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.
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 [...]
Gas appliances can be convenient, inexpensive, and easy to use, but they can also be dangerous. The news is full of stories about people who are killed or suffer brain injuries caused by carbon monoxide escaping from defective appliances and heating systems. Sometimes the cause is an acute problem, such as physical damage to a vent, which fills a living [...]
Machine guarding has been a major concern for factory workers in America since the 1850s. At that time, large scale mills appeared along the rivers. The flowing water turned large waterwheels, which, through a series of leather belts and smaller wheels, drove long shafts at the ceiling level along the entire length of the mills. At each machine station, a belt driven by the ceiling shaft transmitted [...]
Extension ladders are much more dangerous than they look, particularly for homeowners. People who use extension ladders at work are usually trained in how to use them properly, and they eventually develop enough experience to respect the danger and limits of extension ladders. Also, extension ladders made for commercial use, called Type I or Type [...]
New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress probably has a case of “Glock leg. ” Glock leg is a phrase that appears on many internet sites, and is used to describe self-inflicted injuries suffered by people reaching for their handgun. All too frequently, the victims are police officers. The way the Glock handgun is made, [...]
