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Defective Van Rollover Crash Lawsuits,
Defective Van Crash Automobile Lawsuits, Deadly Van
Rollover Crash
Lawsuits, Defective Fifteen Passenger Van Lawsuits,
Fatal Passenger Van Accident Lawsuits, and
Fatal Van Rollover Lawsuits
by Texas Deadly Van Crash and Van Rollover
Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Deadly
passenger van lawsuits, 15-passenger van lawsuits, fatal van
rollover lawsuits, and fifteen-passenger van safety are in
the news after two recent fatal crashes, in New York
and Georgia, involving 15-passenger vans that rolled over
and resulted in 10 deaths as well as two fatal passenger van
accidents in Canada. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration has urged users of 15-passenger vans
to take specific steps to keep occupants safe including not
using fifteen passenger vans to transport groups of school
children to events on a regular basis.
If you have
lost a loved one in a fatal rollover crash or have
been seriously injured by a defective SUV or other automobile
with defective
brakes, defective roof design, defective accelerator,
defective rollover design, defective tires, or other
defective crashworthiness features, feel free to
submit an
inquiry or
send an e-mail to Texas
Deadly Van Rollover Crash lawyer Jason Coomer.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Advisory on 15-Passenger Van Safety,
15-Passenger Van Rollover Crash Lawsuit Information,
Defective Passenger Van Accident Lawsuit Information, Deadly
Van
Rollover Crash
Lawsuit Informant, Defective Fifteen Passenger Van Lawsuit
Information,
Fatal Passenger Van Accident Lawsuit Information, and
Fatal Van Rollover Lawsuit Information
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
set minimum performance requirements for those vehicle parts
that protect drivers and passengers from death or serious
injury in the event of a crash (air bags, safety belts,
child restraints, energy absorbing steering columns,
motorcycle helmets). These vehicle performance
requirements, defective automobile crashworthiness lawsuits,
manufacturer safety policies, and the investigation efforts
of the
The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration are important to identify unsafe
vehicles with defective airbags, defective seat belts,
defective child restraints, defective roof design, defective
designs that cause vehicle fires, and defective designs that
cause vehicle rollovers.
Consumer Advisory: NHTSA
Reissues 15-Passenger Van Safety Caution
As the fall and winter driving
seasons get under way, the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration is urging users of 15-passenger
vans to take specific steps to keep occupants safe. Two
recent fatal crashes, in New York and Georgia, involving
15-passenger vans that rolled over and resulted in 10
deaths give urgency to this reminder.
The agency warns that tire
maintenance is paramount to preventing tragedies, such
as these recent rollover crashes, from occurring. Users
of 15-passenger vans need to make sure the vehicles have
appropriately-sized tires that are properly inflated
before every trip. The agency also points out that tires
degrade over time. For this reason, NHTSA recommends
that spare tires not be used as replacements for worn
tires. In fact, many tire manufacturers recommend that
tires older than 10 years not be used at all.
NHTSA said that it is directing this
advisory to church groups, other non-profit
organizations and colleges that may be keeping older
15-passenger vans in service longer than usual because
of tight transportation budgets. Pre-primary, primary
and secondary schools should not use 15-passenger vans
for transporting school children, as they do not provide
the same level of safety as school buses. It is also
against federal law for schools to buy new 15-passenger
vans for school transportation purposes.
Here are some safety tips for anyone
planning a trip in 15-passenger vans:
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If you are an owner, make sure
the vehicle is properly maintained.
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Owners should make sure drivers
are fully trained and experienced in operating a
15-passenger van and are properly licensed.
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15-passenger vans are very
sensitive to loading and should not be overloaded
under any circumstances. Agency research shows
overloading not only increases rollover risk but
makes the vehicle more unstable in any handling
maneuvers.
-
Owners should make sure that
properly sized tires are being used on their
vehicles.
-
Before every trip, drivers should
check the tires for proper inflation, and make sure
there are no signs of wear. Correct tire size and
inflation pressure information can be found in the
owner’s manual.
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If you are a passenger, make sure
you buckle up for every trip.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) has the authority to regulate the
first sale or lease of a new vehicle by a dealer. Our
statute at 49 U.S.C. §30112 requires any person selling
or leasing a new vehicle to sell or lease a vehicle that
meets all applicable standards. Under our regulations, a
"bus" is any vehicle, including a van, that has a
seating capacity of 11 persons or more. Our statute
defines a "school bus" as any bus which is likely to be
"used significantly" to transport "preprimary, primary,
and secondary" students to or from school or related
events (emphasis added). 49 U.S.C. §30125. A 12
to15-passenger van that is likely to be used
significantly to transport students is a "school bus."
