It has been a difficult year for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Faced with record fines, buy backs of thousands of vehicles, and several different defective vehicle recalls, the FCA have reaped stock drops over their poor choices and judgments in the last several years. Recently, another 120,000 Dodge Darts were recalled for potential brake issues.

Recalls, Recalls, and More Recalls

Suspension problems, onboard connection issues, vehicle hacking and Takata airbags have been the root of millions of recalled vehicles for Fiat Chrysler this year. Now, 120,000 Dodge Darts have been recalled due to issues within the vacuum-tube assemblies that could eventually impact the power-assist feature on the brake system—an issue which could hinder a driver's ability to stop in an emergency situation, especially if driving longer distances.

Now, more than ever, Americans are connected. At home. At work. On the road. They are accessing the Internet and all it has to offer, all day, every day. But what does all this connectivity mean and how does it affect our potential for identity theft or personal injury? Truth be told, business experts fear the worst.

Pervasiveness of the Internet Today

The Internet powers nearly everything today—wearables, cars, medical devices, smartphones, and so much more. Many of these devices store personal information, such as credit card numbers, locations we visit, and where we live. This opens Americans up to a great deal of vulnerability, especially when it comes to hackers and the information they may attempt to access. Of course, many Americans are aware of this risk, at least to some extent. Still, there are additional risks that device users may not have considered.

Most houses are filled with countless products that help make our lives easier, provide entertainment, and generally improve our life quality. Unfortunately, with the many benefits of consumer products also comes the risk of accidents and injuries right in our own homes. Research indicates that an estimated 34 million people suffer injuries due to accidents caused by defective or dangerous consumer products on an annual basis.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) aims to notify consumers of potentially dangerous products, foster recalls, and keep unnecessarily harmful products off the market. Despite CPSC efforts, manufacturers continue to make mistakes and defective products do make it onto the shelves and into our homes. Additionally, companies often fail to adequately warn consumers of possible risks of using a product. If someone in your household has sustained injuries due to a defective or improperly labeled product, the negligent manufacturer should be held responsible.

The following are some examples of household products that commonly lead to serious injuries:

Johnson & Johnson has agreed to settle additional lawsuits for its defective metal-on-metal hip products—a move that may result in Wisconsin hip replacement patients recovering for their faulty implants.

Johnson & Johnson has provided an additional $420 million to its 2013 $2.5 billion settlement for patients injured by its defective hip implants. This newest infusion of funds into the settlement account means that patients who had their hips replaced from August 2013 through January 2015 will now be eligible for the settlement fund. DePuy is the unit of J&J responsible for the particular ASR hip implants implicated in this settlement. The ASR product line was recalled in 2010 due to an increasing number of products liability lawsuits being pursued by the thousands of patients injured by the device.

Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants