NHTSA Proposes Minimum Sound Standard Requirements for Hybrid, Electric Cars to Curb Pedestrian Accidents

Since the advent of hybrid and electric cars, disputes regarding their hushed sound were raised since it was said to increase the risk of pedestrian accidents.

Consequently, in a recent effort of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to totally curb or at least reduce the number of pedestrian accidents, it proposed to set minimum sound standards for hybrid and electric cars.

The said proposal is in compliance with the bipartisan Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010 (PSEA). Said act requires all hybrids and electric cars to meet minimum sound requirements so that pedestrians would be able to notice immediately whenever they are approaching.

Hybrid and electric cars obviously do not rely on traditional gas or diesel-powered engines at low speeds, making them much quieter. Therefore, their approach is often unnoticeable.

In a statement released by the NHTSA’s Administrator, David Strickland, he claimed that the said proposal would allow auto-makers the flexibility to design various sounds for different vehicle makes and models while still giving a chance for pedestrians, bicyclists as well as the visually impaired to detect and recognize an approaching vehicle.

Meanwhile, the administration expects to reduce pedestrian accidents by 2,800 cases once the proposal gets approved.

At present, the proposal is set to be published by the Federal Register to give the public 60 days to provide feedbacks regarding the said action.

As it is, accidents almost always happen unpredictably. If simply sleeping can kill you, how much more if you are walking down the road with fast-moving vehicles all around? Unfortunately, anyone who’s crossing the road can fall victim to pedestrian accidents. Therefore, people should be extra vigilant and if possible, watch their every move, advised by a Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer.

Toyota Agreed to Pay Record Fine over Failure to Report Product Defect on Time

It was revealed in recent news reports that the Japanese car manufacturing giant Toyota has agreed to pay a record fine of $17.35 million for failing to report a product safety defect to the U.S. government immediately.

The said monetary relief is the highest so far for not conducting a product recall in a timely manner.

The fine was imposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation after it sent a notice to the giant automaker regarding floor mat pedal entrapments in vehicles. Subsequently, the agency was surprised upon knowing that Toyota has been aware of the product defect a month earlier but failed to launch a recall. In fact, as per Toyota’s response to the safety agency’s notice, it claimed that it had actually received 63 reports related to the product defect. 

Under the federal law, automakers are required to notify agency within five business days upon receipt of such report regarding a product defect, as well as to conduct a product recall immediately.

In a statement released by the highway safety agency administrator, David Strickland, which a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles deemed true and correct, he said that every moment of delay has the possibility to lead to wrongful deaths or personal injuries on the country’s highways.

It can be remembered that back in 2010, Toyota likewise paid a total of $48.8 million in civil penalties following three separate investigations into the company’s handling of vehicle recalls.

Fortunately for the automaker, despite the series of product recall that it conducted and the imposed penalties against the company, its sale was not affected. It is merely because the decision-making of most consumers is based on productions in showrooms wherein Toyota is known to be very competitive.

LA City Attorney Indicts ‘Reservoir Dogs’ Star Michael Madsen for Misdemeanor

Photo gives credit to Hollywood Reporter

The Los Angeles City Attorney has finally charged Michael Madsen with two counts of misdemeanor after his DUI (driving under the influence) arrest last September.

As previously reported, the ‘Reservoir Dogs’ star was arrested in Malibu, Los Angeles, California last September for driving dangerously and having a .20 reading on his breathalyzer test, which is more than twice the legal limit.

Consequently, last Wednesday, the LA County attorney filed two counts of misdemeanor against Madsen, one for driving under the influence of intoxicating substance and another for driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher, according to a report obtained by media sources.

Meanwhile, Madsen is set to appear in court later this month where he could defend himself since his party has already denied the accusations set against him. In fact, his attorney recently declared that the breathalyzer test was flawed.

Most probably, if convicted, Madsen could face up to two years imprisonment. Nevertheless, it is his first DUI offense and his prior records show no DUI convictions. Therefore, is more likely that he would not serve any jail time.

Apparently, Madsen was arrested just last March on felony charges of child endangerment with cruelty to a child. It was after a heated argument with one of his sons at his Malibu home, which he shared with his wife and their three sons.  Nevertheless, the case did not pursue due to insufficient evidence.

Meanwhile, a car accident attorney in Los Angeles commented that Madsen is still fortunate since no one got injured or killed from his reckless driving because if he did, he could have been spending most of his life behind bars.

Samsung Discovers Unfair Employment Practices among Suppliers

Prompted by the report of the U.S. based watchdog, China Labor Watch, regarding child labor, Samsung conducted a follow-up investigation to determine whether there is indeed any unfair employment practice occurring among its suppliers.

As reported, the South Korean tech giant Samsung inspected last September more than a hundred of its suppliers from China due to report of alleged child labor.

However, during a face-to-face ID checks, Samsung found no evidence of child labor but instead, the probe team discovered some irregular employment practices that needed to be addressed immediately.

Some of the unfair employment practices that Samsung discovered include excessive overtime and a system of fines imposed for tardiness and absenteeism by some of its suppliers.

Therefore, Samsung is now seeking ways to develop measures that will absolutely eliminate hours beyond legal limits by the end of 2014, according to the tech giant. In addition, it pledged that all its 249 suppliers would be monitored by a third party audit program.

