Otus Law Group Blog

Fire Hazard Prompts Riding Mower Recall Comments Off

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated that certain riding mowers are being recalled over a possible fire hazard. Several news agencies are covering this recall.

The federal agency has stated that the recall that was previously issued in November of 2012 is now being extended because consumers reported more incidents. The reports show that the company is issuing a recall for extra 3,700 units of the Toro Z Master Riding Mowers because the idler pulley in these devices could rub against the fuel tank, increasing the risk of a potential fire. The reports indicate that these devices should not be used anymore until the company has inspected and repaired the devices fully.

The reports indicate that consumers with the recalled products are being urged to contact authorized dealers to have this issue promptly repaired in order to prevent a fire and any injuries.

This recent recall announcement is related to products that come with serial numbers that range from 312000101 to 31200784 and 313000101 to 313000364. For more model numbers that may have been affected and more details on this particular recall and how to have this issue promptly eradicated, click here for the full announcement.

Act promptly if you were affected to stay safe.

Posted on: 05-10-2013
Posted in: personal injury, Product Recall

Autonomous Car Technology Almost Ready, Concerns Related To Safety Raised Comments Off

Multiple news agencies have indicated that while the autonomous car technology is being developed by Google and automakers such as BMW, General Motors and Toyota, critics are still skeptical about the technology’s reliability.

According to the reports, Google has already logged in over 300,000 miles of driving tests without any accident being reported. The only minor collision the company reported occurred when the vehicle was actually being operated by a human.

Google engineers say that the technology is being developed to make the vehicle absolutely accident-proof by taking the human aspect out of the equation and creating perfect vehicles that are ready to deal with any situation. In spite of its honorable goals, the company has stated that it’s still working to develop ways around some of the problems they have noticed with the technology. According to the reports, the company has stated that it’s still working on figuring out how to perfect the system so that it’s fully capable of driving in harsh weather conditions such as a heavy rainfall or traveling on snow-covered roads.

Critics are also concerned about the issue that has been linked to the fact that the system is still incapable of recognizing pedestrians fully and not aware of how to recognize road signs. Questions concerning whether the technology would be able to slow down or stop to a construction site is also being raised. Critics believe that the technology must be perfected and fool-proofed before it’s actually available.

The technology as of now is able to figure out how to park properly and how to keep a safe distance from other vehicles. It’s also able to brake to avoid collisions while the vehicle is traveling at city speeds. Google driverless car engineers report that this technology can offer a safer ride to drivers who are impaired or handicapped.

Some believe that the fully autonomous vehicle technology could be available in 2025 but some are still concerned with liability issues. Critics believe it could pose a legal problem for those who are pulled over by an officer or involved in an accident. They are afraid many questions concerning responsibility could be raised.

Hopefully, automakers and other companies are aware they must stay focused on creating a liable and safe technology that is also easy to operate and responsive. While it’s important that companies are developing new technology that would make driving much less frustrating is important, they must also think about the consequences of taking the human factor entirely out of the equation. If you’re interested in learning more about this story and how it could affect you in the future, you can click here for the full article.

Posted on: 05-10-2013
Posted in: car safety, News, personal injury

Family Dollar Recalls Portable Heaters, CPSC Reports Comments Off

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Family Dollar has issued a recall for all units of the Optimus Tower Quartz Heaters sold across the nation at Family Dollar stores between the months of September and December of 2012.

The reports indicate that these heaters could pose a fire hazard because of an issue that could cause the device to overheat. The company received 10 reports of incidents associated with these devices. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated that the Optimus Tower Quartz Heaters affected by this recall come with a sticker that reads “H-5232”. Consumers can identify the potentially defective product with the help of that sticker.

The reports also show that affected consumers should stop using these devices at once and focus on returning the heaters to the Family Dollar store they bought the device from.

You can follow this link to read the full announcement to learn more.

Posted on: 05-10-2013
Posted in: News, personal injury, Product Recall

Vehicle Plunges Into San Francisco Bay, No Injuries Reported Comments Off

According to several news agencies, an accident that happened in San Francisco that sent a car into the ay didn’t result in any injuries.

The California Highway Patrol has stated that the vehicle was traveling on the northbound lanes of the Highway 101 when the vehicle went off the roadway at about 12:10 am. The accident happened near the Candlestick park off-ramp and according to the official reports, the only occupant of the vehicle was able to leave the crashed car. He did not suffer any injuries and the vehicle is still submerged.

Authorities are investigating the accident and should have more details on this story in the near future. You can click here to read the full report.

Posted on: 05-9-2013
Posted in: Accident Investigation, News, personal injury

Changes To Be Added To The New Car Assessment Program Comments Off

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the New Car Assessment Program is being improved by the agency in order to provide better ratings and details concerning how safe and reliable most vehicles are.

The reports show that the agency is asking consumers what they think about the new ideas and change implementations they would like to add to the safety and crash test program. According to the agency, most of the changes are already being implemented in Europe. Drivers are urged to let the agency know what they think about these changes before they are added to the upgraded New Car Assessment Program.

