San Antonio Personal Injury Law Blog

A couple of recent automobile-related recalls may impact drivers in Texas. The defective products being recalled include thousands of both Mazda cars and Nissan cars. The problem with these cars is that their Takata airbags may explode.  

Mazda has decided to recall about 270,000 motor vehicles due to the airbag issue. Apparently, the chemicals used to make the airbags inflate may deteriorate in certain conditions. As a result, the airbags can deploy too forcefully, therefore causing a canister made of metal to blow apart. This, in turn, can lead to flying shrapnel, which can harm passengers and drivers. The problematic airbags are present in certain Mazda vehicles with the model years of 2003 to 2008.

There is no secret about the dangers of oil fields. These workplaces are unpredictable and can have hazards that lead to fatal workplace injuries.

The oil industry is a high-hazard industry. What this means is that people who work in it are at a higher likelihood of injury or death as a result of accidents on the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the rate of fatal injuries at work in the United States was around three out of 100,000 full-time workers in 2014. In the oil and gas industry, the rates were as much as five times higher than that. In 2014, 142 people in the gas and oil sector died from injuries they suffered at work.

Workers employed on onshore oil rigs in Texas risk their lives every day. From chemical hazards to environmental and structural hazards, these work environments are some of the most dangerous in the country. Most of the dangers that cause oilfield accidents can be averted by taking some precautions.

The fact that petroleum and chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide are highly flammable makes fires on oil rigs the most significant safety hazard. Furthermore, unaddressed pressure can cause deadly explosions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a considerable percentage of onshore oil field fatalities involve falls from elevated levels, but dropped tools that strike other workers cause even more deaths. For this reason, it is crucial for workers to wear hard hats.

A couple of items designed for children to enjoy were recently recalled due to defects in them. The first recall of defective products, which may impact Texas consumers, involves crayons. The second one covers toy cars.

In the case of the first recall, Discount School Supply decided to recall around 2,200 Colorations extra-large crayons, as the red crayons might contain glass. As a result, these crayons may cut their users. The company has already received a couple of reports about red crayons containing glass, although there have been no reported injuries. The items were sold online at the company's website between June 2017 and October 2017.