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Tucson Border Patrol Agent's Family Files Lawsuit in Rollover Accident
May 07, 2008

As a Border Patrol Agent, David Web was entrusted with a duty that called for great valor - protecting our country and its best interests. Too bad that same level of care and commitment wasn't paid to his life. The 36-year-old was killed in a rollover accident on November 3, 2006 while on duty, his family has now field a wrongful death lawsuit that names GM, the tire maker that manufactured his tires at the time of the rollover accident, and others for unspecified damages.

Webb was driving his agency-issued 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe that evening on State Route 86 close to Why, Arizona. The tread on the SUV'S tire separated from the tire, and Webb lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle slid and rolled over. The roof crushed instantaneously, and Webb died at the scene. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the rollover accident. There were no others in the vehicle with him. The reason for death was cited as massive head injuries.

Now his family has filed a lawsuit that blames GM and tire maker Continental Tire North America, the company that manufactured the defective tire.

Other companies named in the rollover accident suit are Ironwood Towing Services of Gila Bend, Brim Towing of Ajo, and its owner Ralph Bustamante, and Brown and Brown Chevrolet of Mesa.

GM has been named for failing to make the roofs of their SUV safer, which could have prevented loss of life in the event of rollover accidents. It's also been cited for failing to put safe products out in the market, and failing to warn consumers that their products were defective. Continental Tire North America has been cited for failing to spend the measly $1 it would have taken per car to use a special cap that would prevent the tread from separating from the tire, thus avoiding rollover accidents.

The lawsuit claimed that both companies had also ignored the warning signs of the danger of the tread separating from the steel belt in SUV tires. Gross negligence has been cited against the two companies. The tires were manufactured by a plant that has been plagued by problems since the nineties, and had only last year been shut down. The vehicle that he was driving at the time of the rollover accident has been cited as unstable and prone to a roof crush.

The other companies on the list have been cited for failing to service, maintain, and inspect the SUV properly.

As a border patrol employee who faced danger and the prospect of death everyday, Webb deserved to have more care taken into his well being. It's sad that a person who puts his country before self or family as selflessly as these border patrol agents do has no one to look out for their own safety. Chevrolet needs to answer as to why a man driving one of their cars, with a seat belt on, and with no evidence of speeding, had absolutely no protection when their vehicle rolled over. Continental Tires also holds responsibility for ignoring warnings of tread separation in their tires.

If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in a rollover accident, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury attorney. Contact a lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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Ford Settlement Explorer Leaves Customers High and Dry
April 17, 2008

It must be a day of rejoicing for the 800,000 Ford Explorer owners who were involved in a class action lawsuit against Ford. The plaintiffs had alleged that the nasty rolling over habits that seemed to have inflicted Explorers caused the resale value of their vehicles to plummet.

Well, they've finally found justice. A judge has approved a settlement in the lawsuit, one of the last in the Explorer series. The plaintiffs will each receive a $500 coupon from Ford to buy - wait for this - a new Explorer.

Of course it makes sense. Why would consumers not like the prospect of receiving a coupon to buy a vehicle so advanced it was killing people, or maiming them all across the country? We can almost hear the whoops of delight.

If the prospect of yet another Ford Explorer is not tempting enough, plaintiffs can choose a $300 coupon instead, to buy any other Ford model or a Lincoln Mercury. In short, you could use your hard won coupon to buy yet more vehicles that roll over, explode into flames, and have other such equally appealing features.

For Ford, it must have seemed like a blessing from the gods. The company is teetering dangerously close to the edge of bankruptcy, and any settlement that will get rid of thousands of annoying plaintiffs with a minimum of damage to Ford's bottom line is sure to be received with celebrations. After all, the entire coupon sham will cost the automaker a grand total of $500 million, and even more sales.

More importantly, it sets to rest one very major lawsuit that must have given executives at Ford sleepless nights. The settlement is actually more severe than some other Ford settlements in the past, but it's the plaintiffs who will feel the most let down by our judicial system.

The plaintiffs had complained that they had lost up to $1000 in resale value of their Explorers after the series of scandals and accidents involving the SUV. It's fair to assume that they didn't expect to be left standing, after the settlement was announced, with a $500 coupon.

It's all very well to claim this as a moral victory against Ford because now Ford will ensure that its vehicles are safer. Going by Ford's past history, we can safely assume that they won't be rushing to fix their defective vehicles any time soon. The settlement would have had some relevance if it had imposed stricter safety regulations on the company, and forced it to put better safety measures in place. Nothing of the sort has happened.

