Thirteen fires and more than one million dollars in property damage have been caused by LG Dehumidifiers, prompting a recall. The Goldstar GHD30Y7, Goldstar DH305Y7 and Comfort-Aire BHD-301-C dehumidifiers are all included in the recall. The recalled units are distributed through The Home Depot, Walmart, Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Orgill and other nationwide retailers from January...
The Consumer Product Safety Commission claims that in 1996 alone, clothes dryers caused 15,500 house fires, resulting in 20 deaths, 320 injuries and $84.4 million in property damages. In light of this information, it is not surprising that dryer manufacturers vigorously defend products liability claims. Just recently, Electrolux obtained a defense verdict in Wisconsin federal...
On September 1, 2011 the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of all pourable gel fuels made by nine separate companies. The recall covers an estimated two million units of this fuel, which has been sold since 2008. Customers are being asked to contact the individual companies to obtain a refund for return...
Lawyers deposing experts often delve into matters pertaining to the witnesses’ compensation. Indeed, FRCP 26(a)(2)(B)(vi) contemplates that an expert’s report must contain "a statement of the compensation to be paid for the study and testimony in the case". However, at what point will questions probing the amount of income that an expert earns be considered...
On 29 March 2011, following a period of consultation, the government announced that the civil cost reforms proposed by Lord Justice Jackson in his January 2010 report will be implemented in full. In his report, which followed a year-long review of rising civil litigation costs in England and Wales, Jackson proposed, amongst other things, that...
What is a Limitation Period? All legal proceedings, including subrogated recovery actions, must be commenced within a certain period of time set out by legislation. The time period in which an action can be brought is called a limitation period. It is also sometimes called a prescription period. If an action is not brought within...
On July 28, 2011, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Honeywell International Inc. collectively issued a voluntary recall of 77,000 Honeywell baseboard and fan heater thermostats sold between January 2000 and December 2007. There have been 16 reported incidents of the thermostats melting and smoking as a result of overheating. While there have been...
When someone is injured or property is destroyed because a manufacturer did not warn about known dangers you may think your case is a slam dunk. But before you start your victory dance, make sure you can prove that the warning would have been read. Recently, the California Court of Appeal for the Fifth District overturned a...
In the 1850’s, a prominent frontier lawyer, disturbed by what he saw, felt compelled to offer the following advice in a speech to aspiring lawyers: “Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.” In England & Wales, the Civil Procedure Rules (“CPR”) are the rules which govern the conduct of litigation. Most readers...
