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Being thrown from a vehicle is the event that
is most likely to lead to serious injury and death in
an accident. The most likely cause of a passenger
ejection is a defective door latch mechanism. When a
person buys a new truck or car, he/she believes the
manufacturer has maintained minimum federal crash standards.
Defective door latches are a major reason why passengers
suffer a magnitude of serious injuries and death. These
injuries and deaths are preventable with properly functioning,
compliant door latches.
From, 1997 and 2000, the Ford Motor Company released
a series of model light trucks: the F-150, the F-250,
the Expedition and the Lincoln Navigator that were equipped
with substandard door latches. These door handles, released
by Donnelly Corp, lacked the ability to withstand force.
A defective door latch recall was scheduled during March
2000 and plans were made to increase the torque of the
latch springs by 130%.
A month later, Ford cancelled the defective door latch
recall because one of its engineers decided the door
latch could pass an alternate test that requires only
that handles withstand a brief pulse of pressure instead
of prolonged force. Furthermore, even though the improved
handles were released for subsequent models of the trucks,
owners of trucks with a defective door latch were never
notified about the hazard.
Approximately 100 plus individuals were killed or injured
when the "type III" door latches on GM vehicles
failed, resulting in occupants being ejected from the
vehicles. Mitsubishi was found guilty of leaving out
evidence about its knowledge of door latch failures
in its vehicles. Chrysler has also settled cases involving
defective door latches.
If you or a loved one were seriously
injured in an accident and you believe your door latch
was defective, contact our defective automobile lawyers
today. Our accident attorneys fight for victims of defective
automobiles and parts.
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