When Are Amusement Parks Responsible for Injuries?

Amusement park injuries are commonplace in our country. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that there were 30,000 amusement park injuries during 2016. Some of these injuries are caused by ride malfunctions.fSeveral weeks ago, a ride malfunction at the Ohio State Fair caused one death and multiple injuries. According to investigators, a row of seats was ejected from the Fire Ball ride. Two individuals on the ride were tossed more than 20 feet before landing on concrete. Others were injured after being struck by pieces of equipment caused by the ejection. According to the ride’s manufacturer, excessive corrosion was the cause of the amusement park accident.Tragedies like the one that occurred in Ohio happen every year across the country. Last year at a water park in Kansas City, a 10-year-old boy was decapitated on a water slide. Months later, two young children and a teenager fell off a Ferris wheel in Tennessee. There have also been fatal accidents at Texas theme parks. In 2014, a woman died after falling from a rollercoaster at the Six Flags in Arlington, Texas.

How Can Amusement Park Accidents Happen?

Amusement park accidents may be caused by:

• Amusement park ride operators. Ride operators are responsible for explaining instructions to park goers and ensuring they are safe. These are the folks who may strap you into a ride or explain safety instructions. If these individuals are not properly trained or if they are ineffective at communicating, then you could be put in harm’s way.
• Poor maintenance practices. There is very little oversight in the amusement park industry. As a result, some amusement parks may have poor maintenance procedures. Rides can break down from wear and tear, which may pose a danger. For example, if the latches that keep you seated on a rollercoaster fail, you could be ejected from the ride.
• Defective equipment. Amusement park rides may contain design or manufacturing defects. For example, doors, lap bars or harnesses may contain defects. In other cases, rides may be designed in a way that is dangerous to you or others.
• Poor signage. Theme parks have several restricted areas with safety hazards. For example, at a Six Flags in 2008, a park goer was decapitated by a ride after walking into a restricted area to retrieve his hat. When theme parks do not warn park goers of hazards, they can suffer injuries or wrongful death.

These are only a few examples of how theme park accidents may occur. If you or a loved one suffered harm during a theme park accident, then you may have options to recover damages from the parties who are responsible. By speaking with a Texas personal injury attorney at Mike Love & Associates, LLC, you can learn whether you have options to recover damages.

Are Chemical Companies Poisoning Our Environment?

A few years ago, Denmark faced the difficult task of replacing popcorn bags that use grease resistant fluorinated chemicals called PFOA’s. These chemicals have been found to accumulate in human organs if ingested. Chemical manufacturing companies can be at fault, such as Dupont in West Virginia, where over 3,000 people filed personal injury lawsuits after local water sources were tainted with PFOA’s from a chemical spill. Dupont had to pay over $670 million for damages while producing Teflon, the substance used to coat pots and pans. These chemicals have been linked to multiple cancers, thyroid disease, and high cholesterol after ingesting. Facing backlash, companies have started using alternatives that are often derivatives of the same chemicals. These can still be dangerous for human health. Keep reading below for how to keep yourself safe from contaminants in your area.

How To Protect Yourself From Local Chemical Manufacturers

• Know your environment: Knowing major chemical manufacturing companies, the products they produce, and keeping up with local product safety and environmental news can help you know if something hazardous is in your area.
• Chemical manufacturers misstate facts: Representatives for chemical companies have stated that the alternative “shorter bonded” versions of the PFOA’s are not harmful, and use them instead. However, studies exist on these newer versions of the chemicals that say otherwise. They cannot break down in nature, so they are found pretty much everywhere that is exposed to them.

If you live near a plant that produces products such as fast-food wrappers, Teflon, or other known dangerous substances, monitor your health. If you think your health may have been damaged by a local manufacturer, let us know your story.

Lawn Mower Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs

Last week, our blog discussed how cleaning products can be misused with tragic results. There are additional spring cleaning tips that are necessary for staying safe. Lawn mowers can cause catastrophic injuries or death, sometimes without any warning. According to statistics collected by the Academy of Pediatrics, lawn mowers injure 68,000 people every year. More than 9,400 of those injuries involve children. Common lawn mower injuries to children include lacerations, amputations and fractures.It is a matter of vital importance to keep your children inside while mowing the lawn, and to ensure children they are old enough to use this equipment.

Why Should You Keep Children Inside While Mowing the Lawn?

There are several ways children can be injured while parents are mowing the lawn. For example, parents may fail to see their children are in the path of the mower. Last year, a Houston man accidently backed over his 4-year-old son’s foot while mowing the lawn. The boy was treated at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital for a lacerated foot. According to the father, he was unaware his son was in the path of the lawn mower.Children can also run behind or in front of lawn mowers while they are in use. In addition, lawn mower blades can strike rocks or other objects, turning them into high-speed projectiles.

What Other Tips Can Protect Your Children from Lawn Mower Injuries?

Keeping your children inside while you are mowing the lawn is the best surefire way to prevent injuries. However, experts with organizations like the Academy of Pediatrics have other tips that may help keep your children safe.The Academy of Pediatrics has the following suggestions:

• Children under 12 years old should never use push or “walk-behind” mowers
• Children under 16 years old should not use riding lawn mowers
• Parents should never allow their children to be passengers on riding lawn mowers

It is also important to carefully check your surroundings when mowing the lawn. You will not be able to hear children approaching from the side or behind while mowing. If you are going to put the mower in reverse, look behind you beforehand.You should also stay informed of possible recalls. Some lawn and brush mowers may have defects. For example, the Pro-XL-44 field and brush mower has a fuel tank malfunction that may release gasoline liquid or vapors this is a fire hazard.You can check the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website for more information on lawn or brush mower recalls. If you or a family member were injured by a defective lawn care product, you may have legal options to pursue damages against the manufacturer or retailer. The Texas product liability attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC can help you weigh possible options.

