New ATV Safety Legislation Passes in Boston

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Soraya Dadras

New legislation has been put into effect in Boston, MA that will put serious regulations on ATV riding, much to the relief of families who have been victims of having their children injured on or by one. The legislation has received some criticism from avid ATV riders. 

 

The new legislation is called Sean’s Bill in honor of an 8-year-old who was killed in 2006 in an ATV accident. The legislation aims to prevent young kids from riding machines that are too powerful for them. It has changed the legal riding age to 14 years old opposed to 10 years old, with the exception in sanctioned races. The legislation also set a limit to the engine size for 14 to 16 year olds to 90 cubic centimeters. Riders who are between 14 to 16 year olds also have to be supervised by someone over the age of 18. The law also requires that all riders under the age of 18 must take vehicle safety and responsibility courses. One statistic by the Consumer product safety commission states 74 children under the age of 16 were killed on ATV’s in 2008.

ATV’s are so popular among today’s youth that it is no wonder why there is legislation trying to ensure that is trying to keep them protected. Unfortunately not all states have this type of legislation in effect, so your child can still be in danger. A manufacturing defect or another reckless driver is just two potential causes of an ATV accident. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury by an ATV contacting an Arizona personal injury can help you prosecute the responsible parties involved. 

 
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Child Blankets Recalled Due to Choking Hazard

Posted on June 1, 2010 by Jessica Navarro

According to the Chicago Tribune, The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commision, together with Rashti & Rashti announced a voluntary recall of 44,000 child security blankets that are sold exclusively at Target stores. The reason for the recall is because the blankets pose a choking hazard.

 

 

The CPSC stated that the choking hazard can occur if an attachment on the blanket falls off. At the time of the report, no injuries or deaths had been reported, however, parents have been strongly urged to contact Rashti & Rashti (the importer of the blankets) to get a full refund on the product.

The product in this recall is targeted toward small children most likely ranging in age from infants up to 3 or 4 years of age. Many companies tend to put their financial gain over the safety and welfare of their consumers and therefore prefer to avoid a recall in order to avoid loss of money. However, as demonstrated in this case, there are many companies that willingly pull products when they could potentially harm the consumer in anyway. This should always be the concern for any company – removing a product that could potentially be putting the consumer, especially children, in danger of any kind. The consumer’s safety and welfare should always come first. Every company that manufactures products for children should always put the child’s safety and welfare in front of financial gain and should recall products when they could potentially harm a child.

For more information on this and other product recalls, visit the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

Additional information on product recalls and product liability issues can be found at Solomon & Relihan's Product Liability Information page.
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How Safe are the Buses on America's Highways?

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Martin Solomon

When we board a bus we assume that a large vehicle provides an extra degree of safety; however, our assumption is wrong.

Buses are dangerous because bus companies are not required to have buses equipped with modern safety equipment and existing safety regulations are not uniformly enforced by the government.

For example, seat belts aren’t required in buses, there are no requirements for roof crush support structures, nor are there requirements that buses have ejection resistant windows.

Bus safety is low on the government’s priority list and the bus industry is pleased.

Even the simplest regulatory measure to ensure that bus drivers are qualified to operate a bus safely is neglected by regulators.

There are many bus accident where bus passengers are thrown about and injured because there are no seat belts. When a bus overturns and lands on its top there is little to prevent the roof from crushing down and seriously injuring and killing passengers. Also in a bus rollover it is common for passengers to be ejected from bus windows and injured or killed on the highway.

There are many long standing safety features that would improve bus safety and save lives, but they haven’t been required by the government.

Perhaps under the Obama administration we will now see a new emphasis on bus safety; until then, drive your car or take a plane.

To learn more about bus safety, go to The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

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