The dangerous strollers were sold in stores nationwide from May 2008 and July 2010, and cost between $350 and $450. The recalled models are now discontinued, and have not been produced since 2010. Although the strollers are no longer manufactured, the fear is for consumers who still own and possibly use the strollers, and for those who may purchase used baby items without knowledge of their potential dangers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has published model names and numbers of the recalled strollers. If you own one of these recalled strollers, or you know someone who does, the CPSC recommends that consumer immediately stop using the strollers, and contact phil&teds to arrange for shipment of a free hinge cover kit and instructions to install it.

If you or a loved one has been injured by one of these recalled strollers, or by any defective child products, please contact Bachus & Schanker for a free consultation. We can help you protect your rights, and determine whether you’re entitled to any compensation for your injuries.

In addition to lawsuits, Toyota is the focus of three National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) probes related to the sudden acceleration problem encountered by numerous Toyota car owners last year, a problem which caused several deaths. It was one accident in particular that prompted the recall. An off-duty California Highway Patrol officer, Mark Saylor, was killed in August 2009, along with his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law when the Lexus ES350 they were in crashed due to unintended acceleration. Toyota has since settled the claim that resulted from that crash.

The company said it determined that the sudden acceleration was caused by the gas pedal sticking to the floor mat, and Toyota’s initial fix was to instruct customers to remove the floor mats. However, the problem persisted, and plaintiffs have updated their complaint against the company to claim that Toyota knew about the problem for over a decade, yet did nothing.

Claims filed last month in California state that Toyota employees were able to re-create the acceleration problem brought to the company’s attention by customers who had experienced it. According to those dealership employees, Toyota bought the defective vehicles back from the owners, in exchange for the owners signing confidentiality agreements that prevented them from disclosing the issue to the proper authorities.

Toyota released a statement in August which said, in part: “Toyota has identified two specific mechanical causes of potential unintended acceleration in some of its vehicles and has moved decisively to address these issues with effective and durable solutions. Toyota rejects claims that plaintiffs suffered economic damages because of the recent recalls.” The statement did not address the deaths that occurred as a result of the acceleration problem.

Toyota is also being investigated by a Congressional committee because of allegations it delayed the car recall for unintended acceleration. The company has already agreed to pay $16.4 million in fines, but the investigation continues. The National Academy of Sciences and NASA are performing independent studies of the acceleration issue as well.

Shockingly, despite the numerous recalls over the last year, the impending lawsuits, and the new allegations that the company knew of the dangers, but did nothing to prevent them, Toyota says its sales are up over what they were at this time last year. Consumers may be seduced by the series of commercials the company has released which try to reassure both current Toyota owners and potential buyers that the company is committed to the safety of its customers.

If you own a Toyota, or are thinking about buying one, we urge you to monitor the status of current, and any possible new recalls.

The four infants strangled when they slipped down in the strollers and became wedged in the leg holes, between the seat bottoms and the trays on the strollers. Other infants were injured in the same manner, but recovered after receiving only minor cuts and bruises.

Strollers manufactured prior to 2008 did not allow enough space for infants to easily slip through this space, thereby avoiding such tragedies. All the models identified in the Graco stroller recall were sold between the years 2000 and 2007. In 2008, Graco, along with several other manufacturers of children’s products, instituted a voluntary standard that widened the opening between strollers’ trays and seat bottoms to prevent this exact type of entrapment which can lead to strangulation.

Unfortunately, the 2008 standard came too late for these four babies and their families. Parents buy products for their children trusting that they’ve been tested and are safe to use. Graco is a trusted name, having been in the business of manufacturing children’s products for more than 60 years. It’s especially disconcerting when a well known brand releases defective child products. The effects are devastating because the problem usually isn’t discovered until after a child is injured or killed.

What should you do if you suspect you own a defective stroller? First, check the list of recalled models to confirm whether your stroller is part of the recall. If you bought a stroller new after 2008, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. But if you bought it prior to that year, or you bought it secondhand and aren’t sure of the manufacture date, carefully check the Graco stroller recall list to see if your model is there.

If your stroller is included in the Graco recall, stop using it immediately, and contact the company for a free repair kit. If your stroller is on that list, and at any time while using it your baby was injured, you may consider contacting a product liability attorney. The repair kit will fix the stroller, but it won’t erase the injuries or pain your baby might have suffered due to a defective product. A lawyer can help you navigate the situation, and determine whether you are entitled to any compensation.

We hope nothing ever hurts your baby. But if anything unfortunate happens as a result of a faulty product, we will be there for you.

