VEHICLE FIRE LAWSUITS - INJURIES, BURNS & DEATHS

In the United States vehicle fires occur in approximately 2.4 percent of all fatal crashes. NHTSA estimates approximately 310 deaths per year are caused by a post-collision vehicle fire. The largest cause of these vehicle fire fatality is rear end collisions. These rear end accidents account for approximately 143 of these fatalities (46%). Many more fire deaths & fire injuries may be partly attributed to vehicle fires. The National Accident Sampling System (NASS) estimates that 670 burn injuries occur each year.

• Fire is associated with substantially more serious accidents, in terms of injury severity to vehicle occupants. Even for crashes at the most extreme level of injury - i.e., fatal crashes - vehicles with fire experience anywhere from 70 to 80 percent more occupant fatalities than do vehicles in all fatal crashes.
• For nonfatal crashes, occupants of vehicles with fire sustain 3 to 4 times the chance of serious (A) injuries as occupants of vehicles in all crashes. For moderate (B) injuries, the risk is about 2 times greater for occupants of vehicles in a fire crash.
• Crashes with a vehicle fire are also more severe in terms of crash impact forces exerted on the vehicle and its occupants, and in terms of the extent of damage sustained by the vehicle:

  - among all crashes resulting in fatal injury, those that involved fire are 30 percent more likely to occur on roadways with the highest speed limits. Higher speed limits indicate higher traveling speed and hence, higher impact speeds and crash forces.

  - among all fatal crashes, those that involve fire are 70 to 90 percent more likely to be single vehicle collisions with fixed objects; this indicates more severe impacts for crashes with fire.

  - for all police reported crashes, vehicles with fires are 2 ½ to 5 times more likely to have sustained the highest levels of damage due to the crash, as recorded by vehicle damage indices.

 VEHICLE FIRES BY DIRECTION OF IMPACT

• Impacts to the front of the vehicle account for 60 to 70 percent Of the crash fires, for both passenger cars and light trucks. This applies to fatal, as well as non-fatal crashes.
• Rear impacts are over-represented (3 times as likely) in fatal vehicle fire crashes involving passenger cars, but not for light trucks. This may be a reflection of the more vulnerable location of fuel tanks in cars than in light trucks. For less severe, non-fatal collisions, this over-representation of fire in rear impacts does not appear. 

"Through the results of the crash tests Ford knew that the Pinto's fuel tank and rear structure would expose consumers to serious injury or death in a 20 to 30 mile per hour collision.  There was evidence that Ford could have corrected the hazardous design defects at minimal cost but decided to defer correction of the shortcomings by engaging in a cost-benefit analysis balancing human lives and limbs against corporate profits.  Ford's institutional mentality was shown to be one of callous indifference to public safety.  There was substantial evidence that Ford's conduct constituted ‘conscious disregard' of the probability of injury to members of the consuming public." (119 Cal. App. 3d at 813) 

VEHICLE FIRE LAWSUIT - CONTACT A PRODUCT LIABILITY LAWYER

If you or a loved one have been injured  in a vehicle fire or due to any dangerous or defective product, then call and talk to an experienced products liability trial attorney now. Due to the nature of these cases, the  product or the vehicle in question must be found and preserved as evidence, the scene of the accident must be documented and a full investigation must be started.  Talk to an attorney with over 22+ years of product liability trial experience. FREE ONLINE CASE EVALUATION FORM or call 1-800-883-9858.