If the new bus is sold or leased to
transport students (e.g., leased on a regular or
long-term basis), it is a "school bus" and must meet
NHTSA's school bus standards. Conventional 12
to15-passenger vans are not certified as doing so, and
thus cannot be sold or leased, as new vehicles, to carry
students on a regular basis.
Top Priority: Tire Safety
Fatal rollovers of 15-passenger vans
are most likely to involve tire failures. NHTSA research
shows that tires on 15-passenger vans are often under
inflated and in use past their service life. For
example, a 2004 NHTSA study showed that 56% of vans had
at least one significantly underinflated tire. Click
HERE for a summary of this study.
Aged tires are more prone to failure
even if they appear to be new (as in the case of
original spare tires). Owners and drivers of these vans
need to be especially diligent in maintaining correct
tire pressure and must be aware that tires deteriorate
over time regardless of use. Some vehicle manufacturers
recommend that tires be replaced every six years
regardless of tread depth.
Safety Tips for 15-Passenger Vans
TIRE PRESSURE Inspect the tires and
check tire pressure before each use. A van’s tires need
to be properly inflated and the tread should not be worn
down. Excessively worn or improperly inflated tires can
lead to a loss of vehicle control and possibly a
rollover. Pressure for front and back tires may be
different, and pressure is likely higher than that
required for car tires. A placard on the driver’s side
B-pillar or the owner’s manual lists manufacturer
recommended tire size and pressure. photo - tire
pressure label * SPARES Avoid using old spares when
replacing worn tires since all tires, even unused tires,
weaken with age. Used 15-passenger vans may come with
new looking spare tires that are many years old and
could be dangerous.
DRIVER 15-passenger vans should only
be operated by trained, experienced drivers who operate
these vehicles on a regular basis. The driver needs to
possess a valid driver’s license for state of residence
(a commercial driver’s license is preferred).
15-passenger van drivers need additional training since
these vehicles handle differently than passenger cars,
especially when fully loaded.
ATTENTION Driver should be
well-rested and attentive to driving at all times. Cell
phone use by the driver while the van is in motion
should be prohibited. Driver should also limit
conversation with other passengers, and drive time
should be limited to eight hours per 24-hour period.
SIZE A 15-passenger van is
substantially longer and wider than a car, and thus
requires more space to maneuver. It also requires
additional reliance on the side-view mirrors for
changing lanes.
SPEED Drive at a safe speed based on
driving conditions. Driver should never exceed the
posted speed limit. Always slow down if the roads are
wet or icy because 15-passenger vans do not respond well
to abrupt steering maneuvers and require additional
braking time.
OCCUPANCY Never allow more than 15
people to ride in a 15-passenger van. When the van is
not full, passengers should sit in seats that are in
front of the rear axle.
CARGO Cargo should be placed forward
of the rear axle and placing any loads on the roof
should be avoided. Do not tow anything behind the van.
See the vehicle owner’s manual for maximum weight of
passengers and cargo and avoid overloading the van.
SEAT BELTS All occupants need to wear
seat belts at all times. Inspect seat belts regularly
and replace any missing, broken or damaged belts and/or
buckles. An unrestrained 15-passenger van occupant
involved in a single-vehicle crash is approximately
three times as likely to be killed as a restrained
occupant.
Defective Van Rollover Crash Lawsuit Information,
Defective Van Crash Automobile Lawsuit Information, Deadly
Van
Rollover Crash
Lawsuit Informant, Defective Fifteen Passenger Van Lawsuit
Information,
Fatal Passenger Van Accident Lawsuit Information, and
Fatal Van Rollover Lawsuit Information
Fifteen-passenger vans were originally
designed to haul cargo, not human passengers and as such,
15-passenger vans lack basic safety features that are
standard in other vehicles. In fact, studies have show
that fifteen-passenger vans are inheritantly unstable and
unsafe. These 15-passenger vans are three times more
likely to flip and roll when they are fully loaded.
Some consider these 15 passenger vans to be rolling death
traps and unsuitable for human transport. In fact,
Federal law prohibits the use of 15 passenger vans for
school related transport of high school age and younger
students.
September 30, 2010
A mother whose son died in a
15-passenger van crash has launched a national, class-action
lawsuit against the Ford Motor Co., the van's manufacturer,
that seeks compensation for all Canadians who purchased the
controversial vans, or whose relatives were killed or
injured in them.
