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CASES & INVESTIGATIONS |
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GENERAL INFORMATION |
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Ford Explorer and Bronco Rollover Lawsuit Allegations:
Evidence Against Ford SUVs |
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| The Ford Explorer
is the successor to the Ford Bronco II. The Explorer
was introduced to the U.S. market in 1990. |
| In lawsuits filed
by injured clients represented by Lieff Cabraser
and co-counsel, the complaints charge that
Ford's internal testing revealed that the Explorer,
like the Bronco II, had significant handling
and stability defects: |
The testing
showed the Explorer was prone to rollovers
when equipped with tires inflated to the
manufacturer's recommended inflation pressure.
An internal Ford Test Report dated November
25, 1988, showed, for example, that the Explorer
lifted two wheels off the ground while cornering
at 55 miles per hour due to a combination
of the vehicle's high center of gravity,
its fully inflated tires, and the suspension
system structure. In so-called "J-turn
testing," the Explorer rolled over in
5 of 12 tests, while the Chevrolet Blazer
(the Explorer's main competitor) and even
the problematic Bronco II experienced no
similar rollovers. |
In a June 15, 1989,
internal memo to Ford management, Ford engineers
recommended eight design changes to address
the rollover problem and improve the safety
of the Explorer.... Making these changes would
have taken ten months or more, which would
have delayed the planned launch of the Explorer.
Ford management directed the engineers to make
only those minor changes that would not affect
production deadlines. Ford understood that
such minor changes would not correct the stability
and handling problems identified during the
Explorer's development. |
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12/3/07 Case
Update:
The California Superior Court
granted preliminary approval to a settlement
in class action lawsuits by owners of
model year 1990-2001 Ford Explorers in
four states -- California, Illinois,
Texas and Connecticut -- against Ford
Motor Company alleging Ford made false
claims regarding the safety of these
Explorers. Learn more about the proposed
settlement and how to make claims. |
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| Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein,
LLP represents persons
injured in vehicle accidents. Click
here to submit your
case. |
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| In November 2005,
SAFE Research, a California engineering firm,
asked the federal government to investigate
whether the 1999-2001 Ford Explorer SUV meets
federal safety standard 216, which mandates
a minimum level of roof strength. SAFE Research
contends Ford made design changes over the
years that weakened the roof of the Explorer.
Ford made an exception to an internal company
standard to build roofs 25 percent stronger
than the federal roof strength minimum, the
firm said. |
| In 1999, years after
Ford had certified that its third-generation
Explorer met federal safety standards, engineers
discovered the roof was weaker than previously
thought -- either below the federal standard
or so close to it that some Explorers likely
were manufactured below the minimum because
of normal variation, according to SAFE Research. |
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is no charge or obligation
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review of your case. |
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We
have a nationwide
team of experienced auto
defect and car accident
lawyers assigned
to our vehicle injury
cases. |
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We
have retained leading
national car crash
and auto defect experts. |
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We
have on staff a team
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legal assistants, investigators
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of the claims of our
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We
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attentive service.
Learn
more about our firm. |
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| Lieff Cabraser represents
persons who have been injured or killed as a result
of Ford Explorer and other SUV accidents, whether
due to a rollover accident, crushed roof, door
latch problem, lack of laminated windows, seatbelt
failure, or a combination of these or other factors. Please click
here to contact a Lieff Cabraser attorney. |
| Alternatively, you may
call Lieff Cabraser toll-free at 1-866-313-1973
and ask to speak to partner Kathryn E. Barnett. |
| Californians who bought,
owned or leased 1991-2001 model year Ford Explorers
before August 9, 2000 may be affected by a class
action lawsuit. |
| Click
here to visit the official Court website for
California's Ford Explorer Cases class action
lawsuit. This is not a recall, or a case
about personal injuries or wrongful deaths. This
lawsuit is about whether Ford concealed a dangerous
design flaw that increases the tendency among
these Explorers to roll over, causing consumers
to buy or lease Explorers and pay more than what
they should have. URL: http://www.explorercasuit.com |
| Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein,
LLP, is a national law firm of over 50 lawyers with offices in San Francisco,
New York and Nashville. Our attorneys are recognized
for the successful prosecution of lawsuits involving deaths, personal injuries
and property damage due to defective products, including in the field of vehicle
safety. |
| In 2007, in the case
of Mraz
v. DaimlerChrysler, Lieff Cabraser
attorneys, with local co-counsel, obtained
the fourth largest verdict in California for
the year. At trial, plaintiffs showed that
a defective
transmission was responsible for making
a Dodge Dakota pickup shift into reverse and
run over Richard Mraz. |
| Currently, we are
prosecuting personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits involving cars, vans,
pickup trucks, SUVs, the Yamaha Rhino and other
vehicles. To learn more about the firm, click
here. |
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| Trademark Notice:
Vehicle Injuries.com is an electronic newsletter from Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein,
LLP, a national personal injury attorney | lawyer law firm. |
| Lieff Cabraser is not
affiliated in any way with any trademark owner. The use of any trademarks on
this site is for product identification and information purposes only. |
| About Lieff Cabraser:
Drivers and passengers injured in auto crashes and pickup truck and SUV rollover
accidents, or families of loved ones who died, may be eligible to file lawsuits
against other drivers at fault or against the manufacturer of their vehicle if
the accident was due to a safety defect. Safety defects can include a high risk
of rolling
over, tire tread
separation, seat
belt failures and other defects. Learn
more... |
| We have offices in San
Francisco, New York and Nashville.
Our car crash accident lawyers and auto accident attorneys have represented
clients in personal injury, auto accident, SUV rollover and vehicle safety defect
lawsuits across America, including persons living in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas,
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,
Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland,
Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota,
Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia,
Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming. |
| Disclaimer: The
hiring of an auto accident lawyer is an important decision. Please read our attorney
advertising disclaimer. |
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| Copyright © 2008 Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein,
LLP |
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