Defective products

Child Passenger Safety Week: A reminder of the many ways a child can be injured in a Fort Myers car accident

September 22, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Our Fort Myers child injury lawyers encourage parents to participate in Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 19 to 25) by talking to your kids about dangers around vehicles and having your booster and safety seats checked on National Seat Check Saturday, Sept. 25.

A list of child safety seat check locations in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and throughout South Florida is available here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that car accidents remain the leading cause of death for young children ages 3 to 14. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 1,347 children were killed in car accidents in 2008 and 193,000 were injured. Florida car accidents killed 73 children that year.

Florida injury lawyers remind the public to celebrate safely this July 4th

June 29, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

As millions of Americans prepare to enjoy a fun family holiday celebrating our nation’s birth, Florida injury lawyers are urging those using fireworks to always put safety before sparklers.

“Please celebrate safely,” notes attorney Bruce L. Scheiner, “No one wants to have such a happy event marred by a negligent or careless accident.”

Each year, injuries resulting from improper use and handling of commonly available fireworks and pyrotechnics turn a family gathering into a catastrophe. With the proliferation of roadside fireworks vendors, and even commercial stores open all year, the opportunities for an accident are plentiful.

Florida injury lawyers debut 1-800-Dial-BLS, for car accident, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents and other personal injury questions in Southwest Florida

March 1, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

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The Florida injury lawyers at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, begin 2009 with a new toll-free phone number, 1-800-Dial-BLS.

Whether you are injured in a car accident, motorcycle accident, truck accident or are the victim of a drunk driving crash or other personal-injury or wrongful-death situation, representatives are available 24 hours a day at 1-800-Dial-BLS to review your case.

The firm has four decades of experience handling car accidents and other personal injury cases throughout Southwest Florida, including Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral, Arcadia, Port Charlotte, Venice and Sebring.

Started in 1971 by Bruce L. Scheiner, the family-run firm is dedicated to representing Florida residents who have been injured by the negligent or careless acts of other individuals, businesses or insurance companies.

The firm has never worked for big businesses or insurance companies and practices exclusively in the area of personal injury law. Unlike many other firms, which split their attention between personal injury cases and other types of law, like divorce, real estate and criminal cases, Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, is a team of almost 100 professionals dedicated to fighting for justice for those how have been injured or killed in Florida.

Bruce L. Scheiner still hand selects each case the firm represents. Together with his wife Cheryl, who runs the office, and son, Preston J. Scheiner, who is an associate attorney, the Scheiner team is dedicated to getting you and your loved ones the compensation you deserve.

After four decades of service in Southwest Florida, there promise to you is simple: at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, you’ll pay nothing unless we win.

Look for the new toll-free hotline throughout Southwest Florida, on billboards, on television, in the yellow pages and online.
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Florida motorists warned of car accidents waiting to happen

February 11, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Some 148,000 people suffer a car accident each year without ever getting behind the wheel: They are injured by a closing car door in what the federal government has announced is the most common non-moving injury inflicted by automobiles.

For the first time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has collected data for non-traffic related death and injuries and non-crash related death and injuries to the ways in which people are seriously injured or killed in or around automobiles.

“It shows you don’t have to be in a moving vehicle to be seriously injured,” said Bruce L. Scheiner, founder and senior attorney at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers.

Florida Injury Lawyers point out such cases can involve legal questions surrounding car accidents, bicycle and pedestrian injuries, property and premise liability law, slip and fall issues, injuries to children, vehicle defect, defective product law and other legal issues.

“The bottom line is, if you are seriously injured you should contact a lawyer to examine whether you have a case,” Scheiner said.

Such dangers are now being tabulated by the federal government, including: falls from vehicle, battery acid and antifreeze burns, jack accidents, tire explosions, window strangulation, and those injured or killed by being locked in the trunk.

“I don’t think anyone until now had an accurate sense of the extent of vehicle-related injuries and fatalities that did not occur on a public highway,” NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson told Forbes Magazine. “It certainly underscores the risks that exist in a vehicle whether it’s on the road or off, and I hope it will call some attention to some of those issues.”

The new statistics also shed light on what the government terms Nontraffic crash fatalities and injuries, including single-vehicle crashes on private roads, collisions with pedestrians on driveways and two-vehicle crashes in parking facilities.

Bicyclists and pedestrians account for about half (614 of 1,159) of non-traffic crash fatalities and about a third (34,000 of 98,000) of non-traffic injuries.

Backovers, where drivers injure or kill a non-occupant by reversing over them, account for another 19 percent of fatalities and 14 percent of injuries.

Annual average of non-crash fatalities by type:
Struck by falling vehicle: 168 Accidental carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust: 147 Fall from vehicle: 88 Vehicle fire: 57 Struck by Object: 44 Hyperthermia (excessive heat): 37 Hypothermia (excessive cold): 14 Poisoning: 9 Exploding Tire: 7 Vehicle window asphyxia: 5 Electrocution: 4 Drowning: 3 Closed in trunk: 3 Radiator fluid burns: 2
The government reported that 22 percent of injuries (164,000 of 743,000) occur as people enter or exit a vehicle: falls (84,000), striking a door or door frame (36,000) and in other situations such as sprains or strains while exiting (44,000).
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Florida vehicle defect attorneys warn Toyota owners of recall

January 30, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Toyota Motor Corp recalled 1.35 million vehicles this week to fix defects in the seatbelt or exhaust systems.

Florida defective product and vehicle defect attorneys urge Toyota owners to check to see if their car is part of the vehicle recall.

About 830,000 of the cars include the Yaris, manufactured between January 2005 and April 2008 and exported to Europe, the United States and other countries.

