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Current Events
Monday, May 2, 2016
Takata Corp. raised provisions for its air bag recalls that involve more than a dozen auto manufacturers, after denying reports that the biggest safety crisis in the industry’s history will expand further. The auto parts supplier will book a combined 20.1 billion yen ($189 million) in charges, 16.6 billion of which was decided after reviewing air bag recall costs, according to a statement on Monday. Read more . . .
Monday, May 2, 2016
The Dole Food Company, one of the largest processors of fresh produce, knew it had a listeria problem in one of its salad plants more than a year before it closed in January, according to a Food and Drug Administration report.The report, obtained by Food Safety News and The Food Poisoning Bulletin through the Freedom of Information Act, shows that products in the plant tested positive for listeria nine times before F.D.A. inspectors showed up to do a test in January at a plant in Springfield, Ohio. Read more . . .
Friday, April 29, 2016
WOLFSBURG, Germany — The chief executive of Volkswagen said on Thursday that he personally apologized to President Obama this week for cheating on vehicle emissions tests, speaking up for its work force as the German carmaker negotiates penalties with United States officials. Read more . . .
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Vehicles Affected: Approximately 184,000 model-year 2011-12 Ford F-150 pickup trucks, model-year 2012 Expedition SUVs and Mustang sports cars, and model-year 2012 Lincoln Navigator SUVs equipped with the 6R80 transmission The Problem: A problem with the output speed sensor on the vehicle's transmission lead frame could cause the transmission controls to force a temporary downshift into 1st gear. Depending on the speed of the vehicle at the time of the downshift, the driver could experience an abrupt speed reduction that could cause the rear tires to slide or lock up, resulting in loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash. Ford is aware of three reported accidents and no injuries related to this condition. Read more . . .
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models to get software adjustment after crashes and injuries reportedThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's investigation into the Monostable gear shifter used by a number of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles is turning into a recall; FCA will recall approximately 1.1 million vehicles worldwide to modify the operation of the shifter that has now caused 121 accidents and 41 injuries. The issue itself is not a fault of engineering but rather design, as the shifter returns to the default center position without giving the driver sufficient feedback as to the selected gear. As a result, a number of owners have exited their vehicles thinking that they had put the vehicle into Park, while in reality it remained in Drive or Reverse position. The NHTSA has called the operation of the shifter "unintuitive" and had opened an investigation into the issue months ago. Read more . . .
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
For the second time in about a decade, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. faces a scandal that poses an existential threat. The Japanese automaker has improperly tested the fuel economy of its cars for the past quarter century, widening the scope of misconduct that executives initially said dated back to 2002. The Mitsubishi Motors board formed a panel of three ex-prosecutors to investigate for about three months. Until then, customers, investors and minicar partner Nissan Motor Co. Read more . . .
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
FRANKFURT — A PowerPoint presentation was prepared by a top technology executive at Volkswagen in 2006, laying out in detail how the automaker could cheat on emissions tests in the United States. The presentation has been discovered as part of the continuing investigations into Volkswagen, according to two people who have seen the document and who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the legal action against the company. It provides the most direct link yet to the genesis of the deception at Volkswagen, which admitted late last year that 11 million vehicles worldwide were equipped with software to cheat on tests that measured pollution in emissions. Read more . . .
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
In the year since Amtrak Train 188 careened off the tracks near Frankford Junction, killing eight people and injuring hundreds of others, the rail company has spent $4.5 million on medical care for hurt passengers and settled at least 19 claims. While in court earlier this month, Amtrak's attorney David Cook said the 19 settlements reached so far have been for amounts less than $50,000, according to an Inquirer report. Amtrak has at least another 100 lawsuits to deal with, and those already settled will impact the remaining cases. A $295 million damages cap, set by law, could eventually pit victims and their families against one another as they vie for a piece of the compensation. Read more . . .
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
A government watchdog urged the Department of Transportation on Monday to ramp-up its cybersecurity efforts as the automobile industry continues to roll out computer-assisted cars that pose the possibility of being hacked. The 61-page report published by the Government Accountability Office states that while the DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has taken steps towards addressing cybersecurity issues raised by modern automobiles, the agency has stalled with respect to ensuring the nation is able to reel back from a hypothetical hack attack. Computer programs that control features ranging from cruise control and climate to acceleration and brakes are increasingly apparent in modern automobiles, and it’s not rare for modern luxury cars to be powered with software consisting of more than 100 million lines of code, the GAO wrote in its report. Read more . . .
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
With the National Transportation Safety Board set to release its final report May 17 on the disastrous Amtrak crash in Philadelphia last year, the rail line has already begun to settle a handful of claims and has spent millions on health care for passengers injured in the crash. Meanwhile, litigation over the crash is starting to take shape, with lawyers for both Amtrak and hundreds of passengers cataloguing injuries, lost wages and other economic losses. The extent of losses is critical because the amount of money Amtrak can pay out in claims is limited by law to $295 million. Some of the lawyers involved in the case say there's a good chance claims will exceed that, and that passengers will be competing among themselves for compensation. "What you are seeing in the courtroom now is the beginning point," said plaintiffs' lawyer Thomas Kline, who along with lawyer Robert Mongeluzzi is representing 32 passengers. Read more . . .
Monday, April 25, 2016
Fiat Chrysler said on Friday that it was recalling 1.1 million vehicles that can roll away unexpectedly and cause injuries when the transmission is not used properly, adding to a spate of recent safety actions by carmakers. Safety recalls in the United States have continued to mount this year as automakers react to tougher enforcement efforts by regulators. This year’s total is unlikely to match the record of more than 60 million vehicles set in 2014 after General Motors recalled millions of small cars with faulty ignitions that were ultimately linked to 124 deaths. But over all, the pace of recalls so far in 2016 exceeds the number in a typical year before the G. Read more . . .
Alan W. Clark & Associates represent clients throughout Long Island and the New York Metropolitan Area, including New York County, Richmond County, Kings County, Queens County, Bronx County, Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Westchester County.
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