brake failure, posing a crash hazard to the rider.” These bikes were sold at Rocky Mountain bicycle dealers across the country between June 2017 and November 2017 for anywhere from $2,600 to $7,300. There are several Rocky Mountain bike dealers in the San Diego area, such as Cycle Quest and North of the Border Bike Shop.

The particular defect represents what is known as a “manufacturing defect.” While there is nothing inherently wrong with the design of the mountain bike, a defect occurred during the manufacturing process. Generally speaking, there are three types of product defects – design defects, manufacturing defects, and marketing defects. When manufacturing defects occur, the manufacturer can be held liable in the event that injuries occur.

Seek Advice from a Valley Center Product Liability Lawyer

If a defective product recently caused personal injuries to you or someone you love, you should learn more about filing a product liability lawsuit. An experienced Valley Center product liability lawyer can speak with you today about your claim. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.

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(image courtesy of Clark Young)

The GM Recall Report

As a brief reminder, the GM recall affected a number of different models, and it concerned a faulty ignition switch. The models affected include:

• Chevrolet: Cobalts from 2005-2010, and HHR models from 2006-2011
• Pontiac: G5 models from 2007-2010, and Solstice models from 2006-2010
• Saturn: Ion models from 2003-2007, and Sky models from 2007-2010

No current-year models have been affected by the recall, but thousands of the affected vehicles remained on the roads in early 2014. Because of the defective ignition switch, at least 13 people sustained fatal injuries, and commentators have indicated that “possibly more” victims will be identified in the coming months.

General Motors recently completed a report for federal regulators “outlining the problems that led to its ignition switch recall crisis,” according to Forbes. With regard to the report, chief executive Mary Barra emphasized that GM’s board members “got no specific information about the defects that have led GM to recall 2.6 million Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Saturn vehicles.” The report suggests that “lower-ranking employees either made decisions or did nothing without letting the company’s most senior leaders know.” Specifically, Barra said, “individuals failed to disclose critical pieces of information that could have fundamentally changed the lives of those impacted by a faulty ignition switch.”

New Recalls

Yet just as GM is completing its investigation into the ignition switch issue, the automaker issued additional recalls for more than 100,000 automobiles, according to NPR. Nearly all of these vehicles were located in the U.S. This recent news brings GM’s total for 2014 to 34 recalls—a shockingly high number of recalls that have affected approximately 14,000 cars.

Which vehicles are involved in the latest recall? More than 57,000 heavy-duty Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks have been implicated, along with Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles. Unlike the earlier recalls, however, the new ones affect vehicle models from 2014 and 2015. In other words, automobiles that currently are on the market have been implicated.

What’s the defect with these pickup trucks and SUVs? According to GM, the truck may be “out of compliance with motor vehicle safety standards covering theft protection, rollaway protection, and occupant crash protection.” The recall concerns the base radio. The base radio may have a defect that can result in vehicle occupants failing to receive audible warnings about seat belts and the ignition.

In addition to the pickup trucks and SUVs, the new recall also concerns more than 30,000 Buick Verano, Chevy Camaro, Chevy Cruze, and Chevy Sonic cars. A defect in these vehicles may prevent the airbags from deploying properly.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective automobile, it’s very important to contact an experienced San Diego product defect lawyer. At the Walton Law Firm, we have years of experience helping residents of Southern California seek compensation for personal injuries related to dangerous products. Contact us to learn more about how we can help.

Photo Credit: Chris Campbell via Compfight cc Recent Blog Posts: Automobile Defect Deaths Linked to Recent General Motors Recall Car Seat Recall Affects 3.7 Million