Jaime Jackson Law and the law firm of Raynes and Lawn successfully teamed up to resolve an auto products liability case. Our client was severely injured when the car in which she was a passenger caught fire following a frontal impact and the passenger airbag failed to deploy.
What happened
Our client was the front seat passenger in a car when another vehicle crossed the centerline causing a head on collision. On impact, gasoline was released from the fuel rail and fuel injectors resulting in a post collision fuel-fed fire. The fire caused severe burns before heroic bystanders were able to pull our client out of the vehicle before it was fully engulfed in flames. In addition, the passenger airbag did not deploy in this frontal impact.
Defective fuel system
We argued that the vehicle’s fuel system was defectively designed because the fuel rail and fuel injectors were inadequately protected. This is because they were placed in a location in the front of the engine compartment that made these fuel system components vulnerable in a frontal impact. We argued safer designs included placing a shield or protective device over the fuel rail and its fuel injectors. This means that these components would be protected from impact, protected from being breached, and releasing gasoline.
Defective airbag
As to the failure of the airbag to deploy defect, a close analysis of the vehicle’s crash data recorder revealed that the vehicle’s occupant suppression system improperly suppressed the airbag. In other words, even though the crash was severe enough to deploy the passenger airbag, the sensing system in the vehicle mistakenly believed there was a child occupant less than 60 pounds in the passenger seat. Our client weighed 160 pounds. The driver’s airbag deployed, but the passenger airbag did not.
A team of experts
We worked with a team of accident reconstruction experts to reconstruct the crash along with fuel system and airbag system design engineers on the poor design of this vehicle’s fuel system, airbag and occupant classification systems, as well as safer alternative designs. Working with biomechanical experts we were able to show how our client’s traumatic brain injury and neck injury could have been prevented if the airbag had properly deployed. We also worked with a team of burn injury experts to help explain the horrific nature of the burn injuries and treatment, as well as future burn and traumatic brain injury treatment needs.
Duty of vehicle manufacturers
Vehicle manufacturers have a duty to design vehicles that will not cause a fire following a crash. People who survive the crash-related impact should not then be subjected to the hazards of a post collision fuel-fed fire. In other words, if people survive the crash, the fuel system should be designed to protect them from being burned or killed in a fire.
Those who survive a crash should not then be burned in a fire
Anytime a truck or vehicle catches fire following a crash, the truck or vehicle should be examined for a potential auto products liability case against the manufacturer. A vehicle’s fuel system should prevent fires after impact. This is achieved through fuel system location, fuel line routing, guarding, shielding, and secure connections. People who survived the crash do not expect to then be burned in a fire. A few of the more common fuel system defects are puncturing of fuel tanks or fuel system components, compromised fuel lines, electric pump shut-off failure, defective check valves, or anti-siphoning devices. The fuel should be contained within the fuel system thereby eliminating the potential for a post-crash fire.
Airbags should properly deploy
Airbags must properly deploy to protect people in crashes. Anytime there is a moderate or severe frontal impact where the airbags do not deploy, the vehicle’s crash data must be closely scrutinized to analyze whether or not the airbags should have deployed, and, if so, would they have made a difference in lessening the injuries sustained by the occupant.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a motor vehicle crash, contact Jaime Jackson Law on 717-519-7254 or through our website.
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