In September 2010, Fisher-Price, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of toy manufacturer Mattel, issued a recall for several products, among them a toddler tricycle, and a high chair. Many times, toys are recalled because they contain small pieces that are easily removed or broken off from the toy, and then end up in toddlers’ or babies’ mouths, becoming choking hazards. In the case of the toddler tricycle, however, the problem was an “ignition key” that protruded too far from the top of the trike, and caused injury to a few children when they fell onto it.

It’s one thing for defective toys to be recalled, but parents’ fears and concerns are only heightened when a recall is instituted for everyday children’s products. Every parent needs a high chair to feed their child. Few people would consider such an item to be dangerous. It’s not something a child uses unsupervised, and there are no small parts that can end up in kids’ mouths.

The Fisher-Price high chairs posed a danger to children who fell against them. The backs of the high chairs’ legs contained pegs that also protruded too far from the item. A few children fell against the legs and suffered lacerations — some of which required stitches — and at least one tooth injury.

This is not the first time Fisher-Price has had to recall some of its products. The company instituted a toy recall in 2007, pertaining to 85 types of toys — 967,000 toys total — that contained lead paint. The paint presented a poisoning risk to children, especially if the paint were ingested.

There’s no doubt that companies like Fisher-Price do the responsible thing by issuing recalls when they learn of hazardous situations caused by their products. But once a recall happens, the question becomes, how did they not know? How could a company not know the paint on their toys contained lead? How could they not foresee children falling against protrusions on their toys, and suffering serious injuries? Despite all the testing these products go through, more must be done to protect the children who will use these products.

If you think you may have a toy in your home that has been recalled, you can check Mattel’s website for detailed information about its recalls. If your child has been injured by a toy included in this latest Fisher-Price recall — or in any product recall for that matter — you need a product liability attorney. Your lawyer will walk you through the process of filing a claim, and ensuring the company responsible for your child’s injuries appropriately compensates you, and takes the necessary steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

We hope your children stay safe and happy. But if the unthinkable happens, we’re here to help.

In test drives, Consumer Reports engineers discovered that when the GX 460 was pushed to its limits, the rear of the vehicle would slide out until it was nearly sideways before the electronic stability control system kicked in and righted the vehicle. They believe this means the vehicle is in danger of rolling over in certain real-world driving situations.

Some people may become skeptical when reading the details of the test performed, and the conclusions drawn from it. Pushing a vehicle to a high rate of acceleration, and then trying to turn may not seem like a real-world situation. No responsible person drives that way. But be careful not to confuse real-world situations with everyday situations. The vehicle may not present a rollover risk when driving through a grocery store parking lot, or in a 35-mile-per-hour residential area. A real-world driving situation, however, can include veering to avoid a car accident or other obstacle in the road. It can mean driving in extreme weather conditions. The engineers at Consumer Reports take these possibilities into account when performing vehicle test drives.

Another thing to note is that Consumers Union is an independent organization. Every single product tested, from blenders to cars, is purchased outright. They receive no sponsorship, and do not accept any form of advertising for either the magazine or the Web site. This ensures their impartiality when assigning ratings to consumer products.

A few days before announcing their decision, Consumer Reports notified Toyota, the parent company of Lexus, of its findings and intention to assign the Do Not Buy rating. Toyota technicians visited the test site and inspected the test vehicles. After some deliberation, Toyota decided to implement a voluntary recall of the Lexus GX 460. This affects approximately 9,400 vehicles worldwide. Toyota is now working to update the stability control software, and address the rollover risk issue.

If you were thinking about buying a Lexus GX 460, it’s highly recommended that you hold off, at least until the recall is over, and the stability control problem has been corrected. If you were planning on buying a Toyota, you may want to check the auto maker’s list of vehicles that are currently in recall status. The list includes 12 different vehicles, and two models of the same vehicle, for a total of 13 vehicles.

If you already own a Lexus GX 460, or any of the vehicles on the recall list, contact Toyota directly, or talk to your local dealer. They will be able to help you understand how the recall affects your vehicle, what exact issue caused the recall, how it’s being remedied, and what you should be doing to protect yourself and your family.

With the recent Toyota Prius brake safety issues, this latest recall does not bode well for Toyota’s sales. The company does seem to be responding quickly to complaints and problems, and has embarked on an aggressive public relations and advertising campaign to allay fears about its products. But every time a new vehicle is added to that recall list, the company’s long-held good reputation suffers a little more.

Nature’s Variety recently issued, and then expanded a nationwide recall of some of their raw food product lines, specifically their Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diets for dogs and cats, because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Just as raw meat can be dangerous to humans, it can hold the same risks for pets. Uncooked meat can be contaminated by any number of bacteria, including two of the same ones that make humans ill — E. coli and Salmonella.

