Nissan Motor Co. announced the recall of nearly 34,000 Sentra compact cars because of a battery cable problem that could cause the engines to stall. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents say that a zinc coating on the cable bolts could be too thick which could cause a voltage drop that can damage the engine control computer. The documents say the cars can stall while moving and it may not be possible to restart them, increasing the risk of a crash. The problem affects 2010 and 2011 Sentras equipped with MR-20 engines that were built from May 11, 2010, to May 22, 2010, and from July 8, 2010, to Oct. 25, 2010, according to the NHTSA documents. Nissan says it will replace the positive battery cables and covers free of charge starting on or before [...] Read more »
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Winning Key (WK) Manufacturing and Topwin Toys (HK), of China and their U.S. distributor Toys Distribution Inc., of Los Angeles, Calif., announced a voluntary recall of the baby rattles pictured to the left. The recalled rattles can break into small parts, posing a choking hazard to young children and violating the federal safety requirements for rattles. In addition, the size of the handle on some of the rattles is small enough to enter an infant’s mouth, lodge in the throat and cause a choking hazard or lead to bruises and lacerations. The recall includes plastic rattles sold in various pastel colors and shapes, including a toy phone, animal, small buggy and sea horse. The rattles were sold in sets of five or eight rattles per box. “HANDBELL [...] Read more »
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Hamilton Beach Brands Inc., of Glen Allen, Va., today announced a voluntary recall of the Hamilton Beach® classic chrome 2-slice toasters. When the toasters are first plugged into the outlets, the heating element can be energized although the toaster lifter is in the up or off position, which can pose a fire hazard if the toaster is near flammable items. Hamilton Beach has received 5 reports of toasters being energized when first plugged into an outlet. There have been no reports of injuries or property damage. The Hamilton Beach recall involves model 22602 toasters. The model number is printed on the bottom of the toaster. The toaster has a chromed steel exterior, a front control panel with a rotary toast shade selector and function buttons arranged [...] Read more »
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. (Build-A-Bear), of St. Louis, has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $600,000. The settlement resolves CPSC allegations that Build-A-Bear failed to immediately report a defect involving its toy bear beach chair that resulted in incidents and injuries to consumers. The sharp edges of the chair’s folding wooden frame can pinch, lacerate or amputate a child’s fingertip if the finger is caught between the frame as the chair is folded. Build-A-Bear sold the beach chairs through its website and at Build-A-Bear stores between March 2001 and October 2008. The company became aware of 10 reports of injury between July 2007 and January 2009, yet did not report to the Commission until March 2009. Federal law requires manufacturers, distributors and retailers to report [...] Read more »
California Highway Patrol discovered unidentified man in Redwood City off Interstate Highway 280. CHP officers responded to reports of a body on the roadway on the Farm Hill Boulevard offramp of I-280 at around 1:18 a.m., according to CHP officer Art Montiel. The man was traveling south on I-280 and lost control of the vehicle just north of Farm Hill Boulevard and ran off the road. The vehicle hit a tree just south of the Farm Hill Boulevard offramp, and the man was ejected from the vehicle, landing on the offramp. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, Montiel said. Montiel said it appeared another vehicle hit the body after it landed on the roadway. Officers are investigating the incident, and Montiel said that there is no suspicion that alcohol was involved in the crash. [...] Read more »
A unidentified motorist was found dead in a vehicle along Interstate 580 early this morning after authorities were called to reports of a wreck, the California Highway Patrol said. The CHP received a call around 2:27 a.m. after a passing motorist spotted a crashed vehicle in the eastbound right-hand shoulder near First Street. Officers called emergency crews to extricate the driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Further details about the crash were not immediately available. The wreck has been cleared from the roadway and there are no anticipated delays resulting from the crash. Alexander Hawes, LLP is a nationally-recognized and award-winning personal injury law firm with offices in San Jose and San Francisco. We are passionate about our clients and our community. We are advocates for our clients and we invite you to [...] Read more »
One of two people struck and killed by Caltrain cars in separate incidents on Saturday. Jayne Cox, 27, of Folsom, has been identified by the San Mateo County coroner as the woman killed at 12:13 p.m. Saturday near the Menlo Park station, after being hit by a southbound train. Approximately an hour earlier, a man who was on the tracks at the California Avenue station in Palo Alto was struck by a northbound train, according to transit agency spokeswoman Christine Dunn. The man has not been identified. The transit agency’s police force is investigating the cause of both deaths. Alexander Hawes, LLP is a nationally-recognized and award-winning personal injury law firm with offices in San Jose and San Francisco. We are passionate about our clients and our community. We are advocates for our clients and [...] Read more »
A bicyclist died Monday night when he was hit by two cars in Santa Rosa according to police. Frank Moreno, 49, of Santa Rosa was knocked off his bike by one car near the corner of Chatham Drive and Fulton Road at 6:45 p.m. and run over by another, said police Sgt. Lance Badger. The first driver fled the scene before police arrived and is wanted for hit-and-run. The driver of the second vehicle, Bianca Belle-Bonas 18 years-old of Santa Rosa, stopped and is cooperating with police, according to Sgt. Badger. Police have yet to determine which car killed Moreno. Police ask that anyone who saw the crash or has information call police at (707) 543-4108. Alexander Hawes, LLP is a nationally-recognized and award-winning personal injury law firm with offices in San Jose and [...] Read more »
Due to the serious risk of injury to babies, CPSC and Bumbo International Trust of South Africa (“Bumbo International”) are urging parents and caregivers to never place Bumbo Baby Seats on tables, countertops, chairs or other raised surfaces. Infants aged 3-10 months old have fallen out of the Bumbo seat and suffered skull fractures and other injuries. CPSC and Bumbo International are aware of at least 45 incidents in which infants fell out of a Bumbo seat while it was being used on an elevated surface which occurred after an October 25, 2007 voluntary recall of the product. The recall required that new warnings be placed on the seat to deter elevated usage of the product. Since the recall, CPSC and Bumbo International have learned that 17 of those infants, ages 3-10 months, suffered skull [...] Read more »
Yesterday marked the third death of a bicyclist or pedestrian struck by a car in the last five days. a vehicle struck and killed a bicyclist or a pedestrian in San Jose on Wednesday while a pair of other crashes left two men fighting for their lives, triggering police warnings to motorists driving home during what is now a moonlit rush hour. In the latest crash, a 67-year-old unidentified woman was hit on her left side by a Nissan Sentra while walking across the crosswalk of Jackson Avenue at Alexian Drive in East San Jose, police said. She died shortly after at the adjacent Regional Medical Center. Police are now urging motorists who had been commuting home in the sunlight to be extra careful now that it is getting dark earlier, and ask those on [...] Read more »
