Fires in vehicles can be caused by electrical failures or by failures of the fuel lines or fuel tank.  Electrical fires usually begin in or around the dashboard.  “Fuel-fed” fires, on the other hand, often begin under a vehicle or on the street surface below and spread quickly as leaking gasoline ignites.  Both electrical and “fuel-fed” fires are often caused by defective design choices in the automobile or truck at issue.

When it comes to fuel-fed fires, the most notorious vehicle of them all was the Ford Pinto.  In that case, Ford chose to place its gas tank behind the rear axle and in the “crush zone” of the Pinto during rear-end collisions.  Discovery in civil litigation revealed that Ford had chosen to place the gas tank behind the axle despite knowing that doing so exposed consumers to extraordinary risk.  Even more shockingly, Ford had made an economic decision to pay out damages in lawsuits brought by burn victims rather than make the location of the Pinto’s gas tank safe. 

Several other vehicles have been infamous over the years for their propensity to catch fire following a collision.  General Motors’ 1973 to 1987 pickups featured “side saddle” gas tanks.  Those tanks were mounted outside the frame rails on the side of those pickups and were easily punctured following “t-bone” collisions or other side impacts.  Likewise, General Motors “A” cars featured a fuel tank mounted behind the rear axle.

Other than tank location, design defects in trucks or automobiles may include tank design, including materials, inadequate fuel line materials, fuel lines without safety valves, and defective fuel filler necks.  In addition, manufacturers must ensure a “safe environment” for fuel tanks.  In other words, there should not be exposed bolts, screws and “hostile” objects that can easily puncture a gas tank following a collision or accident.

The bottom line is that, if a consumer survives an accident, there is no defensible reason he or she should then burn.  Rather, protection from fire should be one of the most – if not the most – important design criteria of any automotive manufacturers.

Our attorneys have handled numerous automotive fire cases under a variety of circumstances.  We know the design choices, the history, and the experts.  Call or write us today for a free evaluation.