Will new found innovations make cars smarter and safer? Perhaps. And given how frequently car accidents occur and how serious the injuries can be, it’s never a bad idea to make automobiles safer. In the past, we discussed how the National Highway Transportation Safety Association was behind a push to have black boxes installed in […]

If you’re a Chicago resident who drives a car, you can expect to get into a car accident every 7.7 years according to a report recently released by Allstate Insurance Company. And, your likelihood of being involved in an accident is 30% higher than the national average. In other words, buckle up, Chicagoans! The report, […]

The Day on Torts blog reports of an interesting lawsuit filed by Massachusetts attorney Kenneth Levine. In the lawsuit, Gorbey v. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, No. 1:11-CV- 11259-NMG (pending in the U. S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts), Levine alleges that the authors of a medical article about brachial plexus injuries […]

It’s a contentious issue for many bikers–whether states should be able to require motorcyclists to wear helmets. For them, it’s an issue of personal choice and freedom. But there are many other interests at stake. For insurers, it’s an issue of money and for the states regulating helmet use, it’s an issue of public safety. […]

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), created pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act), is a federal government agency that is responsible for ensuring that consumers receive the necessary information to make informed financial decisions whether applying for a mortgage, selecting a credit card, or using any […]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on July 29, 2011 that Ford is recalling 1.1 million pickup trucks due to defective fuel tanks. Reports have indicated that prolonged exposure to road deicing chemicals may cause severe corrosion of the fuel tank straps that secure the tank to the vehicle, allowing the fuel lines […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with public health officials across the country and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) to determine the cause of a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections that is likely caused by eating ground turkey. To date, 77 persons from 26 […]

Last month, Macy’s agreed to pay a $750,000 fine imposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) based on allegations that the retailer knowingly failed to immediately report to the CPSC, as required by federal law, that it had sold children’s sweatshirts, sweaters and jackets with drawstrings at the neck between 2006 and 2010. Drawstrings […]

A proposed settlement between big tobacco and the states to resolve a $7.1 billion payment dispute was rejected the states last month. The deal requires the approval of a “critical mass of states in order to be finalized, and certain states, including Utah, New Jersey and Missouri, representing more than half of the market share […]

A circuit court judge in Florida recently set aside a jury verdict in favor of Ford Motor Co., finding that Ford’s misconduct had amounted to a fundamental error that deprived plaintiffs of a fair trial and justified a new trial. The lawsuit alleged that plaintiffs’ Aerostar van suddenly accelerated during gear engagement and traveled more […]