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Product Liability Lawyers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York
Faulty and defective products result in injuries to thousands of people every year. Kline & Specter attorneys have handled complex, investigative-based litigation involving everything from defective BB guns (see Mahoney case) to a popular model pick-up truck (White, Bobb) to a construction crane (Yankosky). The first case, in which a teenager was left brain damaged by a defective BB air rifle, resulted in not only a large settlement against Daisy Corp. but also an report aired by ABC’s 20/20 show. The BB gun case made national headlines and sparked a probe by the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Administration and a demand that Daisy recall 7.4 million guns.
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In the White case, Specter in 1999 won a $153 million verdict, including compensatory and punitive damages against Ford Motor Co. The verdict was the second-largest product liability verdict in U.S. history at the time. A later trial in the case yielded a $52 million verdict.
The firm, based in Philadelphia, has also gone to court in cases involving a number of products, including unsafe motorcycle helmets (Wandel) and medical devices (Dalkon). Earlier, Tom Kline doggedly pursued a case (Blum) against drug manufacturer Merrell Dow over 16 years.
Tom Kline and Shanin Specter were selected in 2007 among the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers by Expert Guides, publisher of guides to internationally recognized attorneys.
Kline & Specter also handles cases involving many other defective products, including defective child products and enclosed hospital beds.
In March 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fined Graco Children's Products Inc $4 million for failing to report hundreds of injury incidents, including a number of fatalities. Graco makes car seats, swings, high chairs and other products for babies and children.
In the same month, the FDA ordered the seizure of enclosed beds made by Vail Products Inc. because it said patients could become entrapped in the beds and suffer serious injury or death. The agency said it was aware of at least 30 entrapments resulting from the use of Vail Model 500, 1000 and 2000 Enclosed Bed Systems and that at least seven resulted in death.
Among problem products are those involving automobiles, including defective airbags, lap belts and parking brakes and vehicles prone to rollovers, such as SUVs and 15-passenger vans. Also, many products made in China, including tires, toys and toothpaste, have also proved to be defective or dangerous.
Click here to contact a product liability attorney.
Click here for information on defective pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other products.
- Backyard Play Systems LLC, Outdoor Playset Gliders (fall hazard – 1800)
- Bugaboo North America Inc., Bugaboo Bee Strollers (brakes can fail causing injury to child - 22,500)
- Vintage International Inc., National and Sanyo Hand-Held Hair Dryers (electrocution hazard - 2,300)
- The Step2 Company LLC, Step2 Play Up Gym play sets (fall hazard - 4,300)
- Skywalker Holdings LLC, 13-foot Square Trampolines (fall risk - 60,000)
- Ely and Walker, Cumberland Outfitters Girl’s Hooded Sweatshirts (strangulation hazard – 580)
- Gothic Cabinet Craft Inc., Twin, Twin Extra-Large, and Twin Over Full Bunk Beds (strangulation hazard - 1,500)
- Polaris Industries Inc., 2009 Widetrak Snowmobiles and Engine Block and Battery Heaters (electric shock hazard – 530)
- More …(CPSC)
News
- Toy maker Mattel Inc. fined a $2.3 million civil penalty for importing and selling toys with excessive levels of lead. The penalty is part of a settlement the companies reached with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced Friday, that the toymaker had knowingly violated a 30-year-old federal ban on lead paint in toys. (Full story)
- The possibility of engine fires has prompted General Motors to recall nearly 1.5 million passenger sedans manufactured between 1997 and 2003. The problem involves a potential for oil to leak on the exhaust manifold during hard braking. The vehicles involved are 1997-2003 Buick Regals; 1998-2003 Chevrolet Luminas, Monte Carlos and Impalas; 1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigues; and 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix. (Full story)
- Food and Drug Administration sounds a nationwide alert about tomatoes linked to outbreak of salmonella, with some cases serious and potentially fatal. The warning was for raw Roma, plum and round red tomatoes. FDA cited reports of 167 illnesses and 23 hospitalizations. (Full story)
- Jury awards $6.5 million to the widow and estate of man who was killed when his Ford Explorer went out of control and rolled over in an auto accident. The jury ruled in the product liability case that the man’s death was due to a defectively designed roof support system.(Full story)
- Family of woman killed when a highway tunnel collapsed on her car reaches $6 million settlement with the epoxy supplier blamed for the accident in the product liability case.(Full story)
- Two additional defendants, Polar Industries and Home Depot U.S.A., reach a tentative agreement with the victims of Rhode Island nightclub fire to pay $5 million to settle product liability lawsuits against them, bring the total amount that could be awarded to the victims to $19.5 million.(Full story)
- Andy Stern talks about the Mattel toy recall on NBC 10 8/15/2007 (Click here to watch video)
- Two weeks ago, it was lead paint on Ernie, Elmo and Big Bird, and on other toys representing beloved Sesame Street characters. (Full story)
- Mattel, the world’s largest toy company, yesterday announced the biggest recall in its history. (Full story)
Click on the links below to learn more about some of Kline & Specter's product liability cases.
Product Liability
THE BLUM CASE
Epic case waged over drug maker's Bendectin
One jury awarded $19 million, product halted
THE BOBB CASE
Tot hurt by Ford truck with faulty parking brake
Pickup "rolled away" on its own, Ford agreed to settle the case
THE COZZOLINO CASE
Kindergarten student killed in table collapse at school
Manufacturer knew table was defective, to pay $10 million
THE DALKON SHIELD CASE
Jury finds birth control device caused woman's injuries
$5.15 million was largest federal verdict at the time
THE HALL V. SEPTA CASE
Tot's foot torn off in subway escalator
Jury awarded $51 million, judge fined SEPTA
THE MAHONEY CASE
Defective BB gun injures teenager
16-year-old later died from shot by Daisy gun, Recall sought
THE MILLER CASE
Boy is injured by lap belt in car accident
GM agreed to settle case that left Justin Miller paralyzed
THE WANDEL CASE
Defective helmet results in motorcycle mishap injuries
A jury awarded $6.8 million to man left in vegetative state
THE WHITE V. FORD CASE
Nevada tot dies in truck with defective brakes
Jury found recall bogus, Ford slapped with huge verdicts
THE YANKOSKY CASE
Bethlehem Steel employee crushed in crane accident
Faulty remote transmitter blamed, case settled for $4.4 million
