Toy Recalls: Some of the Worst Ever

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Things really do change a lot, especially in terms of appearance. Such can be said on toys, and rightfully so. Toys before were manufactured in such a way that it is possible for any kid to get injured. Apparently, decades ago, safety standards for these products were considerably lower or none at all. In fact many toy products have been outlawed because of reports of injuries.

But then again, some manufacturers in the toy industry still create products that could endanger children and inflict themselves with injuries. A lot of recalls have been made, all of which stemmed from complaints of parents about their kids getting injured because of certain hazards present in toys.

Here are some of the worst toy recalls in recent history:

•    Sky Dancers Flying Dolls. These toys consist of a pull-string base and a doll with foam wings. The doll would launch into the air and spin like a propeller after pulling the string on the base. However, there were over 100 injuries reported with regard to the use of the toy, and the toy company Galoob decided not to report the units to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The company was instead fined a total of $400,000.00, not to mention issued a recall of the said products that were only less than 6 years in the market.

•    Yoyo Ball. Famous in the early 2000s, this toy is basically a yo-yo but consists of a ball attached to a stretchable string. But then, the usage of the toy led to more than 400 reports of near-choking incidents among children. In fact, a girl was nearly strangulated while trying the “Helicopter” maneuver in which she swung the toy and went around her throat. Because of this, Canada and the UK decided to ban the distribution of the Yo-yo Ball into their respective countries.

•    Jarts. These famous lawn toy darts were used in a game wherein a kid throws one underhanded and tries to hit a target on the ground. Apparently, in the 70s and 80s, they caused more than 7,000 injuries and 4 deaths. Because of this, all lawn dart games were banned by the CPSC in 1988.

Every adult must be responsible enough when buying toys for their children. They should see first if there are no apparent defects on the products, and that they should be aware of any toy recalls. For many Los Angeles personal injury lawyers, those whose children have been injured because of a defect or safety issue on toys must seek an attorney who can file a claim against the liable party, including the manufacturing company.

Proposed Calif. Assembly Bill to Ban Hands-free Texting While Driving

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It is already a common knowledge among California motorists that using cell phones while driving is prohibited on the state’s roadways. According to current state laws, only adult drivers aged 18 or older are only allowed to use cell phones equipped with hands-free devices. Those under age 18 are, of course, prohibited from using such wireless devices, with or without the hands-free devices.

Similarly, every California driver knows that text messaging is not allowed as well. It is explicitly stated in the current state law that drivers are prohibited to “write, send, or read a text-based communication” using such devices as mobile phones. However, hands-free devices, as well as those equipped with voice-controlled technology, are allowed.

Such provision was first legalized in California last year, wherein the Assembly Bill 1536 was signed into law and amended section 23123.5 of the California Vehicle Code. But then, the exemption was seen as a detriment to the cause of addressing the issue of distracted driving. This is the reason why first-year Assemblyman Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) introduced Assembly Bill 313.

Basically, this proposed bill would delete the current exemption for voice-controlled texting devices, making it illegal while driving. According to the proposition, “there is no difference in the crash risk of hand-held or voice-operated devices.” It further added that “no study has determined that texting while driving is safe.”

Additionally, the Assemblyman’s office released a statement from Richard Harkness, a traffic safety expert. He said that the provision of allowing texting with the use of voice control and/or hands-free devices was “one of the most dangerous traffic laws I have seen in my lifetime,” referring to the AB 1536.

Aside from the Assembly Bill 313, another bill was introduced, this time in the State Senate. The Senate Bill 194, which was drafted by another first-year legislator Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton), would ban all wireless communication devices to the current cell phone ban for teen drivers.

For many legal experts, including Los Angeles personal injury attorneys, these proposed bills would be the next big step to finally eliminate, if not totally eradicate, the incidents of distracted driving in the State of California.

Even Luxurious, High-end Cars Get Recalled

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Cars often undergo tough and complicated manufacturing processes. As expected of carmakers, assembling every car part, both exterior and interior, must be done correctly. Also, every feature should be in good, working condition. But then, even after every finished unit has been distributed to car dealers and showrooms, recalls happen.

Whenever there’s something wrong on a certain vehicle part, car manufacturers are expected to announce a recall as soon as possible especially if it possesses a potential hazard for those who have already them. Common ones that get recalled are those that we see on the street; surprisingly, even luxury cars that amount to six-digit figures even experience recalls.

In fact, here are some of the luxurious, high-end vehicles that have been recalled recently:

•    Rolls-Royce, 2010 Ghost models. The reason for the recall of nearly 600 of the 2010 Ghost models was that the “circuit board could fail and, ‘in extreme case,’ lead to the ‘smoldering of the water pump’ that helped to cool the turbocharger on the V-12 engine.” Such defect could lead to a fire. Price of a single unit of the vehicle is over $200,000.00.

•    Lexus, 2004 and 2006 models. The recall of about 137,000 units was brought about by a condition where the crankshaft pulley was misaligned, which would make steering difficult. Fortunately, no reports of accidents or injuries happened because of such defect.

•    Porshe, Carrera S models. Models of such that were manufactured between October 26, 2011 and January 24, 2012 were recalled by the automaker due to a potential fuel line disconnection. If not corrected, the vehicle may cause a crash due to stalling, or may cause a leak that might set the over $100,000.00 car on fire.

We can definitely see here that even high-end cars have manufacturing defects. People who own such cars should always be aware of the announced recalls, and that they must also do their part in detecting defects through periodic tune-ups of their vehicles. As every Los Angeles car accident lawyer suggests, vehicle defects are one of the main causes of accidental injuries or deaths among motorists.