Auto and Motor Vehicle Defects
Consumers have a right to expect their vehicles will perform safely to avoid accidents and to protect them in the event an accident occurs. Vehicles can be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC) which prevents loss of control from steering overcorrection. The roof of a vehicle must maintain its integrity and not collapse during a rollover. Seat belts must not spool out, tire treads should not separate, brakes must not fail and fuel fed fires must be prevented.
Many times a police investigation incorrectly blames a driver for an accident. When we conduct a more complete investigation with highly qualified accident experts, we frequently are able to prove the accident was caused by a defect in the vehicle or by a dangerous road condition. It is essential that the accident vehicle be preserved and stored promptly after an accident. We can purchase and store your vehicle while we investigate your accident.
Van Blois and Associates have the extensive litigation experience, exceptional relationships with the best experts, and the monetary resources to successfully represent persons injured by a defective vehicle. We have successfully prosecuted product liability defect cases against Ford Motor Co., General Motors, Chrysler Corporation, BMW, Toyota and International Harvester.
Van Blois and Associates have successfully handled auto defect cases involving the following:
- Roof Crush
- Seat Belt Failures
- Seat Collapses
- Vehicle fires
- Tire defects
- SUV Rollovers
- Brake failures
- Glass/Glazing defects
EXAMPLES OF OUR SUCCESSFUL CASES:
Police motorcycle defect -- $4,304,534 jury trial verdict
A California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer on duty the night before Thanksgiving was severely burned in a low impact collision with another motorcycle. The other rider was traveling on the wrong side of a two lane rural road at night without lights. We proved to a Stockton, California jury that the officer's severely burned face and hands resulted from a defect in the CHP motorcycle. The jury found the manufacturer eighty percent responsible for the officer's burn injuries under theories of product liability and failure to provide the CHP with the maximum amount of safety specified. This was the first ever verdict against the motorcycle manufacturer based on the claimed defect. There was no offer to settle by the motorcycle manufacturer.
Defective axle causes SUV rollover -- Confidential settlement
We successfully represented two young Bay Area college girls who were severely injured on their way from California to Montana to attend a wedding. While traveling in Idaho, the SUV went onto the shoulder and in the process of getting back onto the roadway, the driver overcorrected, causing the vehicle to skid and rollover, crushing the roof. Because the girls were not wearing their seat belts, they were thrown from the car, causing one to be paralyzed and the other to suffer traumatic brain injuries. We contended the rear axle broke as the car skidded causing the rollover. The roof crushed over the front seat passenger before she was ejected, rendering her a quadriplegic. The case settled for a substantial confidential amount. The settlement money has allowed the paralyzed woman to purchase a home and continue with her college education. The severely brain injured woman's parents are taking care of their daughter with the funds received in the settlement.
Pickup truck roof crushes driver -- $3,100,000
A 35-year-old mother from Lathrop, California, driving her 1989 Ford F-150 pick-up truck on the Altamont Pass Road, a rural two lane road in Alameda County, was paralyzed when her vehicle went off the road on a curve, traveled down a steep embankment and rolled over, crushing the roof over her head. We contended that the road was in a dangerous condition for failure to install a guardrail at the curve and that her injuries were greatly increased by the roof collapse during the rollover. The case against Alameda County and Ford settled at the beginning of the trial. The settlement funds were used to purchase a handicap accessible home and vehicle for the mother of two and pay for her living expenses.
Tire tread separation causes roof to crush in rollover -- $1,700,000
An Oakland, California man, supporting three minor children, was driving his passenger car to work on Highway 50 over the Altamont Pass near Livermore, California. He lost control of his car when the right rear tire tread separated, causing the car to leave the road and rollover. The car roof collapsed over his head, causing paralyzing injuries. He had recently purchased four used tires from a tire dealer in Oakland. The tread separated on a Sumitomo tire manufactured by Cooper Tires. We settled the case against the auto manufacturer and the case against the tire retail seller. The case against the tire manufacturer is pending and will be set for trial this year.
SUV rollover causes roof crush -- Confidential Settlement
We achieved a substantial confidential settlement for a Fremont, California man who was paralyzed when the roof on his 2001 SUV crushed over his head during a rollover accident. Our client and his wife were traveling on Highway 99 near Livingston, California on their way home from visiting the Vatican exhibit in San Diego with several other church members. The car drifted to the center median and when the driver attempted to steer it back onto the road, the car skidded and rolled over, causing paralyzing injuries to the driver.
SUV loss of control in desert -- Confidential Settlement
A Castro Valley, California postal worker, traveling through the Mojave Desert with his wife on their way to Henderson, Nevada, lost control of his1999 SUV which rolled over, crushing the roof over his head. We contended that the vehicle should have had electronic stability control to prevent loss of control and that the roof collapsed because of a design defect. The settlement funds were badly needed to help care for the paralyzed driver.
Firestone tire tread separates -- $1,000,000
A self-employed female tax preparer was partially paralyzed in a collision with a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction on Highway 4 near Pinole, California. The tread on the other vehicle's Firestone tire separated, causing a collision with the pick-up truck being operated by her husband in which she was a passenger. We proved that the Firestone tire was defective. The settlement has permitted the woman to continue to work as a tax preparer.
