• Toyota – 1.7 million vehicles worldwide, including 510,000 in the U.S.
  • 2001-2003 Corolla
  • 2001-2003 Corolla Matrix
  • 2001-2003 Sequoia
  • 2001-2003 Tundra
  • 2001-2003 Lexus SC 43
• Honda — 1.1 million vehicles worldwide, including 561,000 cars in the U.S.
  • 2001-2003 Civic,
  • 2002-2003 CR-V
  • 2002 Honda Odyssey
• Nissan – 480,000 cars worldwide including 265,000 in the U.S.
  • 2001-2003 Maxima
  • 2001-2003 Pathfinder
  • 2001-2003 Sentra
  • 2001-2003 Infiniti I35
  • 2001-2003 Infiniti Qx4
• Mazda - 20,000 cars
  •  2003 and 2004 Mazda6
  • 2004 Mazda Rx-8
• General Motors – 48,000 vehicles
  • 2003 Pontiac Vibe
• BMW – 42,000 cars
  • 2002 – 2003 3 Series

The problem with the defective airbags involves inflators on the passenger side.  The air bags were all made by the same Japanese parts supplier, Takata Corp, at Takata’s plants in Moses Lake, Washington., and Monclova, Mexico.  According to Reuters, there are two safety hazards with the flawed airbags:

1. risk of fires in the car
2. risk of metal fragments being forcefully blown onto passengers, similar to when a pipe bomb explodes.

A manufacturing defect in the propellant used in the airbag inflator may cause the bag to inflate incorrectly.  As a result, there is a risk of fires starting or of passengers being injured by dangerous metal or plastic fragments shooting up toward the windshield or down into the passenger footwell.

If you have been hurt in a car wreck involving one of these vehicles, email the car wreck lawyers at Carr & Carr Attorneys or call 1-877-392-4878 to talk with an attorney right now.  If you believe that you have been injured by a defective airbag, contact a personal injury attorney today to learn what rights you have and what legal options you need to consider.

Tiki-style torch fuel is extremely dangerous to children who swallow it.  Torch fuel may cause permanent damage or even death to a child who drinks it.

With warmer weather here, families need to know about the dangers of tiki-style torches and particularly the kerosene-like fuel used in such torches.  While adults may take care to keep torch fuel safely locked away from children at home, other locations may not be as safe.   The problem is, you never know whether other families have taken the same safety precautions that your family takes at home.

Just a tiny bit of the yellow-tinted, sweet-smelling liquid is enough to kill or seriously injure a child.  And to make matter worse, the clear plastic bottle that torch fuel is sold in is barely distinguishable from an apple juice bottle.

Places Where Tiki-style Torches Might Be — Along With Dangerous Torch Fuel

• Campgrounds — Family-friendly campgrounds are typically filled with children and adults, many times hanging out at a neighboring campsite.  While adults typically watch for the easily recognizable hazards like campfires, many don’t think about deadly torch fuel.  If there are tiki-style torches, somebody has probably brought a clear plastic bottle filled with a yellow liquid that has the power to kill or seriously injure a toddler. 
• Picnics — Some types of torch fuel include a citronella product which claims to keep bugs away.  Regardless of whether the bug repellent works, the liquid is still incredibly dangerous.
• Luaus Or Pool Parties — The festive events typically continue after dark when tiki-style torches are lit.  And if there are torches, there will be the toxic torch fuel.
• Friends’ Or Neighbors’ Backyards — Also, there might be a storage shed or large outdoor container where torch fuel is stored.  Many times these are not locked.
• Vacation Resorts – Tropical hotels have beautiful grounds often lit with exotic tiki-style torches.  When the fuel burns down, somebody has to fill up the canisters.  What if that groundskeeper is not aware of the dangers of torch fuel and leaves a bottle of the deadly liquid where a toddler can reach it?

Contact Pat Carr if you have been infected with HIV or hepatitis B or C, and you were a patient of Dr. Scott Harrington.

Personal injury attorney Pat Carr was interviewed by ABC News regarding the first lawsuit against Dr. Scott Harrington.         

Read the story of Tulsa Dental Patients Fume After Exposure To Disease 

If you have been notified by your doctor or the Tulsa Health Department that you have HIV or hepatitis B or C, and believe your infection was caused by unsafe dental procedures of Dr. Scott Harrington’s office, contact Pat Car at 918-747-1000 to discuss your situation in confidence.  