The Explorers are still out on the streets, although fewer in number than in the past. The defects remain as they were, and all people have to show for their fight against Ford is a coupon.

If you have been injured in a Ford Explorer rollover, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury lawyer. Contact an attorney at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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Appellate Court Sticks to Ford Decision
March 12, 2008

Ford's once proudhistory and reputation as the country's first automaker has rapidly degenerated into one of a greedy corporation for whom responsibility and accountability are both very alien concepts. Thankfully, however, many of Ford's manufacturing and design misdemeanors are catching up with it. The bad times continue to roll at the company, and each time a court rules against the automaker, it's a small victory for consumer rights and safety.

The company received a big blow on Monday when a California appellate court stood by its earlier decision to award a sum of $82.6 million in damages to a woman who was left paraplegic after an accident involving a Ford vehicle.

The accident, which injured Bennetta Buell Wilson, occurred on January 19, 2002, when her Ford Explorer fishtailed as she tried to avoid a metal object. The SUV - as Ford's Explorers tend to do on a mundane basis - rolled over four times before coming to a stop upside down. Buell Wilson, a mother of two, was left paraplegic.

At the trial, her lawyers argued that the Explorer's design defects could be traced back to the Bronco II, and alleged that management at Ford chose to ignore the risks. Jury members were impressed enough with the evidence to hand Buell Wilson a sum of $368 million, of which $246 million were in the form of punitive damages. That huge amount was reduced by the 4th District Court of Appeals in San Diego to $82. 6 million, although the jurors seemed to agree that Ford had made use of faulty cost cutting measures, which resulted in the design flaws.

The California Supreme Court denied review, but the US Supreme Court remanded it to the appellate court. On Monday, the Appellate court stood by its decision. It was surprising since the US Supreme Court had asked the appellate court to review its decision based on the Philips Morris vs Williams ruling. According to that ruling, jurors cannot punish defendants for harm to third parties when deciding punitive damages. In its decision on Monday, the appellate court gave several reasons why the Philip Morris ruling didn't apply to this case. Ford, according to the appellate court, had submitted misleading jury instructions at the trial, and did not object in a timely manner in Buell Wilson's closing arguments during the punitive damages phase. It also said that Ford did not request a limiting instruction during the liability phase, and didn't raise instructional error on appeal.

Ford's attorney said they would seek further review, and objected to the ruling saying that it was inconsistent with the US Supreme Court's ruling, and with the ruling in the Philip Morris case.

Buell Wilson's attorneys claimed that the victory would force automakers to make modifications to their vehicles to make them safer.

In this case, Ford seemed to have made some very expensive cost cutting decisions in connection with their vehicles, which is what caused the design defect. Buell Wilson's accident is yet another example of Ford's compete disregard for the safety of its customers - customers, we might add, who pay top dollar for the privilege of driving a vehicle that has a tendency to flip over like a tin can at the slightest jolt. How this company is still allowed to put vehicles out on the road after all the deaths and catastrophic injuries its vehicles have caused is unfathomable. Profits come before all else at Ford, and every last cost-cutting avenue is explored, regardless of the effect on the vehicles. More such damaging awards should be able to convince Ford that its old policies of cutting corners to boost profits are leading the company to certain ruin.

If you have been injured in an accident, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury attorney.  Contact a lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consulation. 

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Ford Must Pay $6.5 Million in Rollover Verdict
February 06, 2008

Ford Motor Company is back in the legal headlines again this week, after a Texas jury ruled that the automaker had to pay a 41-year-old brain damaged man $6.5 million in damages.

The man in question, Robert Zamora, was driving a Ford Explorer, which is the sport utility vehicle that has been the subject of such fierce legislation in recent years. On the day of the crash, Zamora, who was driving with his mother, lost control of the SUV when a tire lost its tread. His mother says the loss of the tire tread caused vibrations, which lead to the SUV skating sideways and rolling over. Zamora was ejected from his seat, and suffered severe brain injuries. He remains brain damaged, and will have to depend on care for the rest of his life.

Ford Motor Company of course, has been quick to deny any wrongdoing. A spokesperson said that it was "unfair" to blame the company for the accident or for Mr. Zamora's injuries. Nothing new there either. When it comes to its notorious rollovers, Ford has a tendency to point fingers at everybody but itself, and this is no different. Run along now people, there's nothing to watch here, is the general attitude of top brass.

