What Is a Tire Jack?

A tire jack is a car jack that can lift up a car or vehicle. This allows a mechanic to work underneath the vehicle to perform the necessary repairs to the vehicle. A tire jack can lift up heavy equipment as well, but it is most often used for cars. The jack can accommodate movement for one person, and will lock the equipment or car up in place to work underneath it safely. The jack is meant to operate on a hard and evenly balanced surface, be free of defects or flaws and work to not risk the safety of the person working underneath it.

Some tire jacks are able to lift 4,000 pounds, and are set to use under a half ton truck all the way down to a smart car or smaller vehicle. The tire jacks are either already assembled, or are easy to assemble in a few minutes prior to use.

What Are the Different Types of Tire Jacks?

There are many different types of tire jacks:

• Mechanical jack
• Hydraulic jack
• Pneumatic jack
• Floor jack
• Bottle jack
• Farm jack
• Scissor jack
• Trolley jack

How Does a Tire Jack Become Dangerous When Used If it is Defective?

There is a high rate of injury if a tire jack is deemed to be defective in any way. That means that the tire jack will not be working in proper order, and when it fails, it can seriously injure the person using it. People standing or also working in the area can also be injured, when a tire jack fails. For example, when a tire jack is holding up a car and it fails, the car will come crashing down and could injure other people in the area who are not even working on the car at the time.

Harbor Freight Tools Recalls Over 1.7 million Jack Stands

In May 2020, Harbor Freight Tools issued a recall for over 1.7 million of their Pittsburgh Automotive 3-Ton and 6-Ton Heavy Duty Steel Jack Stands. According to the recall, the affected jack stands may collapse under load, which represents a risk of injury to anyone under a lifted vehicle or nearby. There were actually two separate National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalls. NHTSA recall 20E016 includes about 454,000 units produced from June 13, 2013 to November 22, 2019. The other recall, NHTSA recall 20E028 includes about 1,254,000 units produced from December 1, 2012 to March 31, 2020.

The recalled jack stands are manufactured by Jiaxing Golden Roc Tools Company. The recalls affect the 3-Ton jack stands with item numbers 61196 and 56371 (these jack stands have the item number on the yellow part of the label that is on the base of the product) and the 6-Ton jack stands with item number 61197 (these have the item number on the label on top of the product).

Harbor Freight Tools is urging all affected consumers to immediately stop using the affected jack stands and reach out for a full refund. However, if you or a loved one were harmed by the defective jack stands, a full refund is not enough. Defective jack stand incidents can have devastating consequences. You should consider the legal options available to you and your family. You could have grounds to file a lawsuit and recover monetary compensation. For more information about the legal options available to you, contact the experts here at our law firm immediately.

Injuries Common from a Defective Tire Jack

The following injuries are commonly sustained with working with a defective tire jack:

• Amputation
• Strain and sprain
• Fractured bones
• Upper truck of body compression
• Injury to arms
• Crushing injuries to body
• Head trauma
• Laceration
• Crushed legs
• Contusion
• Dental fractures
• Cuts and bruises
• Internal organ injuries
• Avulsions
• Crushing foot injuries

If you have suffered any of these injuries from a defective jack you can give us a call. We are here to talk to you, and help you to initiate a lawsuit on the merits of your case. It is also important to note that you can have experienced more than one injury at a time with a defective tire jack. For example, if you have a crushing injury, you may also have internal bleeding, lacerations, and head trauma, as well as compression injuries to related areas of the body. These types of injuries may require physical therapy, additional surgical procedures, pins or other medical equipment or other surgical care after the injury to help you function normally again.

Injuries resulting from a defective tire replacement machine can be devastating. These machines can used pressurized devices which if defective can cause injuries. Usually injured parties are made to feel as if they were at fault for the injuries. This should not be the case. You should not be made responsible for suffering harm from a defective product. Rather the manufacturer, distributor and reseller of the product should be held responsible. Speaking with a defective product lawyer can help you better understand your rights. An attorney will be able to give you the breakdown of liability as well as other important information. If you have been injured from a tire mounting device, including industrial devices or a defective jack stand, contact a Downtown L.A. Law.

