Products Liability – Gas explosions

Massachusetts Gas Explosions In Merrimack Valley #MVGasFire

Yesterday afternoon in the northern section of the state, namely the Lawrence / Andover / Merrimack Valley area, there were several gas explosions related to a major gas leak in the area. Many homes were destroyed from explosions and fires, one young man was killed and at least 20 people were injured.

Safety Tips For Surviving A Hurricane

Safety Tips For Surviving A Hurricane: Hurricane Florence is getting ready to wreak havoc on the Carolinas right now. From the end of August until the beginning of December is officially "Hurricane Season" along the Atlantic / Eastern seaboard and Gulf coastal areas of the United states. The news stations are in full swing, local governments

Federal Court Jury Verdict Obtained by Swartz & Swartz, P.C. for Misdiagnosed HIV

A US District Court jury announced a verdict in a medical malpractice case awarding Sean Stentiford $18,400,000 against two doctors associated with Lahey Clinic. The two physicians, Dr. Southard and Dr. Hreib attended to Mr. Stentiford while he was a patient at the Lahey Clinic. Mr. Stentiford was a gay man who had complained to

Underground Propane Gas Tank

Forty-two-year-old man sustained catastrophic burn injuries while filling an underground propane gas tank. Unknown to the man, the underground tank had been inactive for years and had developed a hole. When the propane was inserted into the tank, it leaked out onto the adjacent ground and was dispersed into the atmosphere through a nearby drain

Slingshot; Hunting-Type

A hunting-type slingshot was being sold by a local dimestore as a toy for children. It was purchased by one young teenager whose younger brother then used it. The younger brother accidentally fired it, causing the projectile to strike a playmate in the eye and blinding him. The slingshot had been advertised as a hunting

Push Toy

A 2-year-old boy sustained serious brain damage from anoxia caused when his air supply was cut off by the knob of a push toy handle which detached itself and lodged in his throat. The manufacturer was liable for negligent defective design and construction of the toy.

Slingshot; Wire

A ten-year-old boy purchased a small wire slingshot from a toy rack in a convenience food store located in a neighboring state. The slingshot had been made in Japan. Soon after the purchase, he fired a projectile from the slingshot which struck a six-year-old girl in the eye, rendering her sightless in that eye.

Model Car Fuel

A young boy received a model racing car in the mail as a premium from a soft-drink manufacturer. The starter mechanism of the car threw off sparks which ignited the vapors of the racing fuel, causing a flashback explosion of the fuel can. Neither the soft-drink firm nor the manufacturer of the racing car had

Chain Ladder With Exposed Metal Base

Two-year-old boy sustained a depressed skull fracture and related traumatic injuries when he fell from a chain ladder onto an exposed metal base at the playground. The boy's foot slipped on the chain ladder, causing him to fall "head first" toward the exposed, flat metal base. The boy was accompanied by his mother. The town

Jungle Gym

Four-year-old boy sustained leg injury when he fell from a jungle gym. The jungle gym was made specifically for children to climb upon. Notwithstanding the climbing nature of the jungle gym, the area under the gym was not sufficiently covered with a material that would soften the impact of falls and minimize injury. Instead, the

Outdoor Slide

A 9-year-old boy decided to try out a new outdoor slide that his friend had just received. As he was sliding down the slide he held onto the outside edge, as would have been expected. The sharp metal edge of the slide was not rolled under and as a result two of the fingers of

Amusement Park Ride

Plaintiff was severely injured while dismantling an amusement ride at defendant amusement park when he struck a part of the ride known as a "pin" with a hammer. The pin shattered sending metal fragments into both of his eyes. Plaintiff charged that defendant negligently designed, developed, inspected, marketed, advertised, promoted, sold, selected, and distributed the

Swing; Defective Chain Link

A 5-year-old girl was swinging on a new swing which she received for her birthday. As she was swinging backwards the chain holding the swing snapped and she fell backwards. The plaintiff has a broken neck and it is doubtful whether she will ever walk again. The cause of the accident was a structural defect

Swing; Defective S-Hook

A 6-year-old boy was playing on an outdoor swing. The swing could easily be removed from the chain, and in fact this is what the boy did. The boy then climbed the chain and slid down it. The second time he did this he slipped and he was castrated by the exposed S-hook which held

Off-Road Bicycle

Biker was riding his off-road bicycle in a park when the bicycle hit a rock and stopped suddenly, throwing the biker over the handle bars. The biker landed on his head and sustained serious neck injury, resulting in quadriplegia. At the time of the incident, the biker was wearing a helmet and riding gloves. Biker

Mini-Hammock

Girl sustained anoxic brain injury when a mini hammock became entangled around her neck, acting as a noose, and cutting off the air supply to her brain. The mini-hammock was defective as it posed a severe hazard of strangulation. The hammock failed to incorporate any device, such as spreaders, to keep the hammock strings from

Spas and Hot Tubs

New Jersey teenager was killed when she drowned in a hot tub. Her body was sucked against the drain at the bottom of the hot tub and was held under water.[67]

Roller Skates

Minor child sustained injuries while roller skating with defective roller skates. Specifically, while skating, the brake stopper came off one of the child's skates, preventing her from braking and causing her to fall. Child and child's family sued the manufacturer and retailer of the roller skates.

Motorbike

The 55-year-old plaintiff was on a second honeymoon with her husband in Bermuda. On their last day there they rented motorbikes. After riding for a while they pulled off the road into a rest area, bringing the bikes to a standstill. Thinking the motorbike was off, the plaintiff tried to dismount. The bike shot out

Tent Heater

Plaintiff and his family were camping using a propane heater designed for use in tents. A few minutes after plaintiff had adjusted the temperature, the heater caught on fire, igniting the tent. The plaintiff and his wife suffered severe burns. A gas leak in the regulator assembly was one of the causes of the fire.[65]

Swim Mask

The plaintiff, a 15-year-old boy, lost the vision in his right eye when the swim mask he was wearing shattered, sending splinters of glass into his eye. Plaintiff alleged that the mask was improperly designed and manufactured. In addition, the defendant manufacturer failed to warn of the potential hazards associated with the mask.

Camper Trailer; Generator

A husband and wife died as a result of being asphyxiated in their deluxe family camper. The couple had activated a generator to power the air conditioning unit inside the motor home. The generator's exhaust system had been improperly designed and installed by the manufacturer, allowing the carbon monoxide fumes to seep into the trailer.

Swimming Pool; Above-Ground; Another Example

The plaintiff, a 15-year-old boy, dove into a four foot above-ground pool and suffered severe injuries resulting in guadriplegia. He is confined to a wheelchair and lives in a home for severely physically handicapped children. Suit was brought for failure to warn and negligent construction.[63] In a similar case, a boy suffered serious injuries when

Swimming Pool; Above-Ground

The plaintiff, a thirteen-year-old girl, dove into a four foot above-ground pool and hit her head on the bottom. She is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair with minimal use of her arms.[62]

Bicycle; Frame

A teacher-coach was injured when the frame of his bicycle broke apart during a bike tour. As a result of multiple fractures and injuries received when he was thrown from the bicycle, he is a quadriplegic. An expert found that the tubes and joints of the bicycle, which were weak and inadequate, would fail under