Product Liability

Oakland Apartment Fire Lawyer Looks at Residential Fire Statistics Following Deadly Blaze

December 30, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Fires have been in the news a lot in recent years. While wildfires are tragic, causing substantial property damage and endangering lives, they are not the only type of blaze that impacts Californians. Home structure fires are a very real danger that, as revealed in the discussion below, claims nearly 2,500 civilian lives a year (and we cannot ignore the deaths of brave first responders who make the ultimate sacrifice). As an Oakland apartment fire lawyer, Attorney Greg Brod helps the injured and grieving recover monetary compensation from those responsible for apartment fires whether it is the manufacturer of a faulty device or a landlord who does not provide appropriate fire safety equipment.

Oakland Fire Claims Two Lives

On Monday morning, the danger of home fires became all too real for people residing in the 6200 block of Eastlawn Street in Oakland. CBS reports that firefighters arrived around 1:15 AM, but the fire quickly grew to two alarms and it took crews an hour to finally extinguish the flames. Sadly, a man and woman perished in the blaze. The fire rendered two apartment units uninhabitable and CBS reports that there had been previous fires at the same building. The fire remains under investigation.

Hoverboards: A Holiday Craze that May Become a Holiday Nightmare

December 16, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

It is hard to miss the signs that the holiday giving season is upon us. For many children, the top item on their list for Santa is a so-called “hoverboard.” Although it isn’t quite the air-riding skateboard some of us remember from Back to the Future II, hoverboards offer both transportation and excitement attracting both the young and young-at-heart. If a hoverboard is on the wish list for someone you love, or if it makes your own “Dear Santa” letter, you need to know about the growing number of hoverboard fires. As an injury lawyer with a keen understanding dangerous product and recreational injury claims, Attorney Greg Brod can help people injured by hoverboard fires as well as other injuries caused by toys r recreational equipment. With three offices serving Northern California, his San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and Oakland product liability law firm wants to ensure holiday gifts don’t become holiday tragedies.

The Hoverboards of 2015

First things first: What exactly are the hoverboards of 2015? Buzzfeed, a social and entertainment news site, published a fairly comprehensive report this summer titled Everything You Need to Know About the Hoverboard Craze. The article references multiple types of hoverboards including a motorized skateboard and a board with a single wheel in the center. For those looking for a “true” hoverboard (a la Marty McFly), boards that actually hover above ground are largely in the development and testing stages.

From Military Tool to Gift-of-the-Moment: Drones and the Threat of Drone Injuries

December 9, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

One of the most controversial tools used by the military and domestic government authorities has become the season’s most in-demand gift. Drones are becoming more powerful and more accessible, with hobbyists of all ages taking the controls. Drones are fascinating, but drone injuries are a very real danger. From interfering with aircraft to injuring an operator or a bystander, drone accidents happen and our Northern California drone injury lawyer is prepared to use a variety of legal theories to advocate for those injured by drones in San Francisco and the surrounding regions.

Drone Nearly Collides with CHP Helicopter Over Martinez, CA

A close call in our area last weekend highlights a potential safety threat from privately operated drones and has the California Highway Patrol (“CHP”) urging operators to take care when flying the devices. According to ABC7, on Saturday night a CHP helicopter was working with Martinez police and flying above Highway 4 when they spotted a small red light. The light turned out to be a drone flying at nearly the same altitude as the helicopter, approximately 800 feet, despite the Federal Aviation Administration’s (“FAA”) recommendation that drones remain under 400 feet. Luckily, the CHP pilots, travelling nearly 100mph, spotted the drone in time and banked allowing the drone to fly by the helicopter. CHP officials believe they have identified the drone’s operator and have turned the incident over to the FAA to determine an appropriate response.

