Blitz USA is no more thanks to lawyers

[thatguy]

And here we have the idiot of the year:
In the one case Blitz lost, in 2010, a Utah jury awarded more than $4 million to the father of a 2-year-old girl killed when a Blitz can exploded after the father, David Calder, tried to start a fire in a wood-burning stove in his trailer home by pouring gasoline on the flame.
Just how stupid do you have to be to even try something like this? I wouldn't charge this idiot with manslaughter but I would sure think long and hard about it if I was a prosecutor.

on another forum there was a link to news article about this lawsuit.. In that article the guy admitted he was stupid for pouring the gas on the fire.. Also the can had the classic 'do not use near open flame' warnings printed into the can - Blitz still lost


In my opinion - the blitz carb compliant spouts (pull tab, push down on lever) works way better than the twist spout and pull back on spout systems..

Brian

[Leejohn]

I don't even think you could have a wood stove in a mobile home ?

[crazyal]

on another forum there was a link to news article about this lawsuit.. In that article the guy admitted he was stupid for pouring the gas on the fire.. Also the can had the classic 'do not use near open flame' warnings printed into the can - Blitz still lost


In my opinion - the blitz carb compliant spouts (pull tab, push down on lever) works way better than the twist spout and pull back on spout systems..

Brian

I would like to know more. How old was the gas can. Blitz has been making them for some time now. How large was the gas can, are we talking a 1 gallon or a 5 gallon. In several states using gas to start a fire is illegal.

[Bob77064]

Creekbend, thanks for posting.

[joshuabardwell]

I cannot believe, in this day and age, that people still pour gasoline out of a full can onto a burning fire. Starting a fire with gasoline is, itself, quite dangerous... but I would be a liar if I said I had never done it. But seriously, people. You pour gasoline from a 2 gallon can onto an open, burning flame... what do you expect?!

[mvwicker]

I don't even think you could have a wood stove in a mobile home ?

Mine came with instructions on how to install it in a mobile home, and its website advertises "Mobile home approved":

Pacific Energy Fireplace Products Ltd.

The same instructions say never to use liquid fuels in the stove.

[creekbend]

Creekbend, thanks for posting.

You are quite welcome, Sir.

[LBrown59]

What BS. I do not like the gas cans today but if used properly there should be no issues. This is nothing more than ambulance chasing attorneys and stupid people misusing the product. I mean starting a fire in your mobile home using gasoline???? Cant fix stupid!

Chris

But being lawsuit happy can make the stupid rich.

[MHarryE]

The title of this thread states lawyers are the problem, but lawyers can't do anything without a client. Having had to be a witness in many cases but mostly help prepare for the defense in dozens of others, the real problem is people who do something stupid, injure themselves, and then find a lawyer to go after the deepest pockets. As stated in the NYT article, the company wanted government regulations because they are some of the best defenses against stupidity when it comes to the courtroom. Has anyone noticed how many people here have defeated the seat switches on their tractors because they are a nuisance? Seat switches came into being because of so many self inflicted injuries from tractor drivers. Disable the switch and then have an accident, any kind of an accident, and you are screwed if you are thinking of getting payment.

[Patches]

Not so much greedy lawyers as the idiots they empanel to hear these "get me rich quick" schemes. If the juries in these cases ruled in favor of the Corp., and thousands were wasted in legal fees with no remuneration, you'd see this type of litigation disappear