Quite suddenly, it seems, cheap, Chinese-made motorcycles are all the rage.

Over the last decade or so, these cheap under-powered knock-offs have been filling up cities across the globe because, well, they’re cheap. Like, 400 USD for a 50cc bike that will get you around Mumbai or Shanghai.

Now, we’re beginning to see more and more of them imported to this country.

The problem is that they really are cheap. This means they aren’t always built to the standards of American products.

It also means that the product liability aspect of the things has not been tested.

U.S. manufacturers and the established majors from Japan and Europe have to contend with laws that hold them liable for defects in their products.

Has anyone had to deal with this issue on a Chinese motorcycle? The local dealer certainly can’t accept the liability and what are your chances with a company from China responding to your claims or concerns, especially if it’s one of the smaller ones? Further, it’s something of a Chinese cottage industry. There are hundreds — if not thousands — of small manufacturers.

With the rapidly increasing Chinese presence, someone ought to think about this because if you hold everyone else liable, you can’t give them a pass. It may be a while before the laws catch up to the reality of the market.

If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident and you were on one of these cheap motorcycles, you should contact an attorney experienced with Texas vehicle accident law. The vehicle accident lawyers at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP have over 80 years of experience and can help you with professional insight.

New York City’s effort to increase fuel efficiency has hit a significant snag. The Ford Escape Hybrid, which many NYC taxi fleets chose to replace the venerable Crown Victoria, doesn’t react very well in a crash.

A new report by a noted automotive engineer exposes several safety hazards of hybrid taxis in New York City, including rollovers as well as other safety-related concerns.

The report found several safety hazards, many of which can be attributed to the unintended use of the Ford Escape Hybrid — a standard passenger vehicle with a three star crash rating — as a New York City taxicab. In analyzing the rollover accident, the report found:

• The side-curtain airbag did not deploy normally due to insufficient space between the partition and the top of the car.
• The L-shaped partition interfered with the 3-point unibelt because it changed the anchoring position of the belt.
• The partition did not stay in place during the crash and may have resulted in a violent head strike against the hard partition if there had been a passenger in the right front seat.

A direct result of these findings means that NYC’s mandates likely won’t be enforced next month.

          The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating consumer complaints of suspension failure in the 2001 model year Hyundai Santa Fe. Two consumers have reported to the NHTSA that their Santa Fe “nearly rolled over” after their suspension failure, and the NHTSA has received six consumer complains about failed suspension parts in their Hyundai vehicle that say the rear trailing arm has failed because of excessive corrosion. Three people have reported that they lost control of their vehicle while traveling in excess of 55 mph.

          The NHTSA is also holding the Hyundai Sonata under scrutiny because of reports of severe corrosion in the 1999 to 2002 model year vehicles that has lead to suspension failure. These reports include “fist-sized holes in the frame” that can cause the suspension control arm to detach from the vehicle. This can cause “wheel collapse or separation, half shaft detachment resulting in sudden vehicle disablement and or steering anomalies,” according to the NHTSA. The Administration has also received reports of corrosion in the engine cradle and front cross-member. The corrosion has been reported as being discovered during routine maintenance on the vehicles, but a greater number of the complaints “allege that the corrosion was not detected until it resulted in suspension failure” or a wheel came off, according to the NHTSA.

          If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a dangerous vehicle or a wreck, contact the attorneys at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP today, at 1-800-460-0606.