Also, as a part of its preventive measures, Samsung asked all of its suppliers to adopt a new hiring process. Moreover, it likewise required them to correct irregularities in employment contracts, and to provide adequate safety equipments as well as safety trainings. It also warned suppliers that anyone caught violating the child labor act will have its contract terminated.

Furthermore, Samsung claimed that all the suppliers’ managers will receive additional training about sexual harassment and verbal and physical abuse. Meanwhile, the same encourages employees to report any inhumane treatment or labor violations in its established hotlines. Therefore, several Los Angeles employment lawyers are pretty impressed that the tech giant itself was the one that directly led the investigation to correct the irregularities. 

Drunken Fox 5 Veteran News Anchor Caused Car Crash

A veteran news anchor from Fox 5 was reportedly busted again for driving under the influence and causing a car accident.

Recent news reports claimed that the well-respected broadcast journalist, Amanda Davis, was arrested for the second time around following a car accident as a result of her drunk driving near Atlanta, Georgia last November 11.

Davis was arrested after driving her Fiat car northbound in the southbound lane and hitting a black Toyota. Apparently, it was a head-on collision.

Responding police officers noticed that as they were talking to both drivers following the incident, they immediately noticed the strong smell of alcohol in Davis’ breath. Therefore, she was asked by the cops if she was drunk and she did admit she was.

Allegedly, although Davis refused to take field sobriety test and the State Administered Chemical Test, she was still busted after the DUI officer found significant evidence to arrest her.

Aside from her DUI charges, Davis will also face reckless driving and failure to maintain lane charges. In addition, she was put in jail after the authorities confiscated her driver’s license.

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles auto accident attorney here remembered that the veteran news anchor was also arrested for the same offense way back in 1991. Incidentally she is not the first news anchor to be involved in such embarrassing alcohol-related situation. Her only difference is that she is well-respected by many and should have taken care of her reputation.

Sacramento Kings Team and Player Agree to Settle Product Liability Raps Raised Against Ball Manufacturer

The Sacramento Kings and its guard / forward player, Francisco Garcia, have finally agreed to settle the product liability lawsuit that they filed against an Italian manufacturer of the exercise ball that exploded and seriously injured the said player, recent reports said.

It could be recalled that on October 9, 2009, while Garcia was balancing on the 75-centimeter ball and lifting weights at the same time, the ball exploded. As a result of which, he fell forcibly on the floor together with the 90-pound weights in each of his hand. Garcia suffered severe injuries including a fractured right forearm.

In the said lawsuit, the NBA team claimed that the manufacturer breached warranty. Therefore it was seeking for more than $4 million in damages, which the team was required to pay while Garcia was unable to play.

Incidentally, due to the accident, Garcia missed four months of his five-year contract extension worth $29.6 million. In addition, early this year, he missed two games after suffering an aggravation of his forearm injury.

Garcia also sought for unspecified damages for physical and mental sufferings together with loss of future earning capacity. Meanwhile, the amount paid by the manufacturer, Ledraplastic S.p.a. to the Kings and Garcia was kept undisclosed.

Nevertheless, a portion of their agreement was revealed in recent news reports. Allegedly, the manufacturer agreed to circulate a letter informing and reminding all distributors and customers that the Gymnic fit balls should be used with body weight alone and never with weights.

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles injury lawyer reminds that not all product liability claims come as simple as this case. Usually, the depth of the possible pool of defendants and the complicated nature of proving such claim are the major reason why victims need to have someone to bolster their claim in order to achieve a successful conclusion.

PETA Calls for Memorial Where Hundreds of Fish Died in Car Accident

On behalf of the leading animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a representative wrote a letter of request to the Irvine Public Works Department to put a memorial at the intersection wherein more than a thousand pounds of fish died following a three-car accident last October 11.

In her letter, Dina Kourda requested that a sign be erected at the street corner of Walnut Avenue and Yale Avenue, at a spot far from the road to prevent it from interfering traffic. The effort is to honor the lives of the fish that passed away in the said incident.

According to previous reports, the fish were being hauled to a Ranch 99 market, an Asian supermarket, when the multiple car crash that caused the death of the fishes occurred. Fortunately, none of the people involved in the crash were seriously injured.

Kourda further noted in her letter that although such signs are traditionally reserved for human fatalities, she hopes that the state agency will make an exemption due to the severe sufferings incurred by the fish from the incident. In addition, the memorial will also serve as a reminder to drivers that all animals, despite being not humans, value their lives and feel pain as well.

Moreover, spokeswoman Ashley Byrne also affirmed that PETA had called for memorials for other types of animals such as pigs and cows before. However, this is the first time that the organization did the same effort for fish. Nevertheless, the memorial is appropriate, Byre added.

On the other hand, the spokesman for the city of Irvine, Craig Reem, said that although he was not familiar with the city’s procedure for dealing with such requests, he admitted that it would be unfair if he will say that the city has no plans to grant the request.

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles injury attorney likewise believes that every life in this world should be cared for and treated like human beings. Therefore, being sensitive about others’ feelings and value is very significant. He likewise commented that people should always bear in mind that even plants and animals have feelings, too. Other than that, they also play remarkable roles in the community.