Chrysler Settles Case of Fatal Rear-impact Crash of 2005 Jeep Liberty

Vulnerable fuel tank position subject to rupture in rear collision

NEW ORLEANS, LA.-Newlywed Jaye Donahoe was driving to her job as a third grade teacher at St. Rosalie School in St. John Parish, Louisiana, traveling eastbound on I-10 when traffic delays forced her to come to a complete stop. Kirk Thibodaux was driving behind Jaye, but due to the rising sun was blinded by the sunlight, so he did not see the traffic stopped in front of him and as a result, the Ford F-150 he was driving rear-ended Jaye's Jeep Liberty. Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the Jeep exploded on impact and became engulfed with flames, and Jaye burned to death.

Unlike most vehicles, the fuel tank on the 2005 Jeep Liberty is located behind the rear axle and is not equipped with a shield, thus making it susceptible to being torn away, pulled off, punctured or damaged in the event of an accident. If it were not for the fire, Jaye would have walked away from the crash.

"The Parties have entered into a settlement and the family is now able to close this chapter on this sad and long nightmare. Jaye can never be replaced but hopefully the family can move on. This case is so sad as this tragedy should never had occurred. Chrysler violated its own design criteria by failing to locate the fuel tank forward of the rear axle as it does in other model vehicles," said attorney Ted Leopold, managing partner of the consumer justice law firm Ricci~Leopold in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, who represented Jaye's husband Patrick Donahoe. "It's just common sense that the fuel tank should be placed out of the zone of danger that occurs in known impact areas", he continued.

"Jaye's death was not only devastating, but was by its nature horrific," Leopold stated. "It is our sincere hope that car manufacturers will learn from this tragedy and design their vehicles with consumer safety in mind so that future tragedies can be averted ," he concluded.

Theodore J. Leopold is managing partner in the law firm of Ricci~Leopold, P.A. The firm, founded in 1982, has six attorneys and is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with offices located at 2925 PGA Blvd. Mr. Leopold can be contacted at (561) 684-6500 . Additional information about Ricci~Leopold, P.A. may be obtained from the firm's website at http://www.riccilaw.com/