Despite these risks, raw food diets are gaining popularity among dog and cat owners. Many people feel it’s best to feed their pets a diet similar to what they would eat in the wild rather than processed grain-based foods. A sure sign of an inferior pet food is that it contains corn as the main ingredient. Dogs and cats are carnivores, but even if you decide to feed them kibble, there are many varieties that are healthier than what you find in a grocery store. But some people take it a step further, and choose to feed their dogs and cats raw meats and vegetables. Pet food manufacturers have taken note, and some of them, like Nature’s Variety, now sell prepackaged raw pet foods.

This recall isn’t as bad as the worldwide pet food recall of 2007. That recall affected the United States, Europe, and South America, and pertained to approximately 5,300 different varieties of food sold under many brands. Those foods were found to contain dangerous levels of melamine, a type of plastic, and the contamination was traced back to at least two Chinese sources of wheat and rice protein.

The melamine caused kidney failure, which, in many cases, was fatal. It is still not known exactly how many pets died as a result of eating these tainted foods because there is no central government database that tracks animal illness as there is for human illness, but it seemed to number in the thousands. Several thousand more were sickened, but received treatment in time to save them. Understandably, several lawsuits were filed after the recall, and are still being pursued.

The current pet food recall is restricted to the Nature’s Variety brand, and only its raw food product lines. The CEO issued a statement on the company’s Web site, listing exactly which foods are being recalled, how to return or dispose of them, and how to be reimbursed for purchases of contaminated foods.

If you have fed any of these foods to your pets, their health is the first concern. Symptoms of illness caused by Salmonella bacteria include lethargy, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets may experience less severe symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, or decreased appetite. If your pet is displaying any of these symptoms after eating contaminated food, please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

The repair, which should only take about a half an hour, involves installing a steel shim in the pedal assembly which should eliminate the excess friction between the two pieces of the accelerator mechanism. Toyota claims that this friction is what causes the pedal to either stick in a depressed position or to return slowly to the idle position. The faulty gas pedal only includes parts manufactured by CTS Corporation in Elkhart, Indiana. The recall on the floor mats can be fixed at the same time. Although, Toyota asks that owners wait for a recall letter before contacting their dealer for appointments, some dealers plan to contact every buyer of a recalled model to explain and schedule the repair.

The recalled models include:
2009-2010 RAV4
2009-2010 Corolla
2009-2010 Matrix
2005-2010 Avalon
2007-2010 Camry
2010 Highlander
2007-2010 Tundra
2008-2010 Sequoia

Despite the effort to fix the faulty gas pedals, Toyota still remains under scrutiny. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood are questioning the details of the recall. The National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Toyota had different views of the accuracy of the floor mat recall. Two congressional committee hearings are planned, beginning next week.

There are some who are not sure that the gas pedal and the floor mat recalls are the sole source of the unexplained sudden acceleration associated with the recalled Toyota vehicles. Safety advocates and consumers question whether the problem is in the electronic system.

After stopping production on its recalled models, Toyota plans on resuming production next week as the vehicles are repaired and sales pick up.

From Toyota’s website:
“Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company,” said Group Vice President and Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter. “This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized. We’re making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible.”

The first recall, issued in September 2009, affecting 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus cars, involves floor mats which may get stuck under the gas pedal. The second recall, issued last week, addresses mechanical problems that could cause the gas pedal to stick, affecting 2.3 million vehicles. There are approximately 1.7 million Toyota vehicles that are subject to both recalls.

Vehicles affected by the gas pedal recall and suspension of sales and production include:
2009-2010 RAV4
2009-2010 Corolla
2009-2010 Matrix
2005-2010 Avalon
2007-2010 Camry (certain models)
2010 Highlander
2007-2010 Tundra
2008-2010 Sequoia

These vehicles are not affected by the recalls and are still available for sale:
Lexus Division or Scion
Toyota Prius
Tacoma
Sienna
Venza
Solara
Yaris
4Runner
FJ Cruiser
Land Cruiser
Select Camry models, including all Camry hybrids

According to industry analysts, Toyota sells approximately 65,000 Camrys and Corollas a month, comprising about 3.4 percent of the market share. These models represent 57 percent of Toyota’s sales in the United States for 2009. This is a move that could put a serious dent in Toyota’s bottom line. The question is – will it tarnish their reputation for safety and quality? Some may see Toyota’s recall and suspension of sales as an example of Corporate America doing the right thing by discontinuing sales of cars that may be dangerous to consumers. Other may see this as an effort that is a little too late.

