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2,000 Perish Each Year In Vehicle Fires

4 November 1999

Ralph Hoar & Associates: 2,000 Perish Each Year In Vehicle Fires, Law Firm Says on the Safety Forum

    WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 -- During the last decade of the 20th
Century, more than 20,000 people have perished in fire-related vehicle
crashes, according to government statistics. Langdon, Emison, Kuhlman & Evans,
a Lexington, Missouri law firm that has sued a number of major automakers for
inadequate fuel system designs, claims that many of these crashes were
survivable until the fire occurred.
    "Vehicle manufacturers have a duty to the public to design vehicles that
will not create a fire hazard in survivable collisions. However, government
safety standards only reduce the chance of fire in some types of crashes and
automotive manufacturers have failed to adopt their own standards to avoid
such fires," the firm says in an analysis of vehicle fires that follow
crashes, which it posted today on The Safety Forum.
    The Safety Forum is an Internet website dedicated to identifying,
publicizing and ultimately reducing deaths and injuries associated with
hazardous products. The Safety Forum provides "attorneys of record" an
opportunity to educate the public about product hazards that they have
identified and successfully litigated.
    Automakers "have long been aware of the risk of fires associated with
defective fuel systems. However, the incidence of vehicle fires has continued
to be a serious problem," the firm says, in discussing the vulnerable aspects
of vehicle fuel systems:

    *  Fuel Tanks: Defects in the design and placement of fuel tanks have been
       among the most widely publicized fuel system defects, including the
       Pinto cases and the General Motors "sidesaddle" trucks with fuel tanks
       located outside the frame rail. Fuel tank defects may involve the
       location of the tank on the vehicle, the placement of the tank near
       objects that can potentially puncture the tank, the material from which
       the tank is constructed, the actual construction of the tank including
       improper welds, and the failure to adequately shield the tank.

    *  Fuel Lines: Fuel-injected engines require fuel to travel through fuel
       lines at high pressure. Due to the high pressures involved, even a
       small compromise in a fuel line can result in a large amount of fuel
       escaping from the fuel system. Failure in a line may be caused by the
       location or routing of the line. Failure in a line may also result from
       the use of inappropriate materials. The location and composition of the
       fuel lines is critical to the overall fuel system integrity of a
       vehicle.

    *  Fuel Pump: Most fuel-injected engines have electric fuel pumps. It is
       critical that these pumps shut off in the event of a collision. If a
       fuel pump does not shut off following a collision, the pump will
       continue to circulate gasoline through the fuel system, providing a
       constant source of fuel for any resulting fire. There are many
       different types of mechanisms that are used to shut off the fuel pump
       in the event of a collision. The type of mechanism used, and the
       location of that mechanism, may play a significant role in whether the
       fuel pump does, in fact, shut off following a collision.

    *  Siphoning: It is possible for fuel to siphon from a fuel tank after a
       collision, providing a continuing source of fuel for a vehicle fire.
       Siphoning is the flowing of fuel through a point of compromise in a
       fuel system due to gravity. Gas can siphon from the fuel system at a
       very high rate, providing a substantial amount of fuel for a vehicle
       fire. Anti-siphoning devices are inexpensive, but are not incorporated
       on many vehicles presently on the highway.