You can click here to read the full article to learn more about what kind of changes they are.

Posted on: 05-9-2013
Posted in: car safety, personal injury, Safety

Choose The Right Car Safety Seat For Your Child Comments Off

Auto safety is important but child and car safety is even more important, reports show.

According to several news reports, parents in Canada and United States are overlooking the importance of having a car safety seat or booster seat that meets their children’s needs. Making good use of a car safety seat means also making sure that the device is installed correctly and that the model of the device is designed for the child’s specific height, weight and age.

Safety experts are urging consumers to make sure they are aware of the fact that car safety seats should be installed and latched to the car in a way that any movement to either direction is impossible. According to some researchers, parents in Canada fail to properly install the seats. More than one third of all children in Canada are not restrained properly. In the United States, four out of every five car safety seats are not installed correctly. In the United States, many parents are unaware that in most sates, children are supposed to be placed in booster seats only when they are at least 8-years-old or weigh at least 8- pounds. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing seat, never allow the child to simply sit as an adult in the passenger seat. Make sure to use a booster seat in order to ensure the strap and the safety features are effective. When a child that is not tall enough to have his or her head reaching the car’s headrest, the child must be placed in a booster seat that has an adjustable headrest and that ensures the seat belt will do its job in protecting the child in the case of an accident.

According to some of the experts, when you purchase a car safety seat you should make sure to read the product’s instructions manual in order to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. According to the experts, as soon as the child weighs 40 pounds, he or she should be moved out of a 5-point harness seat and a booster seat should be used next. Both types of restraint systems should always be installed in a way that keeps the device latched to the car in a way that the seat won’t move. Make sure that the harness is tight and that the fabric the straps are made with is not loose enough you can pinch it.

Children should not be moved to a forward-facing car safety seat until they reach their first year of age or weigh 20 pounds or more. According to some of the experts, children should only move to a forward-facing seat when they are 2-years-old.

Whenever you are looking into purchasing a car safety seat, make sure you choose the one seat that is designed for your child’s weight and age group. The child’s body is frail and it’s much more susceptible to become injured as a result of an accident.

Prevent accidents and make sure that your child is being seated safely while riding in a car with you and your loved ones. Follow this link to read more on this story.

Posted on: 05-9-2013
Posted in: child safety, personal injury, Safety

Motorhomes Recalled By Newmar Corporation, NHTSA Comments Off

Multiple news agencies have indicated recently that Newmar Corporation has issued a recall for multiple motorhomes manufactured between August 4, 2011 and February 19, 2013.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that the company decided to issue this recall after it was noted that these vehicles might not come with certain reflectors required to make the vehicle more visible at night. The federal agency has stated that the lack of these reflectors could increase the risk of an accident because other vehicles may not see the motorhomes.

To prevent accidents, the company has stated that it will be notifying all affected owners and providing the installation of the required reflectors entirely for free.

You can read the full recall report by clicking here.

Posted on: 05-9-2013
Posted in: personal injury, Product Recall

Consumers Rely On Apple, Google To Develop Auto Safety Apps Comments Off

It’s no surprise that smartphone technology has been linked to the increase in the number of accidents caused by distractions. The reports show that CarSafetyRules.com carried out a survey investigating what consumers think about the development of auto safety technologies.

According to the reports, about 21 percent of the drivers who were surveyed stated they think Apple would be the brand most likely to develop reliable safety apps and features that would keep drivers from being distracted. At least 19.8 percent of all drivers said that Google would be the company to address the issue while 19.7 percent said Volvo should be the next brand to work on the issue.

According to the survey, almost 50 percent of all drivers believe that smartphone technology has made drivers much more distracted while behind the wheel.

For the full article, click here to read the full report to learn more about this survey and what people think about car safety technology.

Posted on: 05-9-2013
Posted in: car safety, personal injury

Big Rig Accident On Wheeler Ridge Road Claims Life Comments Off

According to several news agencies, the California Highway Patrol has reported that an accident involving a passenger car and a big rig resulted in a fatality.

The reports show that the man from Lebec was traveling on Wheeler Ridge Road when for some unknown reason the vehicle veered off its lane and into the oncoming traffic. The vehicles ended up colliding, in spite of the fact that the big rig driver attempted to swerve and avoid an accident. According to the reports, the Toyota driver was killed as a result of the accident.

The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the accident and should have more details on this story soon. Click here for more information.

Posted on: 05-9-2013
Posted in: News, personal injury, Safety

Newport Beach Police Issued 510 Distracted Driving Tickets In April Comments Off

Multiple news agencies have been covering that many drivers in California received distracted driving tickets during the month of April. In Newport Beach, exactly 510 drivers were cited fro driving while distracted during the month of April.

Many law enforcement agencies were focused on making sure that all distracted drivers in the state received a ticket to send a strong message to residents concerning the dangers associated with driving while distracted.

Motorists who are often distracted by their phone fail to notice what is going on around them while on the road, which increases the risk of an accident.

You can follow this link to read the full report and learn more about this crackdown.

Posted on: 05-8-2013
Posted in: distracted driving, personal injury
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