Toyota maintains that this is a rare problem that occurs gradually when parts of the gas pedal become worn. They contend the gas pedal may become harder to press and slower to return to the idle position when the driver takes their foot off the pedal. And, worst case scenario the accelerator pedal may become stuck in a partially depressed position causing uncontrolled acceleration. According to Toyota, if you are not experiencing any of these problems, then it is still safe to drive your car. If your gas pedal is sticking or if there is any hesitation, you should stop driving your car and contact your Toyota dealer.

General Motors is also recalling its Pontiac Vibe, which is basically the same car as the Toyota Matrix. However, GM is not suspending sales of the Pontiac Vibe, as GM has stopped production on this car as part of its phase-out plan of the Pontiac brand.

While, it appears Toyota is trying to do the right thing issuing the recalls and suspension of sales and production, common sense dictates that you have your vehicle checked if you suspect any problems at all with your car. The old cliche, “it’s better to be safe, than sorry”, is never more true than when applied to a 4,000+ pound motor vehicle.

Toyota owners who have questions or concerns about their car should contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

Recently, there have been reports of gas pedals sticking in an accelerated position. Toyota claims this is a rare occurrence that occurs when the pedal mechanism becomes worn and becomes harder to depress, slower to return to its original position and at worst, stuck in the partially depressed position.

This recall comes on the heels of Toyota’s recall in November 2009, which affected 4.2 million cars. That recall involved a design flaw that could allow the gas pedal to be trapped under the floor mat. In August of 2009, off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor was driving a loaner Lexus when the gas pedal became stuck. The car was reported speeding at an estimated 120 mph as they approached a busy intersection, collided with another car and rolled several times. Saylor, a 19 year CHP veteran, his wife, daughter and brother-in-law were killed.

Although drivers have removed the floor mats as recommended by Toyota in the first recall, reports of involuntary acceleration and stuck pedals continue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating recent car crashes in Texas and New Jersey involving Toyota vehicles that experienced sudden acceleration due to a stuck gas pedal.

On December 26, 2009, four people were killed when their Toyota Avalon suddenly accelerated, ran a stop sign, ran through a fence and flipped into pond. According to the police, there were no skid marks and the floor mats were found in the trunk.

There are about 1.7 million cars that are affected by both recalls, including, the Camry, Toyota’s best selling model.

Toyota’s accelerator pedal recall includes the following models:
- 2009-2010 RAV4,
- 2009-2010 Corolla,
- 2009-2010 Matrix,
- 2005-2010 Avalon,
- 2007-2010 Camry,
- 2010 Highlander,
- 2007-2010 Tundra,
- 2008-2010 Sequoia

The Yamaha Rhino was introduced in 2003 and despite the growing number of Yamaha Rhino ATV rollover accidents, Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA refuses to issue a recall. Even though there have been reports hundreds of injuries and even deaths, there has still yet to be a recall on this vehicle. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that there’s something wrong with those numbers.

It wasn’t until 2006 that Rhino issued a letter to owners that warned the Rhino was prone to rollovers when taking sharp turns. However, the tone of the letter blamed the rollovers on the drivers and passengers of the vehicles. The warning that Yamaha provided in the letter was that passengers needed to use their seatbelts and keep their arms and legs inside of the vehicle. A lot of good that’ll do when the vehicle is actually rolling. The letter then advised recipients what to do if their Rhino ATV started to tip. Again, the insinuation is it must be an operator error. Interestingly enough, accidents while driving the Yamaha Rhino ATV have not decreased since the letter was distributed in 2006.

In 2007, Yamaha finally responded to the safety issues by offering free modifications, including adding handholds and doors on the vehicles in order to make them safer. As of February 2008, there has yet to be a recall issued by Yamaha or offers of refunds issued to Rhino owners. And the injuries and deaths continues. Again, here’s a perfect example of Corporate America refusing to fix a serious problem until it hits them where it hurts…in the pocketbook.

Here are some interesting tidbits:

-When I searched the Yamaha Motors web site, I could not find an option to order the 2008 Yamaha Rhino with doors.
-The only safety accessories I could find were arm guards and bash plates, which didn’t look like they’d be much help in protecting you during a roll.
-The safety warning does not mention a tendency to rollover at slow speeds or on smooth terrain.
-I could not find any notification on their web site regarding any of the rollover issues other than a brief mention to “Never turn at excessive speeds. Practice turning at slow speeds before attempting to turn at faster speeds. Do not attempt turns on steep inclines”.
-I couldn’t find a copy of the letter Yamaha Motors sent to owners in 2006 on their web site.

It’s taken numerous lawsuits filed against Yamaha Motors to take notice of this threat to public safety. Their apparent lack of seriousness regarding the dangerous and life-threatening rollover problems with their Rhino ATV, dating back to its launch in 2003 just reiterates that once again Corporate America chooses to put profit before public safety.