Remember, the statute of limitations governs the time you have to file a lawsuit.  Therefore, it is very important not to wait to talk with a lawyer about any possible case you may have against Dr. Harrington.

Personal Injury Lawyer Patrick E. Carr

Patients of an Arkansas dentist were urged to get tested for infection, in a situation that sounds similar to a public safety issue in Tulsa.  In this CNN news story, Officials urge Arkansas dentist’s patients to get tested, Pat Carr is also interviewed about the first law suit filed against Tulsa dentist Scott Harrington.

If you have been infected with HIV or hepatitis B or C, and believe your infection was caused by unsafe dental procedures of Dr. Scott Harrington’s office, contact Pat Car at 918-747-1000 to discuss your situation in confidence.

If testing shows you have been infected with HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C, contact Carr & Carr Attorneys to discuss your options.

Local media has reported that approximately 7,000 patients of a Tulsa dentist may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

If you have been a patient of Tulsa oral surgeon Dr. Scott Harrington, and you are concerned about the possibility of being infected with HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C, you should contact your physician or the Tulsa Health Department to discuss your concerns.  The health department is notifying patients of Dr. W. Scott Harrington about potential exposure to blood-borne viruses.

The Tulsa Health Department is setting up free testing clinics starting Saturday morning, March 30, at the North Regional Health and Wellness Center, 5635 N. Martin Luther King Boulevard.  Testing services will be provided on a walk-in basis from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Monday, April 1 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Additionally, a health department hotline is set up at (918) 595-4500 for people with questions about this issue or hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV.

Patients who had procedures at Dr. W. Scott Harrington’s dental practice should receive letters in the mail from the health department. The notification includes patients who have visited Dr. Harrington since 2007.  If you were a patient prior to 2007, you should talk to your physician or the health department to discuss your next steps.

The dental practices were located at:

• 2111 S. Atlanta Place in Tulsa
• 12806 E. 86th Place N. in Owasso.

If you are tested and it is confirmed that you have HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C, contact Carr & Carr Attorneys for a free consultation.  A medical malpractice attorney can assist you in determining your next steps, and can help protect your rights.

Also, remember time limits called “statute of limitations” are in effect for filing law suits.  You must file a lawsuit before the applicable time limit expires.  The time limit and other regulations are very important, so talk with the lawyers at Carr & Carr as soon as possible to learn what options you have.

Contact Carr & Carr Personal Injury Attorneys if a dresser has tipped over on your child and caused severe injury or death.

Gemme Juvenile furniture company announced a recall of three-drawer, children’s dressers.  Approximately 300 of the small chest of drawers have been recalled because the dressers can tip over and pose a risk of trapping a child under the furniture.  If a child climbs up open drawers, using them like a ladder or stairs,  the dresser can fall forward on top of the child.

A two-year-old boy from Barrington, Ill., died when he climbed from an open lower drawer into the second dresser drawer.  The dresser fell on the baby and trapped him between the furniture and the floor.

This recall is for the Chelsea three-drawer dresser with windows in the top drawers.  The model number is 303.  They were sold in five finishes: cappuccino, cappuccino with a brown top, ebony, ebony with a brown top, and antique/French white.  A sticker with the word “Natart” and a Gemme Juvenile logo is on the inside of the top drawer.  Most dressers will also have the model number, “Natart Juvenile,” “Made in Canada” and “Chelsea 3 Drawer Dresser” printed on another label located on the back of the dresser.  The recalled dresser is 35″ high x 21″ deep x 39 wide.  Part of the Chelsea children’s bedroom furniture collection, the dresser is made of engineered wood, wood veneers and solid wood.  The top drawer features two clear plastic windows in the front.

The dressers were sold for between $600 and $900 from January 2005 to December 2010 at Furniture Kidz and other children’s speciality stores, as well as at baby.com.  They were manufactured in Canada.

The dressers met applicable safety standards when produced, but were manufactured prior to the existence of a May 2009 voluntary industry standard.  That safety standdard requires tip-over restraints which attach to an interior wall, framing or other support be included with all dressers to help prevent tip-over dangers.

