A police officer in Fall River, Massachusetts reported suffering from carbon monoxide exposure, which as traced to the SUV he was driving while on the job. According to a news report in the Herald News, the police department issued a statement saying the officer was taken to Charlton Memorial Hospital on Sept. 6. The source of the exposure was traced back to the department-issued Ford Explorer cruiser.
Carbon Monoxide Leaks
An investigation is apparently underway by the police department’s professional standards division that is looking into why the carbon monoxide detector installed in the cruiser failed to alert the officer that the gas was present inside the police vehicle. The investigation is also looking into whether required maintenance and repair work had been done on the vehicle.
For over a year, police departments across the country have been dealing with police officers suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning relating to Ford Explorer SUVs. Last year, an officer in Auburn lost consciousness and crashed his department-issued Ford SUV after being exposed to carbon monoxide. Several safety groups have called for a recall of these dangerous and defective vehicles, most of which were manufactured between 2011 and 2017. Last year, the automaker offered free repairs to fix the problem but has not recalled the vehicles.
Carbon monoxide is a lethal gas. It’s called a silent killer because it is colorless, odorless and tasteless. If the early signs of carbon monoxide exposure are ignored or if the concentrations are high, a person may lose consciousness and be exposed to further danger. Exposure to the gas is the leading cause of death due to poisoning in the United States.
Urgent Need for Action
Our auto defect law firm is representing both police officers and civilians who have been injured as a result of Ford Explorer carbon monoxide poisoning. Ford should have done the right thing and issued a recall when these problems surfaced. However, they have been deliberately avoiding issuing a safety recall when there is a pressing safety issue.
This is unacceptable considering how many people have been seriously injured as a result of these dangerous and defective Ford Explorer SUVs. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a Ford Explorer SUV or police cruiser due to leaking carbon monoxide gas, contact an experienced auto defect lawyer who has handled these types of cases successfully who can help you evaluate your legal rights and options.
Source: http://www.heraldnews.com/news/20180911/fall-river-officer-hospitalized-after-carbon-monoxide-detected-in-police-vehicle