Food Labeling Litigation Update: Court Allows Consumer Suit Challenging Organic Label to Proceed

December 8, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Eating healthy has never been so easy…or so hard. Thanks to the Internet and increased access to information about nutrition and other health topics, consumers have a wealth of information at their fingertips. Still, sometimes all that information becomes overwhelming, especially with more products appearing on store shelves making a wide range of promises. Useful and accurate labeling is critical to enabling consumers to make informed choices. Food labeling lawsuits allow consumers to fight back when companies make false and potentially dangerous promises. As a food safety law firm in San Francisco, the Brod Law Firm believes consumers must be able to trust food labels and rely on companies to produce safe foods that live up to company promises.

California Supreme Court Rules in Organic Labeling Case

Last week, the Supreme Court of California issued an important ruling in favor of consumers in a food labeling lawsuit. At issue according to NBC7 was whether consumers could file suit in California alleging that a product was falsely labeled “organic.” A lower appeals court had ruled such suits were barred by federal law which typically supersedes state law. That decision, handed down in 2013, held that Congress intended that government officials would be solely responsible for policing the term in order to create a uniform national standard.

California Child Injury Attorney Demands Toy Safety as the Holiday Rush Begins

November 27, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

The family has gathered, the feast has been eaten, and the hosts are contemplating the inevitable leftovers. Today is the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season, although it seems like some stores have been holiday-ready for weeks! As you begin to think about gifts for the youngest set, we urge you to consider the issues of toy safety. Some of the hardest cases we see in our office involve children and our San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Rosa toy injury lawyer wants children in Northern California and worldwide to enjoy a fun and safe holiday season.

WATCH Releases 2015 10 Worst Toys List

World Against Toys Causing Harm, a mouthful of a name that lends itself to the handy acronym “WATCH,” believes (as does our firm) that “One injury to one child as a result of a poorly designed or manufactured children’s product is one too many.” Sadly, the group explains on its website, the toy industry makes some $70 billion worth of sales worldwide each year and with thousands of avoidable toy injuries occurring every year, WATCH believes that “safety often takes a back seat to earnings.”

Talking Turkey: Holiday Tips from your Northern California Food Safety Lawyer

November 25, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

It seems like food safety is in the news more and more. Last week, officials announced that an e. coli outbreak tentatively linked to a major chain restaurant has hit California (CBS News). Foodborne bacteria LOVE the holidays. As you contemplate Thursday’s feast, our San Francisco food safety law firm has some advice on holiday food safety to ensure foodborne illness doesn’t hit your Thanksgiving table.

Foodborne Illness and Holiday Celebrations

Foodborne bacteria can strike at home as well as in commercial dining establishments. The Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) webpage Tracking and Reporting Foodborne Disease Outbreaks reports that 48% of the outbreaks linked to a known single setting from 2009-2010 involved a restaurant or deli while 21% involved food consumed in a private home. We suspect these numbers might be skewed since it is easier to trace a larger outbreak to its source. Regardless, consumers have much greater control when it comes to home cooking.

Northern California Child Injury Lawyer on Strangulation by Window Cord Blinds: The Product Danger Remains

November 11, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

From hard corners softened with cushions to outlets plugged with guards, parents spend hours making their homes safe for their children. Still, even the most diligent parent can’t spot every potential danger in their own homes or in other places children visit. That truth is one of many reasons we demand that companies produce and sell safe products, a demand backed up by California’s strict liability rules in product liability cases. At The Brod Law Firm, a San Francisco child injury law firm, we believe in both prevention and accountability. Today’s blog entry looks at a danger lurking in many buildings including children’s homes, child care centers, and the residences of relatives or other caregivers – window blind cords. We encourage every parent to be alert for this danger, but we also believe the manufacturers should be held responsible when unnecessarily dangerous products harm our children.

ABC7 Reports on Strangulation Danger Despite Industry Standards

The threat of strangulation by window blind cords is not an unknown danger, but ABC7 recently investigated and found the danger remains despite industry standards intended to prevent child injury and child deaths. According to the report, the government estimates that one child dies every month after being strangled by blind cords. The news channel relays the story of one California toddler whose mother had tied the pull cord out of reach to protect blinds her children and then, one tragic day, found her son dangling from blinds near his crib. Sixteen month old Jacob had gotten trapped in the inner cord of the window coverings.

