Taken together, the popularity of SUVs and their many design problems foster a legal cottage industry to handle claims of SUV-related injury and death, with firms and independent attorneys across the country specializing in litigation on behalf of accident victims and their families.

High Profile Litigation

The first major spotlight on the dangers of SUVs came with the sensational Ford-Firestone tire scandal. Firestone tires experienced an abnormally high number of failures on SUVs during the late-90s, prompting Congress to launch a series of hearings in the fall of 2000 focusing on deaths and injuries related to faulty Firestone tires mounted on Ford Explorers.

While the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) was investigating at the request of Congress, Firestone recalled and replaced some of those tires. Victims or families of victims joined a federal class action suit as a result of injuries and deaths related to the tire failures. The suit also included claims filed by the owners of Ford Explorers or Firestone tires that had so far performed properly.

Litigants claimed that Firestone tires “disintegrated” and that Bridgestone/Firestone knew the tires were defective. Ford was also at fault, the suits claimed, because their design defects caused the vehicles to roll over.

In one high profile case, an NAACP administrator was injured while riding in a Ford Explorer that was part of a security motorcade for the First Lady of Liberia.

Suits Against Other Auto-Makers

No major SUV maker escapes litigation over SUV rollover injuries. Chevrolet, GMC, Toyota, Mitsubishi, and General Motors are all named in suits claiming faulty design and/or negligence. Many of the suits have led to recalls.

In February 2005, DaimlerChrysler AG pulled nearly 26,000 Dodge Durango SUVs from the 2005 model year because of a faulty fuel tank filler valve. The valve did not fully close after refueling, which led to a fuel leak. Injured drivers and passengers, and the families of loved ones who have died after a Durango burst into flames, brought claims for negligence and a defective product.

Current Litigation

This year a Florida jury awarded more than $60 million to the family of a teenage boy killed when the Ford SUV he was riding in rolled over. While the jury did not assess punitive damages in the case, it did order Ford to pay $1.2 million in damages and $60 million for the pain and suffering of the boy’s family. As in many personal injury trials where substantial damages are awarded, the auto manufacturer is expected to appeal the verdict. The process could prolong the resolution of the case for years.

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If you or someone you love has suffered injuries as a result of a car or SUV rollover and would like a free case evaluation, simply fill out our case evaluation form and an experienced SUV rollover attorney will contact you for a no-cost, no obligation consultation.

Car and SUV Rollover Resources

Public Citizen: A not-for-profit watchdog organization with information about SUV and other vehicle safety hazards.

Frontline: Rollover – The Hidden History of the SUV: A 2002 Frontline documentary on public television about SUV rollovers, with articles, interviews, facts and statistics.