- Auto Accident Injury
- Auto Deaths
- Back Injuries
- Brain Injury
- Car Accident Injury
- Catastrophic Injury
- Closed Head Injury
- Design Manufacturing
- Fuel Fed Fire Injury
- Head Injuries
- Occupant Ejections
- Paralysis
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Roof Crush Injury
- Seat Belt Injuries
- Tempered Glass
- Tire Blow Out Injury
- Trailer Sway
- Traumatic Head Injury
Fuel System Defects
Fuel system defects in cars and trucks account for an alarming number of deaths each year in the United States, and these deaths are especially tragic because they are preventable. Automotive fuel system defects can result in fires that occur after an otherwise-survivable vehicle collision.
After a Collision
It's a horrifying scenario: a collision occurs, people are trapped inside a damaged but intact car or truck, and although they survived the collision, a fire erupts that severely injures or kills the occupants and/or people who've attempted a rescue.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), each year in the U.S. from 1999 to 2003, an average of 325,100 vehicle fires occurred, causing more than 400 deaths and 1,500 injuries. These fires can occur after:
- front impact collisions
- side impact collisions
- rollovers
- rear end collisions
Fuel-Fed Fires
Fuel system defects account for a disproportionately large number of these deaths about 17 percent. When a fuel system is poorly designed, the gasoline or other fuel may leak and explode after a collision. A fuel-fed fire is extremely dangerous and difficult to bring under control.
Design or Manufacturing Defects
A variety of flaws in a fuel system's design or defects in its manufacturing process may be the cause of a given fire. There are many possible fuel system defects, including:
- filler cap neck separation
- a fire from an added fuel tank that is not protected by the vehicle's frame
- fuel line tearing, or separation of the fuel line from the carburetor, fuel pump, or fuel tank
- fuel tank placement under the trunk floor
- lack of a barrier or shield to prevent a fuel tank rupture
- lack of a fuel cut-off device
- lack of an anti-siphoning device to prevent continued gas flow after a collision
- puncture of the fuel tank because of poor design, e.g., a protruding bolt or other object
- seam weld failure in the fuel tank
Know Your Options
If a fuel system defect is the possible cause of your injuries and losses, contact us to discuss your case. We can provide the legal counsel and representation that you need to protect your rightsMore Auto Injuries:
Auto Accident Injury
Auto Deaths
Car Accident Back Injuries
Car Accident Injury
Closed Head Injury from Car Accident
Fuel fed fire injury
Roof Crush Injury
Seat Belt Injuries
Tire Blow Out Injury
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