A new article by Kent Emison, “Fuel Fed Fires: Recent Case Trends Show Motorists Shouldn’t Burn to Death in Today’s Vehicles,” was published by Thomson Reuters and its Automotive report. The piece was the lead story in the issue that was released on March 17, 2014, and was also featured in the Thomson Reuters legal blog as a guest commentary on this consumer safety issue of car fires.
“Auto manufacturers have the knowledge and technology today to prevent all post-collision fuel fed fires in survivable crashes,” Kent writes. “In fact, since 1972 they have acknowledged that passengers in cars should not be seriously injured or die from a fire in survivable crashes. Yet vehicle fires continue to severely injure and kill thousands of people every year. The National Fire Protection Association estimated in 2012 that an average of 152,300 auto fires occur in the U.S. each year, resulting in an average of four deaths every week.”
Kent has served as lead counsel in several fuel-fed fires cases from coast to coast, successfully representing individuals who lost a loved one due to a fire that should have been prevented. Kent has been recognized as a Fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers for his experience in product liability suits arising from trucking and motor vehicle accidents.
The article looked into the variety of defects that can lead to fuel-fed fires, and gave examples of how these cases sometimes play out in court.