Posted on 07/31/2012 10:45:16 AM PDT by AdamBomb
MIAMI, Okla. - Product liability lawsuits have extinguished an Ottawa County gasoline can manufacturer, says Rocky Flick, owner and chief operating officer of Blitz U.S.A.
Blitz U.S.A./F3 Brands in Miami filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Nov. 9. On Monday, the company said it will close its doors July 31 and lay off 117 people.
[snip]
The lawsuits that doomed Blitz mostly centered on individuals pouring gasoline out of a can onto an open fire, with the vapors igniting and causing injuries.
Three warnings about not mixing gasoline and fire, in addition to other safety precautions, are displayed predominately on the red plastic cans.
[snip]
The company went to trial in two cases, winning one lawsuit and losing the other, a $4 million verdict involving the death of a 4-year-old girl.
The jury found Blitz 70 percent liable, Flick said.
The child was living in a camper in Utah when her father poured gasoline into a wood stove, which ignited, he said.
[snip]
Blitz has about 70 percent of the market selling gas cans, Flick said.
(Excerpt) Read more at tulsaworld.com ...
You have to understand that it’s not Blitz’s fault. The freakin EPA makes them adhere to their crap. I believe the “ventless” thing was the EPA’s idea. Also, read in the thread below the orginal story EPA makes these can companies send them 500+ cans for testing. If they don’t pass, they gotta send em another 500 cans.
This should go to appeal. Improper use of product should never be a liability to the maker.
Good for Blitz to go out of business and go Galt. Maybe those being laid off ought to go visit the idiots that sued them.
The sunshade I put in my windshield has a label that says, “Do not operate car with shade in place.”
The best bet is removing the pour spout and using an adequate funnel. The problem is in transporting the darned things in a vehicle. I finally have just tossed the spouts and use home made RTV gaskets on the cans for transport
LOL, when ever I make a run to the filling station, I always park my truck next to the water hose to wash out the bed when I get home.
Bed liners don't like diesel or gasoline.
Wouldn't even think about putting them in the trunk of my car.
Yep, you pretty much summed it up, those new spouts are horrible and have no seal. There’s no way to keep gas from leaking out of those things, whether you have the spout out or even if the thing is closed. If I was worried about safety, I’d try to find one of the old metal gas cans.
A foolish idiot, and believe me, there are lots of them out there.
Well, he is an idiot, to start with.
Ever see an idiot with a pocket full of money?
He probably won't last long once he cashes the check.
I bought one of these in the 2 gallon size about 20 years ago and is the best can I've ever owned for transporting fuel. They cost about $40 now.
Darn, I’ve got a Blitz can in the garage. Yes, the American public is too stupid to know enough not to pour gasoline on a fire. In their stupidity, they must be protected from evil makers of gas cans.
It’s pretty hard to kill yourself drinking gas, because your body will just vomit it right back up as fast as you can try to drink it. I’m sure it’s doable, but it wouldn’t be easy.
“Im sure when were all forced to carry gasoline around in old Clorox jugs, well all be a lot safer.
“I prefer old glass jugs and bottles. I sometimes lose the caps, so then I just stuff an old rag in the hole. /s
I once worked in a store that sold propane grills.
You’d be amazed how many people each year buy a grill, assemble it, hook up the tank, turn the propane valve on with the lid closed, wait 10 minutes, go back and hit the igniter, blow it to shrapnel and then bring the pieces back to the store claiming “the grill is defective”.
I saw it a handful of times every year.
Apparently, a multi-millionaire (at least now that he's won his suit).
It’s hard for me to judge a guy for not thinking clearly when he is on fire. Panic affects everyone.
Insane, but true. The problem is it's really to get subtle, and not so subtle, colors to reproduce exactly. Just look at pictures of Army and Marine blue uniforms on TV. Instead of coming out the original dark royal blue, they often come out dark gray or black.
I have used Blitz gasoline and Diesel containers for years. I like the ventless caps. They are slow but are spill-proof if properly used. As long as you have the little yellow “sub-cap” and screw the assembly on tight I have not had a problem with leakage. Keeping the containers away from direct sunlight is always a best practice.
When I found out they were going to start using “No-spill” spouts as mandated by the California Air Resources Board (they real culprits who CAUSE fuel spills every time these Rube Goldberg spouts are used) I purchased a lot of 1 gallon Blitz containers on Ebay that had the ventless spouts so I would have some spares. Screw the CARB and the EPA! I use the gas cans to store pure gas that is unadulterated with corn juice too. I am SUCH a rebel!
It saddens me to learn that Blitz was forced from business due to the actions of some idiot and his lawyers. Isn’t the first time this has happened and unfortunately won’t be the last.
blitz gas cans were totally POS. unusable for anything.
http://www.blitzusa.com/
Except the ones who go after Obammy’s death care panels.
While I can't disagree in the least as to the sheer stupidity of the need to warn people not to take actions that should be patently, obviously, nonsensical and the degeneracy of the trial lawyers that exploit such idiocy for their own profit, and in doing so suck the life out of good, honest businesses thought our land, let me just say that I've ‘oft times found that the consequences of looking over the edges of wilderness cliffs are some really spectacular photographs.
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