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Motor vehicle fires account for 1 out of every
5 fires. One out of eight fire deaths are from
motor vehicle fires. Six hundred people are killed and
1,200 firefighters are injured every year from motor
vehicle fires. A vehicle fire can generate heat upwards
of 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, and flames from burning
vehicles can often shoot out distances of 10 feet or
more. Parts of the vehicle can burst because of heat,
shooting debris great distances. Bumper and hatchback
door struts, two-piece tire rims, magnesium wheels,
drive shafts, grease seals, axle, and engine parts,
all can become lethal shrapnel. Gas tanks of motor vehicles
can rupture and spray flammable fuel or can explode
altogether. Battery acid can cause injury even without
burning.
Automobiles, trucks, and other motor vehicles are made
of many synthetic materials that emit harmful, deadly
gases when they burn. Fires in motor vehicles can produce
toxic gases, including carbon monoxide, which in high
doses can lead to death.
Vehicle fires are so dangerous that firefighters wear
full protective fire resistant equipment and self-contained
breathing apparatus. Many vehicle fires can be attributed
to dangerous and defective fuel system designs, which
are subject to compromise or failure in the event of
a collision. Safer fuel systems have been economically
available for more than 30 years, but as a result of
efforts by the auto manufacturers to avoid implementing
alternative designs, there are still tens of thousands
of vehicles on the nation's highways with defective
and hazardous fuel systems.
If you or a loved one sustained
burn injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident,
contact our burn injury lawyers for a free and confidential
case evaluation.
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