Philadelphia Personal Injury Suit Charges Toyota, BP in Teen's Death
Toyota is back in the news, this time as one of 13 defendants charged in a wrongful death and product liability suit filed in Philadelphia this week. Personal injury attorneys are suing Toyota, BP America Inc. and others on behalf of a Camp Hill, Pennsylvania mother whose teen-aged son died in a gas pump fire last March. Nineteen-year-old Luther Byers suffocated when static electricity ignited gasoline fumes at a Harrisburg BP gas station where he was pumping gas into his Toyota Yaris. According to fire department investigators, hot gas created by the fire robbed the air of oxygen, causing the teen to suffocate. In addition to Toyota and BP Philadelphia personal injury attorneys are suing the gas station franchisee and the manufacturer of the gas pump nozzle, among others.
Wrongful death occurs when a company or individual's act, omission or misconduct is responsible for an individual's death. Poor design, defective manufacturing or inadequate usage instructions can result in faulty products that can potentially cause serious personal injuries or, as in the case of Luther Byers, wrongful death. Product liability cases can be complex to litigate and require intense investigation and preparation by personal injury attorneys.
Product defects can occur during any phase of the manufacturing process with most product issues involving multiple contributing factors. Among the many variables that can contribute to the defective performance of a product -- all of which must be thoroughly investigated by personal injury attorneys before a case goes to court -- are raw product suppliers, product design, the manufacturing process including manufacturing equipment and facilities and worker training and oversight, parts or technology provided by suppliers or subcontractors, effectiveness and availability of product use instructions, and the degree of human direction or oversight provided during the product's use. For example, in the Philadelphia gas pump case described above, personal injury attorneys are exploring design and use of the gas pump nozzle as one contributing factor to the accident. The fact that the gas station did not have an attendant on duty at the time of the accident is another issue in the wrongful death suit.
When personal injury or wrongful death occurs during use of a defective product, Philadelphia personal injury lawyers can protect your rights and obtain just compensation.