One case of fire was reported in Japan due to faulty seatbelt design, which could cause melting when the belt is activated during a collision, Toyota said.
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Southwest Florida parents warned of dangerous, defective baby cribs

January 23, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

More than half a million Stork Craft Baby Cribs pose an entrapment and suffocation risk, the federal government warned this month.

Florida injury lawyers and the child injury and defective product attorneys at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, urge parents to check their cribs to ensure infant safety.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has instructed customers to stop using the products immediately.

The recall impacts 535,000 cribs made my Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. and sold between May 2000 and November 2008. The cribs came in a variety of styles and finishes.

The metal support brackets holding the mattress and mattress board in place can break, causing a dangerous gap between the mattress and crib rails, according to the government.

The cribs were sold at major retailers, such as J.C. Penny, KMart and Walmart and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com and Walmart.com the CPSC said.

Stork Craft Manufacturing’s name, address and contact information, are located on the assembly instruction sheet, which is attached to the mattress support board. Some models also have the company enscribed on the teething rail.

Customers can contact Stork Craft at (866) 361-3321 to receive a free replacement kit. The company also can be reached online at www.storkcraft.com.

The CPSC also offers general crib safety tips, which parents can find here.
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Florida motorists, parents should check child seats to prevent injury

January 19, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

More than 30,000 child safety seats are being recalled this month, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which warns the seats may fail to properly secure young passengers in the event of an auto accident.

Florida accident attorneys, defective product lawyers and child injury attorneys at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers urge parents to check their child seats to see if they are part of the recall and to make sure they are otherwise in proper working order.

Click here to enter your zip code into a national database for the nearest location for a safety seat inspection by a qualified professional. Such inspections are available free at many fire stations and hospitals throughout Southwest Florida, including Lee County, Charlotte County and Collier County.

The current recall affects 31,392 Britax Frontier child restraint systems. The child safety seats could fail to properly secure young passengers in the event of a crash, according to the NHTSA.

“It is extremely important that parents and caregivers are aware of the recall and take action to get their child restraints repaired,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator David Kelly.

Britax is recalling the seats because the harness straps may detach from the metal yoke on the back of the child restraint if repeatedly loosened one strap at a time. Affected models include the Britax Frontier models E9L54E7, E9L54H6, E9L54H7, and E9L54M6 manufactured on or before Sept. 14, 2008 and model E9L5490 manufactured on or before Sept. 17, 2008.

Click here for more information about the recall.

The NHTSA also encourages parents and caregivers to sign-up to receive updates about child seat recalls via e-mail. The agency’s research shows that less than half of affected consumers respond to recalls.

“One of the reasons we see such a low return rate is because owners are difficult to reach if they have not registered the seat with us or the manufacturer,” said Kelly.

Consumers can sign-up for recall notifications from the federal government by visiting www.safercar.gov and clicking on the “E-mail” or “RSS” option to register. Consumers with questions about this or any other safety recall campaign may call NHTSA’s toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153).
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Pool rules, awareness seek to prevent drowning in Southwest Florida

January 7, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The new year brings new rules for public and semi-public swimming pools as authorities seek to reduce swimming pool accidents and drowning risk during Southwest Florida’s prime tourist season.

The attorneys and staff at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers wish everyone a safe and happy winter season but want to remind visitors and residents alike that the winter months often bring increased danger of accidental drowning.

Florida has the highest drowning rate for small children of any state in the nation. Last spring, in Cape Coral alone, five people drowned and three others were hospitalized. For children under 5, Florida drowning rate is twice the national average, with most deaths occurring in residential swimming pools.

Nationally, drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death for children under 14.

“I think a lot of times it’s just those few moments when a pool gate was left open or a sliding glass door was left open,” pediatrician Dr. Stan Wiggins told NBC-2 recently. Wiggins said it is especially important for grandparents to make sure their pool area is secure when children come to visit.

Pediatricians also advise parents, grandparents and care givers to learn child and infant CPR.

The new year also brings with it new laws requiring safer pool drains and systems designed to reduce the risk of entrapment. On Dec. 19, the Consumer Product Safety Commission began requiring the improvements on hotel, apartment and condo pools.

Lee County ranks fourth in the state for the highest number of residential swimming pools. In fact, the recent real estate boom brought more new residential swimming pools to Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Bonita Springs and the surrounding area than anywhere else in Florida.

Newer swimming pools must include certain mandatory safety features, including a pool surrounding at least 4-foot tall, self-closing and self-locking pool entries and door and window alarms between the home and pool area.

Pool owners – whether hotel, home or condo – have certain legal responsibilities.
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Florida tainted toy settlement a reminder of dangerous, defective products during holidays

December 18, 2008 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The State of Florida is set to receive $587,000 as part of a multi-state settlement with toy maker Mattel Inc. and its subsidiary Fisher-Price Inc. after allegedly producing toys with unacceptably high levels of lead paint.

The holidays are a time when we all bring new purchases into our homes. The defective product attorneys and product liability lawyers at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, want to remind you that companies have a duty to ensure that the products they market to consumers are free from defects that could cause serious injury or death.

Yet each year it is estimated more than 33 million people are injured by defective products at a cost to the economy of more than 800 billion.

In this instance, August 2007 to October 2007, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 2 million of the company’s toys, alleging they contained excessive levels of lead in accessible surface coatings.

Excessive levels of lead may cause a variety of health problems, from learning disabilities and behavioral problems, to seizures and death, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The agreement reached by the Attorney General requires better standards for accessible lead and applies to toys manufactured by the company after Nov. 30, 2008.
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