Construction Defect Lawsuits and the Never-Ending Saga of the Bay Bridge

October 27, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

It’s a story we’ve followed for years – problems that plagued the Bay Bridge construction project and continue to arise more than two years after the grand re-opening. We hope that paying attention NOW helps prevent tragedy LATER, such as the frightening collapse of the previous span during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. As a San Francisco construction defect injury law firm, we represent plaintiffs injured by construction defects, people for whom repairs come too late. We hope our services are never needed for injuries tied to the Bay Bridge construction (or any other project, for that matter), but when shoddy workmanship on a home, road, or any other manmade structure leads to injuries anywhere in Northern California we are here to help.

More Defects Found in Bay Bridge Components

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, new documents are raising new concerns about the integrity of steel rods used in the eastern span of the Bay Bridge. The newly released report includes statements from an independent engineer suggesting that previously discovered micro-cracks caused by water exposure are present in parts of the span far from where issues were first discovered. Cracking could, per experts, lead to failure. The report is part of a $20 million testing program undertaken after flooded sleeves caused cracking and, in one case, failure of tower rods.

Foodborne Illness Litigation: Examining the Law and Looking at a Shigella Outbreak in San Jose

October 23, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

ecoli Whether it’s to celebrate a special event, a way to spend time with someone you love, an opportunity to get to know someone new, or simply a chance to give the kitchen (and the family chef”) the night off, Americans love dining out. Restaurants can tantalize the taste buds with something new while connecting with our companions or with ourselves. Thanks in part to a network of health-related laws and regulations, dining out is usually a safe experience and typically the biggest health risk lies in overindulging. However, on occasion a restaurant meal leaves diners dealing with a foodborne illness, including conditions that can be fatal. When a meal out in Northern California leaves a patron ill, especially when the illness is serious, our San Francisco restaurant lawyer can help.

Shigella Outbreak Traced to San Jose Restaurant

As of Wednesday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, officials had identified more than 80 people who were sickened by a bacterial infection after eating at a San Jose restaurant. After numerous people sought treatment at area hospitals last weekend, doctors and investigators concluded they were dealing with an outbreak of shigella and traced the bacteria to a suspected source, a Mexican seafood restaurant in downtown San Jose. All of the infected patients had dined at the establishment on Friday or Saturday. Of the 80 plus people believed to have been sickened by the outbreak, testing has confirmed that 15 have the shigella bacteria. Twelve patients required treatment in intensive care. The restaurant is closed while the investigation continues.

Food Allergy Litigation in California

October 7, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

The days of “PB&J” as a school lunch staple are gone in many areas. Policies limiting the presence of peanuts are just one result of a startling rise in food allergies. For many sufferers, food allergies go far beyond a tingly mouth or upset stomach. Food allergies can be deadly making accurate labeling and attention to detail throughout the food industry incredibly important. Food allergy litigation is a developing field and our San Francisco food allergy lawyer is prepared to advocate for people and families who have faced a serious allergic reaction because of inaccurate labeling, careless food preparation, or other negligent food handling and/or preparation practices.

Massive Cheerios Recall Due to Presence of Allergen

This week, perhaps the biggest name in cereal went from the shelves to the headlines as General Mills recalled 1.8 million boxes of regular and Honey Nut Cheerios. NBC Bay Area reports that the recalled cereal, which was produced in July at a Lodi, California facility, is labelled “gluten-free” but contains wheat. General Mills says wheat flour, which contains gluten, was inadvertently used instead of gluten-free oat flour. Consuming gluten can cause an allergic reaction or discomfort for people with celiac disease, wheat allergies, or other health issues. General Mills is pulling affected cereals from stores and warehouses. Customers who purchased the affected cereals and are unable to eat wheat can contact General Mills for a replacement or a refund.