If you have a Chelsea three-drawer dresser, stop using it immedately and place it out of your child’s reach.  To get a free retrofit kit that contains wall anchor straps to prevent the dressers from tipping, contact the manufacturer at (855) 364-2619.

If your baby has been injured or  killed due to furniture tipping over, you should contact a furniture tipover lawyer to see what your rights are.  Depending on the type of injury suffered and other factors, your family may be entitled to compensation for current medical bills related to the injury, future medical bills for long-term health issues, and pain and suffering.  Also, a lawsuit can help persuade furniture designers and manufacturers to improve safety features and make products that do not tip over.

Carr & Carr’s personal injury attorneys can help you no matter where in the U.S. you live.  We regularly work with families who live in states other than Oklahoma and Arkansas.  With offices located in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, as well as Springdale in Northwest Arkansas, the attorneys at Carr & Carr can help you protect your rights.

Email us or call 1-877-392-4878 to speak with a lawyer who can help you determine what legal action you need to take.  There is no cost to you for our initial phone call.  Additionally, since we work on a contingency fee basis, you pay for our services only if we settle or win your case.

If you have suffered because of a DePuy hip replacement failure, contact Carr & Carr Attorneys.

Johnson & Johnson, the makers of DePuy Orthopaedics’ hip implant, estimated in 2011 that 36 percent of its all-metal devices surgically implanted in patients would fail within five years, according to The New York Times.  However, the medical giant chose not to release the failure rate information for the Articular Surface Replacement, or ASR, which was recalled in mid-2010.  The company’s information also indicates that implants are likely to fail prematurely during the next few years, meaning that thousands more patients will have to undergo painful, expensive surgery to replace the bad implants.

The massive failure of the hip implant device is one of the most extensive in recent decades, affecting thousands of people across the U.S. and the world.  Approximately 93,000 patients worldwide have received a DePuy hip replacement, with about 31,000 procedures happening in the Unites States.  In fact, more than 10,000 lawsuits are preparing to go to trial this week.  About 7,000 lawsuits have been consolidated in Ohio federal court while 2,000 others have been consolidated in state court in California.  It appears the company knew about problems with the metal hip-replacement implant back in 2008, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article.

The hip replacement hardware is a ball and cup device made out of metal.  The problem is that these pieces grind against each other, releasing tiny metallic pieces that damage the patient’s nearby tissue and bone.  Problems that might be caused by the DePuy hip implant include:

• hip pain – this common symptom may be severe and constant in the leg and hip area near the ASR hip implant location
• hip numbness – the opposite of pain, numbness may occur around your hip area
• noises coming from  your hip area - these include popping, grinding, clicking or squeaking
• hip swelling – enlargement may occur around the hip area near the DePuy hip implant
• hip dislocation – the design of the DePuy hip implant makes the ball likely to fall out of the socket, causing hip dislocation
• hip loosening – patients describe a feeling as if the DePuy hip implant could come out of the bone
• changes in the way you walk – your ability to walk easily may change due to failure of your DePuy hip implant
• hip weakness – you may experience weakness in your hip’s joint
• bone fracture – you may have broken other bones near your hip after you have undergone surgery for a hip implant
• metallosis – the DePuys ARS implants are made of metal, so when the ball and socket grind against other, they can release tiny bits of metal into your bloodstream.  The metals, chromium and cadmium, can build up in your bloodstream and cause unsafe levels of metal in your body.

If you have noticed any of these problems, contact your doctor or orthopaedic surgeon right away to see if your DePuy ARS hip replacement is failing.

Hip implants are generally made out of plastic and metal and last for up to 15 years before they wear out and need to be replaced through an additional surgery.  Hip implants can fail prematurely, of course, but that failure rate is typically only one percent after a year, or five percent at five years.  A failure rate of nearly 40 percent is unacceptable.

If you have had a DePuy hip implant that is causing you problems, contact Carr & Carr Attorneys immediately.  Our personal injury lawyers have helped people who have been injured because of defective medical devices.  Call 1-877-392-4878 to talk with an attorney today to find out what your rights are.  Or contact us by email and we will respond as quickly as possible.  With offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma, plus  Springdale in Northwest Arkansas, we can help you no matter where you live.

