Personal InjuryMotor Vehicle Defects Due to Rollover Prone 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
Many motor vehicle defect attorneys will agree that the 1995 Chevrolet Blazer is prone to SUV rollover accidents. In 2002, Bonnie Reynolds was driving her 1995 Chevy Blazer on Interstate 985 in Gainesville, Georgia. Her 14-year-old son Matthew was a passenger in the front seat. Sadly, in the days that followed, she would never see her boy alive again. When a drunk driver veered off the highway, lost control and attempted to re-enter the highway, he rammed into Reynolds' SUV. The Blazer spun around, rolled over and ejected Matthew, who was airlifted to a nearby hospital. The young boy died in his mother's arms the following day. Bonnie was also severely injured in the car accident.
Bonnie Reynolds and her in-laws sued General Motors in U.S. District Court. Her product liability attorney alleged that while the drunk driver bore responsibility for the car accident, GM's faulty, uncrashworthy design of the Blazer contributed to her son's death and her personal injuries. Even though the Blazer was known to have a tendency to roll over before 1995, and was re-engineered that year, GM's redesign had done nothing to improve its stability. A review of the car accident clearly revealed that the Blazer was knocked down and never even left the roadway, rolling over several times before spilling out the Reynolds boy.
"The 1995 Chevy Blazer was an uncrashworthy SUV from the start," noted nationally recognized SUV rollover defect lawyer, John Bisnar. "This SUV's track was simply too narrow for its height. Regrettably, millions of Blazers manufactured from 1995 through 2002 have similar design flaws. It's no wonder the defective SUV Blazer was eventually phased out of production, replaced by the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, which has a wider wheelbase and is less prone to rollover accidents."
After a two-week trial, a federal jury found General Motors at fault for Matthew Reynolds' death and awarded the Reynolds $3.5 million. General Motors maintained that the SUV was safe and moved for judgment as a matter of law or for a new trial, arguing that the plaintiffs presented insufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict and insisting that the plaintiffs failed to prove a defect in the Blazer's handling.
"According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 10,000 people are killed every year in SUV rollover crashes," said John Bisnar. "A rollover is 27% more likely in an SUV than a passenger car, and the use of safety belts is lower in rollovers. As many as 61% of fatalities that occurs in SUV's are a result of SUV rollover crashes. These high fatality rates are due, in part, to passengers being ejected from their cars. Ejection's account for 63% of all fatalities in rollover crashes and often result in costly and debilitating head injuries. The problem lies with an SUV's basic design. They generally ride higher off the ground than passenger cars and have higher centers of gravity. This makes them more prone to rollover accidents."
"In the face of their tragic loss, the Reynolds stepped up and pursued General Motors," observed Brian Chase of the nationally recognized Bisnar Chase product liability defect law firm. "Holding GM accountable for manufacturing and selling an uncrashworthy SUV is to be commended. Our hope is that these lawsuits and the many lawsuits we have filed against General Motors will convince GM to design more crashworthy SUVs and prevent others from being so needlessly injured or killed."
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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