Cleveland Personal Injury Law Blog

Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans constitute flagship brands and are popular consumer choices in Ohio and everywhere else across the country. The company has a singular and enduring history in the United States, with deep loyalties among many of its vehicle buyers.

And, now, some problems to boot.

Along with its major competitors, Ford Motor Company has not been spared in recent years by issues relating to some of its vehicle models that have brought about adverse publicity and charges that product defects cause or increase the likelihood of car accidents and other problems.

In a recent study conducted by two university professors, car accident fatalities are shown to have decreased in those states that have legalized marijuana laws. The information linking those states was posted on the Institute for the Study of Labor website and is currently under review by the Journal of Law and Economics.

The data was gathered by D. Mark Anderson, an economics professor at Montana State University, and Daniel Rees, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver. The individual state data was derived from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which, along with other data sources, determined a nine percent reduction in traffic accident fatalities in the states that have legalized marijuana laws.

As of January 1, 15 states now require ignition interlock devices to be installed onto any vehicle owned by a motorist with at least one drunk driving conviction. The growing trend among states is part of a nationwide push by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which is ramping up its efforts to force the adoption of laws that will reduce car accidents caused by drunk drivers.

At least 24 other states already require similar sobriety-check locks on the vehicles of repeat drunk driving offenders, or for offenders whose BAC while driving was found to be at .15 or more. Ohio law requires interlock installation for any driver who is convicted a second time of driving under the influence.

Recent survey statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that carpal tunnel syndrome presents itself more through work-related actions and affects more women than it does men. CTS is one of the leading health conditions leading to workers' compensation costs, disability, and lost work time and productivity.

The National Health Interview Survey conducted the study and released its findings in its annual report. The condition impairs workers in every state, including Ohio, and impedes the feeling and movement to the hands after continuous pressure is placed on the nerves in the wrist by repetitive wrist actions. It can lead to numbness and muscle weakness or damage of the hands and fingers.

When queried by newspaper reporters following a vehicle crash in a small town in the south central region of Ohio, motorists, tow truck drivers, road construction workers and emergency responders readily stated what is an increasingly prevalent view in Ohio and elsewhere throughout the country: Distracted driving is routinely the direct cause of car accidents, it is ever-present on roadways, and knowing how common it is makes them fearful when they are out on the road.

Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) Administrator and CEO Stephen Buehrer provided comments and an official statement recently commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the state's workers' comp program.

As he readily notes, discussions concerning the program invariably "elicit strong opinions from all corners." Buehrer says that the program -- designed to protect injured workers and their employers by balancing the needs of both -- will always engender hot debate concerning major agenda items, particularly the need for reform.

As recently reported in the Detroit News, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has started investigations into older General Motors and Ford vans and minivans.

These older vehicles have rusting issues that appear to lead to potential safety problems, including fuel leaks, which could potentially lead to the occurrence of car accidents. The NHTSA states on its website that it has opened some 17,163 preliminary investigations on 2003 Chevrolet Express vans and 63,000 investigations on Mercury Monterey and Ford Freestar minivans.

Although the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had said it might limit trucking hours of service to a 10-hour daily driving limit, the FMCSA instead let stand in a new rule the existing limit of 11 hours per shift. A fatigued driver is more likely to be involved in a truck accident, so driving at least 3 hours beyond a driver's shift is considered an egregious violation that triggers the maximum civil penalties under the new rule.

The rule applies to drivers of commercial motor vehicles and to commercial drivers carrying passengers in Ohio and elsewhere throughout the United States.