Bicycle components fail, cause serious injuries

Hazard: The front fork can break, posing fall and injury hazards to riders.

Incidents/Injuries: Specialized has received four reports of front forks breaking, resulting in facial fractures, head and shoulder injuries and cuts.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured by this or any other product, contact Bob Vogel at The Vogel Law Firm right away by emailing rlvogel@robertvogellaw.com or calling 865-357-1949.

Specialized Bicycle Components Recalls Bicycles Due to Fall and Injury Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Bicycles

Units: About 12,000

Distributor: Specialized Bicycle Components Inc., of Morgan Hill, Calif.

Manufacturer: Kinesis, of China

Description: This recall involves some 2008 and 2009 models women's and men's Globe model bicycles. Recalled models include the Globe Elite, Globe Sport, Globe Sport Disc, Globe Centrum Comp, Globe Centrum Elite, Globe City 6, Globe Vienna 3, Globe Vienna 3 Disc, Globe Vienna 4, Globe Vienna Deluxe 3, Globe Vienna Deluxe 4, Globe Vienna Deluxe 5 and Globe Vienna Deluxe 6 bicycles. The bicycles were sold in various colors, including gun, silver, black, khaki, navy, bone, blue, charcoal, burgundy and gold. The brand name "Specialized" is on the lower frame tube and the model name is on various locations on the bicycle frame.

Sold at: Authorized Specialized retailers nationwide from July 2007 to July 2012 for between $550 and $1,100.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop riding these bicycles and return them to an authorized Specialized retailer for the free installation of a free replacement fork.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Specialized toll-free at (877) 808-8154 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the company's website at http://www.specialized.com and click on Support/Safety Notices.

2008 Globe Elite




2008 Globe Elite Women's




2008 Globe Sport




2008 Globe Sport Women's




2008 Globe Sport Disc




2008 Globe Centrum Comp




2008 Globe Centrum Elite




2008 Globe City 6




2009 Globe Vienna 3




2009 Globe Vienna 3 Women's




2009 Globe Vienna 3 Disc




2009 Globe Vienna 4




Globe Vienna 4 Women's




2009 Globe Vienna Deluxe 3




2009 Globe Vienna Deluxe 4




2009 Globe Vienna Deluxe 4 Women's




2009 Globe Vienna Deluxe 5




2009 Globe Vienna Deluxe 6

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: SaferProducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing and speech impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

Legal reform is needed because lawsuits hurt small businesses.

This is a myth. 

 

Multiple surveys have shown that lawsuits are not a concern for small business owners. A survey from the National Association of Manufacturers suggests that “lawsuit abuse” ranks at the bottom of concerns for manufacturers.⁷ The fact is that the propaganda put out by large corporations is the source of this myth. For several decades, corporate-speak has been telling us over and over again that business is hampered by lawsuits, that business owners are scared to do things for fear of lawsuits. This is simply a fabrication designed to scare us.

 

A 2008 survey from National Federation of Independent Business had similar results, with “costs and frequency of lawsuits / threatened suits” ranking 65th on a list of small business owners’ worries. ⁸ 

Small business owners have a lot more pressing worries. In reality, only big corporations and their front groups want to destroy the legal system so they can’t be held accountable for negligence and misconduct. Drug, oil, and insurance companies have tried to hide behind small business owners to accomplish this; however, these surveys reveal their true intentions.

And, you have to wonder, if they are so worried about lawsuits, what are they doing wrong?

 

Attorney Robert L. Vogel can be reached atThe Vogel Law Firm by calling 865-357-1949, or by emailing rlvogel@robertvogellaw.com. Please visit our website. We are happy to provide free legal consultations.

 

Death of Child Prompts Recall of Window Blinds by Blind Xpress

If you, or anyone you know, has been injured by a defective product, contact Attorney Robert L. Vogel at The Vogel Law Firm by calling 865-357-1949 or email rlvogel@robertvogellaw.com

Two-year-old strangles in cord

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Blind Xpress of Livonia, Mich. is announcing the recall of about 139,000 custom-made vertical and 315,000 horizontal blinds. In 2009, a 2-year-old girl from Commerce Township, Mich. reportedly strangled in the loop of a vertical blind cord that was not attached to the wall or floor.

Blind Xpress custom vertical blinds have an adjustment cord that forms a loop that is not attached to the wall or floor. In some instances, this loop has a weighted device at the bottom. The custom horizontal blinds do not have inner cord stop devices to prevent the accessible inner cords from being pulled out. A child can become entangled in a cord loop and strangle.

This recall involves all Blind Xpress custom-made vertical blinds that do not have a cord-tensioning device that attaches to the wall or floor, as well as all horizontal blinds that do not have inner cord stop devices.

The blinds were sold at various blind specialty stores in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana from January 1995 through December 2011 for between $16 and $380. These blinds were manufactured in the United States.

CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop using the window coverings and contact the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) to receive a free repair kit. For more information, contact the WCSC toll-free at (800) 506-4636 anytime or visit www.windowcoverings.org

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: SaferProducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing and speech impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.