Defective Product Concern In 1993 Ford F-150 Pickup Weak Roof

It is not secrete to most defective product lawyers that a defective auto product is a danger to all of the vehicle occupants. In 2004 a 16-year-old was traveling with her parents to Corpus Christi in a 1993 Ford F-150 pickup when their truck was struck by another car leaving a fruit stand. The impact caused the F-150 to roll over, the truck's roof to crush inward and the 16-year old girl's seatbelt to fail. The girl was partially ejected and she sustained massive personal injuries to her head. She spent 18 days in a coma and later died.

The girl's family subsequently filed a lawsuit against Ford, alleging that the roof of their truck failed to protect their daughter in the truck accident that caused the truck to roll over.

Ford's F-150 has been the best selling full size pickup for almost 30 years. It's Ford's most profitable truck, yet it's been the target of rollover lawsuits year after year. Many of these defective auto product lawsuits were in regards to the strength of the roof. As recently as 2002, in a 40 mph off-set barrier crash test, the F-150 suffered a major collapse of the occupant compartment that left little survival space for the driver.

During the trial, plaintiffs introduced testing that demonstrated when the F-150 was dropped from a height of nine inches, the roof crushed down to the headrest. In site of this, a Ford spokeswoman said Ford products are safe and meet strict government safety standards. She added that Miss Garcia died because of the negligence of another driver hitting the F-150 while traveling at highway speeds. She further stated that the lack of physical evidence clearly proved that the teen was not wearing her seat belt, and that this was another tragic reminder that seat belts can help save lives only when they are worn. A Texas Department of Public Safety report showed that Jennifer was wearing her seat belt.

"Regrettably, Ford is actually sliding backward when it comes to safety," noted John Bisnar. "As published on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) website, the 2009 four-wheel drive Ford F-150 was given a 22 percent chance of a rollover versus 19 percent in the 2008 F-150. The odds of a two-wheel drive rollover also grew, from 17 to 19 percent. In fact, statistics compiled by Tom Wenzel, a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in California, and Marc Ross, a physicist at the University of Michigan showed the F-150 had 238 deaths per million vehicles. One would think that Ford would commit the full weight of its engineering and financial resources to improve one of their best selling vehicles."

A Texas jury found Ford 90 percent at fault and the driver of the other vehicle 10 percent at fault in Jennifer Garcia's death. It awarded the family of a Brownsville teenager $30.4 million in damages and medical expenses.

Brian Chase of the nationally recognized auto product defects law firm of Bisnar Chase made this observation, "This is another example of how a major car maker ignored a consistently dangerous problem that proved to have disastrous consequences for occupants of its vehicles. Amidst the grief of losing their daughter, the Garcias courageously stood up to Ford to hold them accountable for a defective roof and restraint system. Their actions are to be commended. Hopefully, these lawsuits, and the many lawsuits we have filed against Ford and other companies will convince them to improve their vehicles, making them safer for drivers and passengers alike."

If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries as the result of a defective auto part or vehicle, contact the experienced California auto products liability attorneys at BISNAR | CHASE for a free consultation. We will use our extensive knowledge and resources to achieve the best possible results for you and your family.

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