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Low Repair Rate on Recalled Jeeps Raises Concerns about Fires in Rear-End Collisions
Apr30
Posted by The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic in Car Accidents
There are frightening concerns about the dangers of millions of Jeeps on our roadways and the government is looking into reopening its inquiry into Jeep safety. At issue are Jeeps that were built with gas tanks placed behind the rear axle. Regulators and safety advocates say the design makes the tanks more likely to explode in a rear-end crash.
A jury in Georgia recently returned a verdict of $150 million against Fiat Chrysler following the burning death of a 4-year-old boy who was riding in the back seat of a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Jeep was struck from behind and exploded causing Remington Walden to die a horrific death. The auto maker made a settlement offer to Walden’s parents prior to the trial but they refused. Bryan Walden said, “We wanted people to know what can happen in these accidents so they won’t have to go through what we went through.”
Fiat Chrysler had successfully settled a number of lawsuits prior to going to trial in the Walden case. This verdict shows the tremendous potential liability the auto maker faces in future litigation. Fiat Chrysler acknowledged in court documents it had been sued more than 30 times following gas tank explosions in rear-end collisions with Jeeps.
Despite a 2013 recall agreement for Jeeps, only a small percentage of the vehicles have actually been fixed. The director of the Center for Auto Safety is now pushing the government to reopen its investigation which was closed two years ago. At that time there were 56 deaths linked to the gas tank location. Since then, there have been several more fatalities involving fires in these vehicles.
There could also be efforts to accelerate the recall of the automobiles which include the Jeep Liberty sport utility vehicles which were built from 2002-2007 and the Jeep Grand Cherokees built from 1993-1998. The auto maker disclosed that only 27 percent of the Jeep Liberty vehicles were repaired and a mere 4 percent of the Grand Cherokees were fixed.
The company urged its car dealers in an April letter to make every effort to perform the recall. Despite that Chrysler Fiat still maintains the Jeeps are safe to drive. According to company spokesman Eric Mayne, “The vehicles do not pose an unreasonable risk to safety.” During the recent Georgia trial, there was testimony by company officials which confirmed Chrysler had stopped making the vehicles with gas tanks behind the rear axle and marketed models with centrally located fuel tanks as safer.
The new head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mark Rosekind, has said he is looking into opening a new investigation. The Center for Auto Safety is expected to make recommendations on possible courses of action. Rosekind was quoted as saying the agency is not concerned about the fix itself but the pace at which the affected Jeeps are being repaired. Rosekind told Bloomberg the work “should be done faster, and we want to see that 100 percent.”
If you own a Jeep in the model years that are under the recall please go to the car dealer immediately to have the changes made to your vehicle.
The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic has handled numerous cases involving defective automobiles. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident in which an auto defect played a role you may be compensated for your losses.
There are frightening concerns about the dangers of millions of Jeeps on our roadways and the government is looking into reopening its inquiry into Jeep safety. At issue are Jeeps that were built with gas tanks placed behind the rear axle. Regulators and safety advocates say the design makes the tanks more likely to explode in a rear-end crash.
A jury in Georgia recently returned a verdict of $150 million against Fiat Chrysler following the burning death of a 4-year-old boy who was riding in the back seat of a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Jeep was struck from behind and exploded causing Remington Walden to die a horrific death. The auto maker made a settlement offer to Walden’s parents prior to the trial but they refused. Bryan Walden said, “We wanted people to know what can happen in these accidents so they won’t have to go through what we went through.”
Fiat Chrysler had successfully settled a number of lawsuits prior to going to trial in the Walden case. This verdict shows the tremendous potential liability the auto maker faces in future litigation. Fiat Chrysler acknowledged in court documents it had been sued more than 30 times following gas tank explosions in rear-end collisions with Jeeps.
Despite a 2013 recall agreement for Jeeps, only a small percentage of the vehicles have actually been fixed. The director of the Center for Auto Safety is now pushing the government to reopen its investigation which was closed two years ago. At that time there were 56 deaths linked to the gas tank location. Since then, there have been several more fatalities involving fires in these vehicles.
There could also be efforts to accelerate the recall of the automobiles which include the Jeep Liberty sport utility vehicles which were built from 2002-2007 and the Jeep Grand Cherokees built from 1993-1998. The auto maker disclosed that only 27 percent of the Jeep Liberty vehicles were repaired and a mere 4 percent of the Grand Cherokees were fixed.
The company urged its car dealers in an April letter to make every effort to perform the recall. Despite that Chrysler Fiat still maintains the Jeeps are safe to drive. According to company spokesman Eric Mayne, “The vehicles do not pose an unreasonable risk to safety.” During the recent Georgia trial, there was testimony by company officials which confirmed Chrysler had stopped making the vehicles with gas tanks behind the rear axle and marketed models with centrally located fuel tanks as safer.
The new head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mark Rosekind, has said he is looking into opening a new investigation. The Center for Auto Safety is expected to make recommendations on possible courses of action. Rosekind was quoted as saying the agency is not concerned about the fix itself but the pace at which the affected Jeeps are being repaired. Rosekind told Bloomberg the work “should be done faster, and we want to see that 100 percent.”
If you own a Jeep in the model years that are under the recall please go to the car dealer immediately to have the changes made to your vehicle.
The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic has handled numerous cases involving defective automobiles. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident in which an auto defect played a role you may be compensated for your losses.