This loss of control and rollover of Ford Explorers is hardly new. Yet again, we are faced with the same tragedies, the usual loss of lives or shattering of dreams. And yet again we are faced with Ford's non-admission of a shred of responsibility.

One of the reasons they have come up with to deny Zamora his dues (they are planning to appeal the verdict) is that he wasn't belted properly at the time of the crash. Zamora was a disabled oil field worker, who had been using a shoulder version of the belt which had been modified by the previous owner of the Explorer.

The seat belt here had nothing to do with the vehicle's rollover. When it comes to Ford's Explorer, it's always the defective vehicle at fault. There isn't a lot that you can do when a close to 5000 pound SUV loses control, begins to skid and skate all over the place, and finally rolls over with you inside it, or under it if you've been ejected. You could be harnessed, or even nailed to your seat and would still suffer severe injuries, if not actually lose your life.

The point here isn't whether Zamora was belted or not. The point is when does Ford come clean, and admit that not only has it messed up, but has been doing so for a while now? When do we get to hear any admission of guilt? When does this company, the second largest automaker in the country, say, "Yes, we were wrong. We have been letting vehicles roll out of showrooms knowing full well that there were defects that could cause grievous harm or death?" In short, when can we expect a Mitsubishi style act of justice?

Although justice certainly seems to be headed Ford's way. The Honda CR-V officially dethroned the Explorer as the most widely sold SUV in the country, and Ford's sales of its star SUV have been declining sharply since 2002. A case of you can fool some of the people some of the time...?

Ford has been allowed to get away far too often with its lame pleas of "Our vehicles are the finest; it was everybody else's fault". It has to stop somewhere, before more people are left brain damaged.

If you have suffered brain damage or injured in any way in a vehicle rollover, you need the help of a top California personal injury lawyer. Contact an attorney at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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San Diego SUV Rollover Injures Two
January 24, 2008

According to the Press Telegram, an SUV rollover in San Diego injured two passengers on Friday morning. The driver of the Toyota 4-Runner lost control of the vehicle and it hit the center divider of the San Diego Freeway (405). The driver was reportedly thrown from the vehicle while a 17-year-old male passenger seated in the back was ejected. He was reportedly not wearing a seat bet. A child also in the SUV was not injured, but that was more an act of miracle than the result of car safety. He was not wearing a seatbelt either.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the accident.

Studies show that although SUV rollovers occur less frequently than other vehicle accidents, they cause a serious injury or fatality when they do. The reasons for these statistics are not hard to find. Rollovers very often involve serious head trauma or head injuries, in many cases leading to debilitating injuries or deaths. Other major injures include spinal cord injuries and cervical fractures, condemning victims to a life of paralysis.

The design of these vehicles has been known to cause any normal corrective action or maneuvering of the vehicle to result in flipping over with disastrous consequences to those inside. And still, they remain one of the country's fastest selling vehicles. SUV's like Ford Explorers have a lengthy list of fatalities listed alongside its name. Yet Ford continues to produce and market its vehicles with not a sign of any increase in the safety standards of their vehicles.

If you have been injured in a rollover accident, you need the help of an experienced California personal attorney. Contact a lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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Stanton, California Man Killed in SUV Crash
December 03, 2007

Yet another Ford Explorer related accident took place on Thursday morning.

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Fountain Valley Teenager Arrested in SUV Rollover Death
November 21, 2007

If there ever was a story to make the case against drunken driving and warn about its tragic consequences, this one would be it. Fountain Valley resident Natasha Dannov was killed in an SUV rollover in Oceanside, California on Sunday morning - her 18^th birthday. The driver of the 2000 Ford Explorer, her best friend Marian Teri Kahale, was arrested on charges of felony drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter. The 2000 Ford Explorer has a history of sudden rollover accidents. The tragedy has shattered two families. One teenager is dead while the other will have to spend a lifetime with the guilt of being in some way responsible for the death of her best friend of 10 years.

Dannov, a recent graduate of Fountain Valley High School and Kahale had reportedly attended a party in Mission Viejo, California. The two began drinking and after some time decided to head home. They seem to have gotten lost somewhere along the way and found themselves in Oceanside at about 2 am. Dannov was sleeping in the passenger seat. The SUV suddenly veered off the freeway, rolled over and struck a guardrail. Dannov was ejected partially from her seat. She died on the spot. According to the Orange County Register, she was initially identified as a Huntington Beach, California residentby the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. Kahale was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital for treatment of her injuries before being taken to the Las Colinas Detention Center in lieu of $250,000 bail.