A 26-year-old
musician from Vancouver, was killed on September 2008 when
the 15-seat, Ford E-series van in which he was travelling
rolled at high speed off the Trans-Canada Highway in
Manitoba. His mother
has hired high-profile lawyer to handle her
class action against Ford.
The claim seeks repayment of purchase
costs to all Canadian owners of Ford, 15-passenger vans. It
also seeks compensation for Canadian families whose
relatives have been killed or injured in Ford 15-passenger
van accidents.
Those accidents include the infamous crash that
took the lives of seven students and a teacher from a high
school in Bathurst, N.B., in 2008.
The families of people that were killed
in these fatal 15-passenger Ford van rollover accidents, have teamed up to lobby the
provincial and federal governments to ban 15-seat vans for
the purposes of transporting schoolchildren in Canada. Although similar bans are in place in the
United States, only Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec
forbid schools from using 15-passenger vans to transport
students in those provinces.
A Postmedia News investigation last year
showed that almost 20 per cent of Canada's school districts
still use 15-seat vans to transport students, mostly to
off-site sports and other extracurricular events.
Fifteen-passenger vans have been labeled
"death traps on wheels" by the Safety Forum, a U.S. consumer
watchdog agency. Originally designed as cargo vans, they
were converted for passenger use decades ago, but have not
been fitted with the standard safety features and
emergency-handling characteristics of cars, minivans and
school buses.
Ford is the subject of this defective
15-passenger van lawsuit in Canada. This lawsuit
arises out of multiple fatal crashes that have taken the
lives of several people. For more information Ford
Lawsuits, please go to the following web page,
Ford Rollover Crash
Lawsuits and Defective Vehicle Lawsuits.
Lawsuit filed by family whose child died in 15 passenger van
crash PRESS RELEASE
Oct 22, 2010 at 10:58 AM CST
Fatal Passenger Van Lawyers have filed a
wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of a family whose daughter
was killed on October 3, 2010 when the 1987 Dodge
15-passenger van in which she was a passenger rolled over
several times and crashed. The van became uncontrollable
after the tread on a rear tire separated, causing the tire
to fail. The complaint included allegations of product
liability, failure to warn, negligence and wantonness for
the unsafe conditions of the van and tire. The Defendants
include Chrysler Group, L.L.C., Chrysler Group Vans, L.L.C.,
and R&J Tire Co. Inc. The suit also alleges Phenix
City based, The R & J Tire Company, failed to properly
inspect and sold a Michelin tire that was placed on the van,
which later blew out in the accident.
A spokesman for Chrysler stated prior to
receiving the lawsuit that there's never a good outcome when
vans are overcrowded and passengers fail to wear seatbelts.
He went on to say the vehicle exceeds all federal safety
standards and has an excellent safety record.
Defective Van Rollover Crash Lawyers,
Defective Van Crash Automobile Lawyers, Deadly Van
Rollover Crash
Lawyers, Defective Fifteen Passenger Van Lawyers,
Fatal Passenger Van Accident Lawyers, and
Fatal Van Rollover Lawyers (United States and Texas)
As a Texas Fatal Van Crash, Jason Coomer, works on Texas Fatal
Truck, SUV, Car, and Van Accident Lawsuits
involving serious injuries and fatal automobile collisions all over
the State of Texas and throughout the United States. In working on Texas
Fatal SUV, Truck and Van Accident
Law Suits, Jason Coomer commonly works with other Texas
Passenger Accident Lawyers throughout Texas and the United States including Houston Fatal
Passenger Van Crash Lawyers, Dallas Fatal Van
Rollover Lawyers, El Paso Defective SUV and Van Crash Lawyers, and San Antonio Fatal
Passenger Van Accident Lawyers.
In working with other
Defective Passenger Van Lawyers, he is able to more
efficiently investigate and litigate catastrophic injury and
fatal automobile crash and deadly van wreck lawsuits that
are caused by defective automobile design or parts.
Defective Van Rollover Crash Lawsuits,
Defective Van Crash Automobile Lawsuits, Deadly Van
Rollover Crash
Lawsuits, Defective Fifteen Passenger Van Lawsuits,
Fatal Passenger Van Accident Lawsuits, and
Fatal Van Rollover Lawsuits
Texas Fatal Crash Rollover lawyer, Jason S. Coomer, helps
individuals that have been seriously injured and the
families of people that have been killed as a result of
defective air bags, defective rollover design, defective
roof design, defective safety restraint design, defective
steering column design, or other a defective crashworthiness automobile
design or part.
If you have a question about a fatal rollover crash lawsuit or
a SUV rollover crash roof collapse lawsuit,
contact Austin Texas
Passenger Van Crash lawyer Jason Coomer.
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