Ford Cruiser 'Fix' Should Undergo Third-Party Evaluation and Testing Before Final Approval, Atlanta Attorney Fried Says

ATLANTA, Sept. 26, 2002 -- The following press statement is being issued by Joseph A. Fried, of the Atlanta, Georgia, law firm of Henry, Spiegel, Fried & Milling, L.P.:

I understand that the Blue Ribbon Panel studying the post-collision fire problem with the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor is preparing to release its findings and recommendations. I understand, further, that the recommended fix is going to be a shield of some type and that the recommendation is supposed to be supported by two crash tests performed by a company that does a lot of work with Ford.

I cannot comment on the recommended fix until I have had a chance to evaluate it, along with all of the crash tests and other support materials. For instance, the crash test methodology and findings need to be studied in detail to see if they represent the real-world collisions and circumstances that have caused actual fires. I have grave concerns, speaking for myself and several victims of Crown Victoria fires, that the recommendations will be accepted before any independent evaluation or testing can be conducted. This would be very unfortunate and could continue to endanger the lives of law enforcement officers and civilians nationwide.

The prudent thing would be to allow third parties to evaluate the recommendations and test them before any final decision is made. If Ford will cooperate by releasing all materials relevant to evaluating the recommended fix, it should not take long to complete the evaluation. The lives of our law enforcement officers are at stake.