Mr. Sedgewick has a unique ability to translate technical analysis into plain language. Working directly with engineers and accident reconstructionists, he gets quickly to the heart of each case, and finds the most compelling liability argument suited to the case.
Alpine ski binding technology has improved steadily since downhill skiing became a recreational sport after World War II. Bindings quickly went from “bear trap” designs that did not release at all to “safety bindings” that released when the skier fell forward, to bindings intended to release with twisting to the left and right and falls [...]
Rivets are metal fasteners used to hold things, often other metal parts, together. Generally, rivets have a head and a shaft. The shaft is passed through pre-drilled holes in the parts to be connected until the underside of the head stops against one of the parts to be connected. The shaft is then “upset” or [...]
Molded plastic chairs sell for low prices for a reason: they are not very durable. The points of highest stress, and thus the points of most frequent failure, are where the legs meet the seat and where the back or arms meet the seat. Lawyers and forensic engineers get involved in analyzing plastic chair failure [...]
Six Sigma is the most powerful quality control tool ever employed in industry. Developed at Motorola in 1986, this rigorous approach to quality engineering led to rapid improvement in the company’s products. It is believed to have been a major factor in Motorola’s being awarded the inaugural Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. Because of the [...]
A Pennsylvania jury has returned a verdict of $13.5 million in a case involving the death of a child caused by a defective electric fan motor. The motor, which was sold as part of an inexpensive household fan, overheated and caused a fire. Several years after the fan was made and sold, Lasko Products, Inc., [...]
The Toyota recall related to sudden acceleration problems is further evidence of the limits of the power of government to regulate big business. According to a recent New York Times story, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration conducted six different investigations into complaints of sudden and unexpected acceleration in Toyota vehicles, and closed them all with no [...]
The Chicago Sun Times and Bloomberg News have reported that the top 5 product liability verdicts returned in 2009 were more than 50% greater than the top 5 in 2008. Leading the way in size were verdicts against cigarette makers and drug companies. The tension in product liability trials is often around the public perception [...]
There has been a recall of 10,000 gas grills due to the risk that the rubber hose connecting the gas supply to the burner will melt and rupture. This is a danger in these grills because the hose is too close to the burner. When the hose gets hot, it melts, gas leaks out creating [...]
Several years back, some motorcycle manufacturers were settling claims by customers who suffered leg injuries while riding motorcycles. The liability theory in those cases was that the motorcycle was defective, either because it lacked sidebars that would have protected a rider’s leg, or that the bars provided failed to protect the rider. Since then, there [...]
On December 23, 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in “cooperation” with Atomic Ski USA, announced the recall of alpine ski bindings manufactured in Austria between 1998 and 2002. The explanation given for the recall is that the plastic heel housing of the recalled bindings can crack, causing the bindings to release unexpectedly. On its [...]
