Boston defective auto lawyer

July 20, 2018

Jeep Grand Cherokee – Defective Fuel Tanks – Owners Not Told Dangers

When a 23-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant got in her 2003 Jeep Liberty, she had no idea was riding in what was essentially a ticking time bomb. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that a defect in the placement and design of the fuel tank in over 1.5 million Jeeps could lead to a fuel leak if the vehicles were hit from behind. This could cause the leaking fuel to explode resulting in a fire. NHTSA estimates this serious defect resulted in no less than 37 fatal traffic crashes involving Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured between 1993 and 2004 and Jeep Liberty models made between 2002 and 2007 according to a report by NBC News.

When this expectant mother was driving her Jeep Liberty and hit from behind, the impact caused the plastic fuel tank to rupture resulting in an explosion and subsequent fire. When first responders arrived at the scene of this fiery wreck, there was nothing they could do for her or her unborn child and she was soon pronounced dead. Investigators found the plastic fuel tank had not only been punctured in the crash, but had completely melted as a result of the fire.

May 31, 2018

Carbon Monoxide Poising in Keyless Vehicles Causes Deaths and Personal Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

We all like buying new cars because of the many new features available as standard equipment, which were once only available on much more expensive luxury vehicles. These days you can purchase a Kia Soul with a heated steering wheel for cold Boston winters and air conditioned seats for those hot summer days. One of the more popular features, which is becoming standard equipment on many cars, is key-less entry and ignition. This is where you can keep the key fob in your pocket or purse and as long as it is within a few feet of the vehicle, will allow you to lock or unlock the doors merely by touching the handle and then, once you are safely inside your vehicle, will allow you to push a button and start the vehicle. In many cases, you will need to also step on the brake pedal, but you will not need to physically put the key in the ignition to start your car.

Likewise, when you have parked your vehicle, and the vehicle is no longer in a forward or reverse gear, you can simply push the on/off button again and your car will turn off the engine. This is a great feature, but it can, and has, led to many cases of serious injury and deaths. Continue reading

January 13, 2017

Jackson v. Ford Motor Company: Products Liability Appeals

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In Jackson v. Ford Motor Company, a man was killed when he lost control of his 2012 Ford Focus and was in a serious car accident. His wife was also a passenger in the car the day of the fatal accident. While she was not killed in the crash, she did sustain serious personal injuries.

During the accident, after the driver lost control of the car, the vehicle reportedly moved rapidly across all lanes of travel and crossed over the center lines into oncoming traffic. At this point, the car collided head-on with a large tow truck commonly known as a wrecker. While the driver did not survive the impact, paramedics and other first responders were able to treat his wife on the scene, so she could be transported by medevac helicopter to a local level-one trauma center. Her injuries were considered life-threatening at that time, and many of them led to permanent medical issues. Continue reading

September 22, 2016

Massive GM Recalls Following Death

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news feature from USA Today, General Motors has just announced they will recall 4.3 million vehicles as result of a problem with the airbag control system. There has been one death as well as several injuries linked to this particular airbag issue.

The problem is related to the software that controls airbag deployment in the front of the vehicle. The software issue caused the system to go into test mode when the vehicle was in motion as opposed to when it was first turned on and all of the system runs a test and diagnostic mode. While it is not exactly clear how this happens based upon reports, the computer may have be able to disengage the seat belt retention mechanism when the airbag was in test mode. Continue reading