A California 15-passenger van accident lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. is
being fought out in civil court. The six plaintiffs are seeking auto products
liability compensation over a 2004 van accident.
The vehicle, a Ford Econoline E350,was part of a caravan of church kids
and their chaperones when tread separation impacted one of its tires.
This caused the van driver Bill Brownell to lose control of the van, which
then rolled over several times after he overcorrected. Brownell and passenger
Tony Mauro were thrown from the vehicle and died.
Now, the victims that survived the California 15-passenger van accident
want Ford to pay. They contend that the automaker knew the van was dangerous
but failed to notify customers.
The jury is going to have to assess whether buckled seat belts and a driver
tutorial could have saved the lives of Brownell and Mauro, who weren’t
wearing safety belts at the time. They will also have to decide whether
Ford should have told car dealers that the Goodyear tire was prone to
separation and had been recalled by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration in 2008.
The plaintiffs have already reached confidential settlements with the
other defendants: Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church, Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Co. (over the tire defect), Sears, which sold the tire, and Suburban Ford,
which was responsible for servicing the van.
Ford has been the target of hundreds of 15-passenger van lawsuits over
its Econoline van. It was just last year that the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration put out another advisory warning that if not properly
operated and maintained, this Ford van is at high risk of rolling over
and crashing. The government cautioned that the vehicle’s tires
must be kept properly inflated and look out for signs of wear and tear.
The NHTSA also noted that unbalanced or improper loading of the vehicle
increases the chances of a rollover crash. The federal safety agency said
that only drivers trained to operate a 15-passenger van should drive this one.
15-Passenger Van Accidents
15-passenger vans are more prone to rollover crashes than most other autos.
Although the vans are designed to carry 15 passengers and the luggage
that can accompany so many occupants, studies show that the more people
who get in the vehicle, even without exceeding the passenger limit, the
greater the chance that it will roll as the center gravity moves toward
the back, dramatically impacting the degree of control the driver is able
to have when trying to avoid an accident.
You want to work with an experienced auto products liability law firm
that understands the design flaws inherent in 15-passenger vans and knows
how to prove they contributed to causing the personal injury or death.
Going after a big automaker on your own can be tough, which is why it
is important that you retain the services of a 15-passenger van lawyer
that has the resources, experience, and ability to protect you and fight
for your right to recovery.
Lawsuit continues in fatal crash of big church, Sacramento Bee, October 12, 2011
15-Passenger Van Safety, Public Citizen
NHTSA
More Blog Posts:
$32.2M Goodyear Tire Blowout Verdict Upheld by the Nevada Supreme Court
in Deadly 2004 Utah 15-Passenger Van Crash–Again, Product Liability
Law Blog, January 10, 2011
15-Passenger Van Lawsuit Filed Against Chrysler and R & J Tire Company
Over Woman’s Wrongful Death, Product Liability Law Blog, October 27, 2010
California Rollover Lawsuits: Ford Ordered to Pay Paralyzed Musician $18
Million and Jaguar Land Rover Must Pay Former Field Hockey Player $21.1
Million, Product Liability Law Blog, June 18, 2009
