Fuel-fed Fires
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, post-collision fires are the leading cause of vehicle-related deaths. These fires often occur in accidents which might have caused only minor injuries, had a defect in the car's construction not made it possible for a collision to ignite a deadly fire. Design and manufacturing defects that can cause a fire to ignite include:
- Failure to incorporate anti-siphoning valves
- Failure to include fuel filler tube check valves
- Misrouting of fuel lines
- Failure to protect fuel lines
- Placement of the fuel tank within the vehicle's crush zone
The cost to the manufacturer to do something as simple as incorporate safety valves into the fuel line may only be pennies per vehicle. When the manufacturer values profits over people's lives, the attorneys at Langdon & Emison are committed to bringing their legal experience and expertise to bear on the negligent defendants.
Our lawyers have litigated dozens of post-accident fire cases across the country, including the landmark case of Baker v. General Motors, which won a unanimous decision by the United States Supreme Court and coined a new term - the Ivey Memo - for being the first case in the country to get evidence admitted into trial of an automaker's cost-benefit analysis, comparing the cost of fixing an automotive defect versus the cost to the company in legal and settlement fees caused by lawsuits arising due to wrongful death cases.
Automobile accidents are bad enough, but when an auto defect turns a collision into a conflagration, the negligent automakers need to be held accountable for the needless tragedy they have caused. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident that involved a fuel-fed fire, contact the experienced trial attorneys at Langdon & Emison for a skilled evaluation of the causes of the incident and the parties who are responsible.
