Just as surely as Sept. 11 comes around once a year, we can also be sure that someone is going to exploit the anniversary of the attacks that happened that day with an ill-advised marketing gimmick. An early entrant to the marketing hall of shame this year is a Florida Walmart and its 9/11 “We Will Never Forget” American flag tribute — complete with the World Trade Center towers — made entirely out of Coca-Cola products. [More]
tragedies
Major Wireless Carriers Offering Free Calls, Texts To Turkey After Istanbul Airport Attack
By 6.29.16
In the wake of a suspected terrorist attack at Istanbul’s airport that killed 41 people and wounded 239 more, the four major wireless carriers in the U.S. are offering to connect customers with their loved ones in Turkey for free. [More]
Family Suing Burger King After Woman Suffers Seizure While Trapped In Burger King Bathroom, Later Dies
By 12.11.15
The family of a New York City woman who died after being trapped in a Burger King bathroom is now suing the fast food chain, claiming that her death could’ve been prevented if restaurant employees had had a way to circumvent the door’s lock. [More]
American Airlines Co-Pilot Lands Plane Safely After Pilot Dies During Flight
By 10.5.15
In a tragic turn of events, an American Airlines pilot died on a red-eye flight from Phoenix to Boston early Monday morning. The plane carrying 147 passengers and a crew of five was diverted to Syracuse, NY, and landed safely after the co-pilot took over the controls. [More]
Bumble Bee Foods Will Pay $6M For Worker Who Was Killed In Pressure Cooker
By 8.13.15
Almost three years after a Bumble Bee Foods worker was killed when he was accidentally locked inside a pressure cooker he was repairing, his employer will have to pay $6 million for “willfully violating worker safety rules” as part of a settlement agreement announced by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. [More]
Uber Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit Involving Driver Who Hit, Killed 6-Year-Old In San Francisco
By 7.15.15
Uber has reached a settlement with the family of a six-year-old girl who was hit and killed by an Uber driver in San Francisco in 2013, after their attorney brought a wrongful death lawsuit against the company alleging multiple counts of negligence in January 2014. [More]
Bumble Bee Foods, Two Employees Charged In Worker’s 2012 Death
By 4.28.15
Two-and-a half years after a worker at a Bumble Bee Foods cannery died inside a pressure cooker at the factory, official charges have been filed against the company and two of its employees f. [More]
Southwest Airlines Sued Over Death Of Passenger
By 4.21.15
The widow of a California man who died hours after experiencing a medical emergency onboard a Southwest Airlines flight last year filed a lawsuit against the airline claiming the crew members failed to provide adequate medical attention after the man collapsed in the plane’s lavatory. [More]
Woman Suing Spirit Airlines Over Husband’s Death Claims Flight Attendants Weren’t Trained Properly
By 4.3.15
A woman whose husband died after having a medical crisis onboard a Spirit Airlines flight has filed a lawsuit against the airline and two of its flight attendants, claiming the airline was negligent in its training of staff. [More]
Passenger’s Lawsuit Blames American Airlines For Wife’s Death
By 2.27.15
A Canadian man who flew with his wife on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Mexico in March 2013 has filed a lawsuit against the airline, blaming it for his wife’s death. [More]
1-Year-Old Suffocates During Home Remedy For Lice
By 2.5.15
Though its effectiveness is debatable, using mayonnaise to get rid of head lice is a well-known home remedy. But one family’s attempt to rid their child of the tiny insects has apparently resulted in a tragic death by suffocation. [More]
Beware Scammy Facebook Pages And Fake Charities Taking Advantage Of Flight MH17 Tragedy
By 7.21.14
It is a disgusting reality that when tragedy strikes, there’s always going to be someone out there trying to take advantage of it for personal gain. That’s what’s happening in the wake of downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was reportedly shot down over Ukraine Thursday on its way to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam. All 298 people aboard the Boeing 777 were killed. [More]
Woman Electrocuted And Killed While Talking On Phone Plugged Into Faulty USB Charger
By 6.27.14
If you’re still one of those people pish-toshing the idea that buying counterfeit or unapproved electronics and accessories can be dangerous, you should learn something from a recent tragedy in Australia. A 28-year-old woman was killed there while talking on a phone that she’d plugged into a faulty USB charger, prompting authorities to warn consumers everywhere against using such devices. [More]
Hummus Maker Knew About Safety Problem That Killed Worker, Ignored It
By 5.22.14
Back in 2011, a tragedy happened at a Tribe hummus factory near Boston. A man who was part of the factory’s evening cleaning crew was working on a bean-mashing machine with nine-inch rotating screws when the machine’s screws started to turn, mashing the 28-year-old’s head and arms. He died of his injuries in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. [More]
When Cell Tower Workers Die, OSHA Now Tracks Which Telecom Sent Them Up
By 4.1.14
Almost two years ago, ProPublica and Frontline investigated the deaths of tower climbers, the brave souls who scale cell towers so that we can make emergency phone calls on the highway and stream Netflix in our dentists’ waiting rooms. Nineteen climbers have died on the job since the beginning of 2013, and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is paying close attention. [More]
Family Suing Petco Says Son Died After Catching A Bacterial Infection From Pet Rat
By 2.26.14
A family in San Diego has filed a lawsuit against Petco, claiming that the pet store is to blame for selling an infected rat that passed a bacterial infection on to their 10-year-old son that killed him. The family is seeking an unspecified amount for the suffering they’ve endured as a result of his loss. [More]
Family Of Deceased Amazon Worker: No One Noticed Her Lying In Parking Lot For 7 Hours
By 2.12.14
The family of a Delaware woman who died after she was found lying outside in the parking lot of the Amazon distribution center where she worked has a lot of questions this week: Namely, how could no one have seen her lying there for at least seven hours, with her car running? [More]
Family Of 6-Year-Old Girl Hit By Uber Driver Suing The Company For Wrongful Death
By 1.28.14
The family of a six-year-old girl who was struck and killed during a traffic accident in San Francisco involving an Uber driver is now suing the company for wrongful death. But Uber claims that because the driver didn’t have anyone in his car at the time, the company isn’t responsible. [More]