A candle light memorial for Dannov has been planned for this evening at 7 pm at Huntington Beach's Central Park. The California Highway Patrol and the State Alcohol Beverages Control Board is planning to delve into the 24 hour history of the teenagers prior to the SUV rollover to ascertain where they got access to alcohol.

If you have been injured or a loved-one has been killed in an SUV rollover accident or as the result of a drunk driver, contact the California wrongful death attorneys at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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California Ford Explorer Rollover Lawsuit Nearing End
November 07, 2007

An epic mult-billion-dollar consumer protection suit against Ford Motor Company is winding to an end. The suit, filed on behalf of nearly 414,000 Californians who purchased 1990's model Ford Explorers, is based on the complaint that their vehicle resale values plunged after reports that the SUVs were prone to rollovers followed by some highly publicized recalls in the Bridgestone tire case.

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California Teenager Appeals Sentence in SUV Rollover Crash
September 04, 2007

In July last year, Redwood City California teenager Edith Delgado was driving on Highway 101 when her vehicle sideswiped a Ford Explorer. The impact caused the SUV to roll over several times killing its passengers - 55 year old Prince Tu'ipelehake, his 46 year old wife Princes Kaimana Aleamotu'a Tuku'aho and their driver 36 year ole Palo Alto California resident Vinisia Hefa. The prince and princess were members of Tonga's royal family. They were visiting the San Francisco Bay area for discussions with the local Tongan community on democratic reforms in their tiny South Pacific Ocean archipelago nation

Last week, a San Mateo Superior County Court sentenced Delgado to two years in prison after it found her guilty of vehicular misdemeanor charges. Delgado had earlier been acquitted of felony charges. This week, Delgado's attorneys appealed against the sentence terming it too excessive for a misdemeanor. The teenager has already served 11 months in jail.

The courts might have found Delgado at fault in the crash, and authorities have alleged that she was racing with another driver when the crash and fatal rollover occurred. However, in June this year, the Tongan royal family filed a lawsuit against the Ford Motor Co. charging the automaker with knowing that their SUV had heightened tendencies to rollover. That's not all. The lawsuit went on to allege that the roof of the SUV was not designed to withstand damage in the event of a rollover, and the subsequent roof crush contributed to the deaths of the royal couple.

In recent years, Ford has faced dozens of lawsuits arising from wrongful deaths caused by auto accidents involving its Explorer, the most popular SUV in the country. Despite the numerous fatalities caused by rollover and roof crush, Ford has not made any design changes significant enough to make it as safe as most other cars.

If you've been injured in an SUV rollover or because of a crushed roof, know that there are steps you can take to protect your rights. Call the personal injury lawyers at The Reeves Law Group for a consultation.

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Santa Ana Girl Killed in Vehicle Rollover
August 14, 2007

It was supposed to be an end of summer trip to meet relatives in Durango, Mexico. But the Munoz family from Santa Ana, California, got just as far as New Mexico before their 2003 Ford Expedition rolled over several times. 9-year-old Cynthia was thrown out of the back seat and died instantly. Seven other members of her family sustained injuries; at least one of them is in a serious condition.

The accident happened at about 8 am on Interstate 10. Initial reports have the driver saying the car began to "shake violently" before he lost control of it.

One in every four new vehicles sold in this country is an SUV. They are not just the most popular vehicles in America, they are also hugely profitable to the companies that churn them out. Some companies in fact make as much as $15,000 from each car that's sold. This popularity of the SUV is notwithstanding its single greatest danger: its tendency to rollover.

It's plain to see that rollovers are a greater risk in SUV s than in ordinary passenger cars. Because of their higher center of gravity, the risk can be as high as 30 per cent compared to 16 percent for passenger cars. And yet, close to 444,000 of these vehicles were sold in California in 2002. This state obviously loves its SUVs.

The debate about the safety of SUVs seems to go on indefinitely, with SUV manufacturers especially Ford insisting that their vehicles are safe. And yet in 2002, out of all the SUV related fatalities that were reported, a whopping 62 percent involved rollovers!

An accident case involving a vehicle rollover needs adept handling by personal injury attorneys who have experience representing rollover victims and their families. Call the personal injury lawyers at The Reeves Law Group for advice on how to proceed with your case.

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