Mansfield Personal Injury Blog

Consumers have the right to expect that they can safely use and operate the products they purchase, including vehicles. Car manufacturer Ford recently announced a recall of 874,082 F-150 pickup trucks due to fire concerns. A faulty engine block heater cable is to blame. The auto manufacturer is aware of three fires that have resulted from the defect. Corrosion of the cable can cause damage over time, leading to fire.

The concern is particularly bad in colder weather climates that require the engine block to be plugged in externally using the cable to help keep the engine block warm during the cold winter months. Ford is repairing the defect, however, concerns about timing and the ability to access timely repairs have been expressed. There are a variety of protections available to help ensure the safety of the public and consumers.

There are many different aspects to the personal injury claims process and it is useful information for injured victims to understand what those are. A personal injury claim for damages following a car accident or other traumatic accident can help injured victims in Ohio recover compensation for their damages.

Victims of car accidents may be able to recover compensation for the physical, financial and emotional harm they have suffered. Making a personal injury claim for damages may begin with filing the claim but there are many parties and different steps in the process that are involved along the way. Insurance companies are commonly involved in the process of compensating victims for the harm they have suffered.

Distracted driving is a danger to everyone on the roadways. A new law going into effect just before Christmas in Mantua, Ohio, will consider holding a pet while driving to constitute distracted driving. The law will also make holding a cellphone while driving a primary offense, which means that authorities can pull over and cite a driver for holding their cellphone while driving. Prior to this law, distracted driving was a secondary offense, meaning a motorist had to first be lawfully pulled over for another purpose.

Authorities Mantua will begin citing drivers under the new law just prior to Christmas. For first time violators, they will be charged with a minor misdemeanor. If a driver violates the ordinance twice in a year, or if the violation results in a car accident that results in injury, the driver will be charged with a third-degree misdemeanor. Use of Bluetooth or other hands-free devices does not violate the law.

Consumers use many products in the course of their daily lives from their vehicle to the crib their child sleeps in every evening to the lawn mower they use to clip their grass and trim their lawn. This blog recently discussed some of the complexities of products liability law and provided answers to question that might come up when victims have been injured by a dangerous or defective product but it can also be helpful to understand what those circumstances may look like.

During their everyday lives, consumers may not realize how many products they come into contact with or that they have a reasonable expectation of safety when using those everyday products. When a dangerous or defective product has injured a victim, loved one or child, it is important to be familiar with personal injury legal protections available to help, especially with the medical care and costs that victims may suffer in addition to potential lost earnings and pain and suffering damages.