Defective Jack Stands -Product Liability Lawsuit for Dangerous Auto Jack Stands

Jack stands which are defective can be dangerous. These products hold up heavy vehicles and when they fail the injured party suffers serious injuries. Recent court cases have awarded compensation for such injuries. In one such case a Naval Officer died as a result of using a defective three-legged jack stand. Injuries occurred after the jack stand collapsed under the weight of the plaintiffs vehicle, causing death.
How do you determine if a product is defective:  The simple answer is if it fails to work in the manner for which it was intended. However, to prove a product is defective, the use of experts is required. Such experts determine all types of different facts, including the type of metal used, manufacturing process and design process. Products are generally considered defective for several reasons (i) defective design; (ii) defective manufacturing process; or (iii) inadequate labeling.
Design and Manufacturing Defect:  A product is defectively designed if the manufacturer improperly designed the product. With respect to jack stands, if the product was designed deficiently liability can be imposed on the manufacturer. Manufacturing design exist where the product that came off of the manufacturers floor was defective due to some type of manufacturing flaw.
Labeling Defects: Products can also be defective because of a improperly placed label. For example if the product is states that it has a weight capacity of 5,000 LB and it can only hold 2,000 LB, then it can be inadequate labeling. Or if it does not state conditions or places of use it can be considered a inadequate label.

Liability for Defective Jack Stand – Who can be held liable for a defective jack stand injury or death

California law holds all sellers of a defective product liable. What this means is that anyone who is engaged in the sale of such products in the course of their business is held liable. This will not apply if you purchased a jack stand from your friend. However, it will apply if you purchased a jack stand from a retailer. Even if the retailer was an online retailer such amazon.com or e-bay.com. All commercial suppliers including, wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers and distributors are liable. This allows for your attorney to maximize recovery for your injuries. But it is likely that when you file suit against a manufacturer that they will put up serious defense. Manufacturers want to avoid liability cases at all cost. It makes more sense for them to fight these claims, then to admit liability and compensate you for your injuries. That is why you need a qualified lawyer, who will fight for your injuries. Knowing the different product liability theories is important. If you have been injured as a result of a defective jack stand contact Downtown L.A. Law today for a free consultation.

After Your Accident Tips – What to do after you have been injured due to a Jack Stand fall

If you or your loved ones have been injured in any product defect accident here are some valuable tips to keep in mind.

• Do not tamper with the product. Keep it in the same condition as it was after the accident. If you tamper with the evidence it can seriously impact the condition of your case.
• Seek medical attention. Speak to a medical professional in order to better determine  the extent of your injuries.
• Discuss your case with an attorney. Your attorney can guide you in the best direction with regards to your case and help understand whether injuries resulted from a defective product.
• Do not speak with an insurance company. Your statements can be used against you to minimize any potential reward or recovery.

Common Injuries caused by jack stand malfunctions Injuries resulting from a defective jack stand can be any of the following:

• Death;
• Broken bones;
• Dental damage;
• Traumatic brain injuries;
• Optical injuries;
• Neck injuries;
• Chest injuries;
• Broken ribs;
• Damage vocal cords.

Why Do I Need an Attorney for a Defective Tire Jack Stand Personal Injury?

Yes, you need an attorney for a defective tire jack stand personal injury. The type of injuries that you can sustain from a defective tire jack stand can be serious. These injuries can have long term repercussions. The injuries from a crushing injury can cause a long-term disability, as well as issues walking for the rest of your life. That might mean that you need further physical therapy, pain medications and pain therapy, as well as other surgical procedures to help you gain walking abilities in the future. You may have also lost wages, or are no longer able to keep the same job in the future. For these reasons, you need to have a knowledgeable attorney on your side, to help you with a defective tire jack stand personal injury case.

You don’t have to go this type of case alone. You can give our office a call at the DTLA Law Group today. We are here to help you, and we are ready to get you the full recovery compensation that you need in this type of serious personal injury case.

Wrongful Death Lawsuits:

If your loved one has been killed you may have a wrongful death cause of action. Click here to learn more about wrongful death claims. Who can bring a Wrongful Death Claim in California: The state of California allows any blood relative or spouse to bring a wrongful death cause of action. California wrongful death statutes reads, “ A cause of action for the death of a person caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another may be asserted by any of the following persons or by the decedent’s personal representative on their behalf: (a) The decedent’s surviving spouse, domestic partner, children, and issue of deceased children, or, if there is no surviving issue of the decedent, the persons, including the surviving spouse or domestic partner, who would be entitled to the property of the decedent by intestate succession.” Click here for more information on Wrongful death claims in California Downtown L.A. Law defective jack attorneys can help you with your case. Our product liability attorney can help you with your case.