Also, remember time limits called “statute of limitations” are in effect for filing law suits.  You must file a lawsuit before the applicable time limit expires.  The time limit and other regulations are different in each state, so talk with the lawyers at Carr & Carr as soon as possible to learn what options you have.  There is no cost to you for our initial phone conversation or in-person meeting.  Additionally, since we work on a contingency fee basis, you pay for our services only if we settle or win your case.

 Based on the circumstances of your hip implant failure, you may be able to receive financial compensation for:

• current and future medical bills related to your surgeries and related care
• lost wages if your hip implant failure resulted in you missing work
• emotional pain and suffering
• physical pain and suffering
• disfigurement, including from multiple surgeries
• possibly other damages, depending on the specifics of your situation.

After you’ve been injured in a car wreck, Carr & Carr Attorneys can make the process of renting a car easier.

When can I get a rental car?

How and when you can get a rental car depends on which insurance company you are dealing with.  At Carr & Carr Attorneys we have individuals who deal with these companies daily and can assist in obtaining the rental car you need.

If you have rental coverage under your own insurance policy – your insurance company representative will be able to help you with renting a vehicle.  You should be able to get a car in just a couple of days.  Call your insurance agent if you are not sure whether you have purchased rental coverage.  It is typically not an option to add rental coverage immediately after you have been in a wreck to cover your recent accident.

If you do not have rental coverage on your policy — the insurance company of the person who hit you is responsible for approving your rental car.  That insurance company will research the crash and establish liability to help determine whether they will authorize a vehicle be rented to you.  This process might take a week, or even longer in crashes where the insurance company disputes liability on behalf of its insured driver.

What documents do I need to rent a car?

To get a car from a rental company, you will need:

1. Proof of your full coverage insurance which means both comprehensive and collision.  Your car insurance policy probably already covers this but take your paperwork to make sure your coverage is adequate.  The rental company can also provide you with this coverage but it will cost you additional money out of your pocket.  If your policy covers this, there is no need to buy it from the rental company.
2. Credit card or cash — Rental car companies require either a credit card or a cash deposit.  When you return their vehicle in good condition, your credit card is not charged or your cash deposit is returned to you.
3. A valid Oklahoma driver’s license — You will need to present your current license when you pick up a rental  car.
4. Must be at least 25 years old — Younger adults typically are not allowed to rent a vehicle due to rental car company regulations.

Call the car rental company before going there (an airport or local office) to make sure you bring the proper paperwork that they will need from you.

May I choose the type of vehicle I want to have?

The type of vehicle that is rented is determined by the party paying for the rental.  Unless special needs — such as a van with wheelchair features — are involved, the insurance company will approve a compact to mid-size rental vehicle.

How long can I keep the rental?

The company paying for the rental car will establish this.

If your vehicle is determined to be a total loss (meaning it is no longer safe to drive and repairing it is not a good financial decision), normally you will be able to keep the car for five days after you have received a settlement offer.

If your vehicle is considered repairable, you should be able to keep the rental until repairs are finished and your vehicle is returned to you.

Can I let other people drive the rental car?

Typically, the answer is no.  Only the person renting the car can legally drive it and the paperwork you will sign usually indicates this.  However, for an extra cost that comes out of your pocket, you can add other drivers, but you should definitely talk with the rental car provider about options.

Is the insurance company required to provide a rental car for me?

No, the insurance company does not have to provide a rental car for you.  They have options including:

• Providing a rental car — and then covering the expenses themselves so there is no out-of-pocket cost to you
• Making you pay the rental car fees upfront — and then reimbursing you after you provide appropriate paperwork; this can put a financial strain on your budget since rental cars can cost $60 to $100 or more per day and you might have the car for a week or so
• Paying you a “loss per day” amount – this amount is the rate they can rent a car for, so in theory you could rent a car for that amount also.  However, many insurance companies will reimburse you for only actual out-of-pocket costs that you have paid.

Because each insurance company may handle rental car agreements differently, you should talk with the car rental company and insurance representative before renting a car on your own.

Let Carr & Carr Help You

As you can see obtaining a rental vehicle can be a confusing and difficult process at times.  At Carr & Carr Attorneys, we work to make this process less stressful for you and your family.

If you have been injured in a traffic accident that was not your fault, contact Carr & Carr Attorneys to see if we can help you determine what steps you need to take.  With offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, plus Springdale in Northwest Arkansas, we can help your family after a car wreck.