This Common Electronic Device May Cause House Fires

Surge protectors are useful when they work as intended. These devices help protect our expensive electronics from the typical Texas thunderstorm or unexpected power surge. However, surge protectors can be dangerous in some cases. They can save your PlayStation 4 or home theater system, but they may also start fires. Fires caused by surge protectors and power strips may pose a risk to your property and safety.

Can You Prevent Fires Caused by Surge Protectors?

• Check for recalls: There have been several recalls over the years involving surge protectors that posed fire or electrocution hazards. In 2013, Schneider Electric recalled 15 million of its Surge Arrest surge protectors. The company received 700 reports of power strips overheating or melting. Schneider also received 13 reports of injuries and 55 complaints involving property damage. Belkin recalled 68,000 of its surge protectors in 2009 over fire concerns. Use the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) website cpsc.gov to check for recalls.
• Avoid fraudulent products: Surge protectors should undergo lab testing to ensure they meet required standards. These will be marked with UL, ETL or CSA labels. However, be on the lookout for fraudulent products sold by contractors or dollar stores. They may contain these labels while still posing a fire hazard. UL typically issues a press release when these products are identified. In the past, the CPSC has also issued press releases to warn consumers about faulty surge protectors and power strips with counterfeit UL labels.
• Search for complaints: Check for consumer complaints before purchasing a specific brand or model. Products are typically recalled only after many reports of fires or other problems. Consumers may have reported fires or other safety hazards. Saferproducts.gov is a useful resource for researching consumer complaints.
• Replace surge protectors: These devices need to be replaced after suffering a major surge. Surge protectors pose a fire hazard once they begin to fail. However, there are still cases where faulty consumer products falsely advertise a certain amount of protection.
• Inspect the cords: Never use surge protectors with cords that have visible damage. These may pose electric shock hazards. Do not try to repair damaged cords. Discard surge protectors or cords that feel hot to the touch. Unfortunately, some devices are cheaply built and damaged upon purchase.

Can Defective Products or Other Acts of Negligence Cause House Fires?

Weather has been crazy for the past month, and knowing Texas in the spring, we are due for some more severe thunderstorms in the near future. Stay safe, and if you decide to use surge protectors to safeguard your equipment, remember some of the tips from this blog. These are only a few examples of how you can protect yourself from defective products or negligent retailers. Other tips may involve common knowledge, such as avoiding daisy-chaining (plugging surge protectors into other strips).Faulty wiring and other acts of negligence may cause fires with surge protectors or other electronic devices. Landlords, contracting companies, retailers and other parties may be responsible for injuries and deaths caused by fires. For example, if a landlord neglects to repair faulty wiring or if a retailer knowingly sells faulty surge suppression or electrical equipment.Some surge protectors plug directly into circuit breakers to provide protection for an entire building. These devices may cause fires if they are installed incorrectly by contractors or other companies.If you or loved ones have been harmed by an electrical fire, an attorney can help review the details of your case. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to pursue damages against the parties responsible for the fire.The Texas product liability attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC will help you hold businesses accountable for causing injuries or deaths.

How Can You Check for Recalls on Common Household Products?

Common household products can pose significant risks to you and your family members if they contain defects. Over the past several years, recalls have included household products such as vacuums, kitchen tables, power adapters, refrigerators, space heaters and lawnmowers. Defects can cause electric shock, fires, poisoning and broken bones. Injuries, deaths and property damage from defective products are possible. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates defective consumer products cause $1 trillion in damages (medical bills, lost income and property damage) every year.Recall notices do not always reach consumers, so it is important to check. One of the best ways to check for recalls is to use the CPSC’s website.

Using the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Website to Check for Product Recalls

The CPSC was founded in 1972 to protect the public from injury or death caused by products under the agency’s jurisdiction. What kinds of products are under the CPSC’s jurisdiction? Lawnmowers, children’s toys, strollers, furniture, electronics and batteries – just to name a few examples. The CSPC constantly updates its website within listings of recalled products.You can use the website’s search engine to check for specific recalls. Type the manufacturer’s name or product model into the search field and the website will pull up a listing of recalls. For example, typing in Country Home Products (a brand of lawn equipment) reveals recalls for a brush remover and leaf vacuum. Clicking on the search result will tell you why the product is under recall. The website will also provide information regarding consumers who have suffered injuries from products, and how to schedule free repairs or receive refunds. Information found within search results include phone numbers, websites and email addresses for manufacturers.Be cautious of apps that claim to check for recalls. Information on recalls should come directly from manufacturers, your state’s attorney general or the federal government. Depending on the situation, you may be notified of recalls by manufacturers.

What Are Your Options if You Are Harmed by Defective Consumer Products?

In some cases, manufacturers become aware of product defects, but fail to notify agencies like the CPSC or consumers. At this point, these agencies can issue recalls and notify suppliers of products under recall. Suppliers can then attempt to notify consumers.There are some cases where consumers may file product liability lawsuits after suffering injuries from defects. Likewise, family members may file lawsuits after loved ones suffer fatal injuries. The following question about the defective product could become important for your case.

• Did a design defect make the product dangerous to use, even when used correctly?
• Did a manufacturing error cause the defect?
• Did the manufacturer or seller fail to warn about potential dangers from using the product?

The Texas product liability attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC can review your case and help you explore options for holding negligent businesses accountable for causing injuries.