Every day, consumers in New Jersey go to stores, purchasing items they need or want. In this process, consumers do not often put much thought into the possible dangers that a product could pose to them, especially when the product itself has no inherent risks. If a manufacturing or processing error occurs, edible goods could become contaminated, resulting in serious and even fatal risks to consumers.
Electricity is used to power an endless list of things, and because of that, residents in New Jersey and elsewhere will often encounter electrically powered consumer products. While these products are designed with the safety of consumers in mind, malfunctions and defects can occur. This could lead to the electrocution of consumers, resulting in severe and even fatal injuries.
New Jersey families driving certain motor vehicles may have almost met their end on the road without even knowing it. General Motors, one of the largest automakers in the United States, has been accused of failing to correct a serious product defect in several lines of cars dating as far back as 10 years.
Many people in Wayne, New Jersey, might remember the famous McDonald's "hot coffee lawsuit" that occurred in 1994. In that lawsuit, a 79-year-old woman accidentally spilled hot coffee, which she bought from McDonald's, on her lap and suffered burns. She sued the restaurant chain and a jury awarded her $2.9 million in damages. However, the judge reduced the compensation to $400,000 and the woman and McDonalds settled the matter out of court, for an undisclosed amount.
Residents of New Jersey know that many of us are dependent on drugs and medical devices to ensure a healthy lifestyle. While some drugs are administered orally, others are administered through other methods. But no matter what method is used, consumers expect the pharmaceutical products they take to be safe.
Recently, Merck, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies, agreed to pay $100 million to settle thousands of products liability lawsuits pertaining to the safety of its NuvaRing contraceptive device. According to reports, more than 200 lawsuits have been consolidated in New Jersey, all of which claim the company knew that NuvaRing posed a higher risk of heart attacks and blood clots compared to its competitors.
Undoubtedly, New Jersey residents have heard about Toyota's sudden acceleration lawsuits that have made headlines the past couple of years. Cars play a huge role in everyday life and are heavily relied upon for work, getting kids to soccer practice and weekend excursions. For car owners, the thought that your car could suddenly accelerate without your doing so is a terrifying thought. Fatal car accidents are devastating for a family. However, learning that a death could have been prevented but for a company's negligent behavior can be emotionally unbearable. In such cases, a wrongful death lawsuit may be appropriate.
New Jersey residents who have lost a loved one understand how emotionally devastating and difficult the loss can be. When the loss is a result of negligence or poor decisions of another person that could have been prevented, there can be many unanswered questions.
Recently, a class action for a wrongful death was dismissed by a federal judge after the suit failed to meet the statute of limitations. The wrongful death lawsuit was brought against Bristol-Myers Squibb by the families of 24 New Jersey residents who allegedly died as a result of toxic exposure to substances near the New Brunswick plant. The judge dismissed the claims stating that the plaintiffs had missed their deadline to file the claim.
New Jersey residents who have lost a loved one often search for answers in an attempt to bring closure to their loss. Occasionally, the reason for a death can prompt family members to file a wrongful death claim. Recently, popular energy drinks have drawn negative attention for their possible side effects and even death.
High chairs are charged with holding our most precious cargo but their safety can sometimes be overlooked. New Jersey parents may have recently heard about an upsetting recall of Graco high chairs that could collapse and injure a child.
New Jersey is the scene of a series of significant products liability lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson in regard to a vaginal mesh implant it produces. Now, a new development notes that Johnson & Johnson, headquartered in New Brunswick, allegedly marketed the Gynecare Prolift for more than three years before the FDA cleared it for sale. In fact, the device may have been on the market before the FDA even knew it existed.
