Car/Auto Defects
Automotive Crashworthiness
Geico Insurance Fails To Protect Insured Area Family Jury Says To Geico "Justice Must Be Served"
**CASE UPDATE: The Judge has denied GEICO's motion for new trial and granted Plaintiffs motion to amend its complaint for Insurance Bad Faith. Full Story
Seatback Collapse
Couple settles lawsuit against Daimler Chrysler
In early December of 2000, Robert and Vickie Bennett were traveling in a 1997 Dodge Caravan westbound on State Road 200 in Ocala, Florida. Robert was driving the vehicle with his wife seated in the passenger seat. Both were properly wearing their lap/shoulder belts and the vehicle was traveling within the lawful/posted speed limit. Suddenly and without warning the Bennett's Caravan was struck in the rear by a vehicle driven by Michael McCabe. Full Story
Firm Obtains Recovery For Social Worker Who Was Severely Injured While Driving A Jeep Wrangler
The seatback design of a Jeep Wrangler seat was insufficient to protect a driver of the Jeep when impacted from behind. The woman suffered brain injuries and a fractured spine, rendering her a paraplegic. Full Story
Seatbelt Litigation
KELLEY v. FORD/TRW
Ford/TRW settled a seatbelt case involving a Ford F250 pickup truck. Dodi Kelley was killed when her vehicle hydroplaned after hitting a puddle of water, rolled over into a drainage ditch and water from the ditch began to fill the truck's passenger compartment. Mrs. Kelley, with her two young sons in the vehicle looking on, could not release her seatbelt. Mrs. Kelley drowned as her sons watched helplessly. The case settled for a confidential amount.
SMITH v. KIA
Kia settled a seatbelt case involving a 1996 Kia Sephia. Blake Smith was involved in a single vehicle accident involving the Kia Sephia. Blake's Sephia was involved in an off-set frontal collision with a Chevrolet pick up truck. Upon impact Blake's seatbelt became unlatched, allowing Blake to move excessively forward and strike his head on the windshield header rendering him a quadriplegic. The seatbelt in the Kia Sephia had been recalled for false latching.
Takes A Death To Show That Chrysler Concorde Rear Seat Has Faulty Design and is Unsafe
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - On Sunday, December 9, 2001, John Regaled was driving his 2000 Chrysler, Concorde, LXI 4-door car. He had two passengers in the vehicle - Sandra Bohem, seated in the right front passenger seat and Ludy Ragaldo Galiani seated in the right rear passenger seat. All occupants of the vehicle were using their restraint belts. Full Story
Nissan Motor Company and FP&L's conscious indifference results in devastating injury to small child
CORAL SPRINGS, FL - On the morning of October 19, 2000, Coral Springs resident, Nadine Brailsford, was doing her weekday morning routine, starting the day by driving her young son, Corey to preschool. Nadine was driving her 1998 Nissan Sentra. Corey was seated in the center rear seat wearing the lap belt only restraint. The center rear seat did not have a shoulder belt. Full Story
Firm Successful Against GM Over Boy Rendered Paraplegic By Seat Belt (Topete v. GM)
LOS ANGELES, CA - The law firm Ricci~Leopold, P.A. successfully fought General Motors on behalf of a 16-year-old boy who became a paraplegic from the lap belt he was wearing in a car crash. Full Story
Firm Obtains Recovery For Paraplegic Little Girl
A mother was driving with her two young girls in her 1988 Nissan Sentra. One girl was in the right front passenger seat wearing her lap/shoulder belt. Her other daughter was a rear passenger wearing a lap-belt only. Their car was hit head on. Full Story
Sudden Unintended Acceleration
Family settles lawsuit against DaimlerChrysler and Phil Smith Chrysler-Plymouth
WEST PALM BEACH, FL Christmas Eve is a time when most families come together in celebration and joy, however the family of Kenneth Tulloch mourns at this time of the year due to his untimely and senseless death caused by a defective DaimlerChrysler built Jeep vehicle. Full Story
Daimler Chrysler and Phil Smith Chrysler-Plymouth named in South Florida lawsuit where two men die due to defective Jeep vehicle
Christmas Eve is a time when most families come together in celebration and joy, however the family of Kenneth Tulloch mourns at this time of the year due to his untimely and senseless death - caused by a defective Daimler Chrysler built Jeep vehicle. Full Story
Firm Obtains Recovery for Police Officer Who Was Run Over While Directing Traffic
While directing traffic a female police officer was run over and dragged more than 150 feet by a Jeep Grand Cherokee that was accelerating out of control in reverse gear. The Jeep Grand Cherokee designed the accelerator and brake pedals cause in a manner that gives drivers the illusion that they are applying the brake when they are applying the accelerator. Full Story
The Cherokee Story
Policewoman Carmen Rodriguez was on her daily rounds patrolling a parking area at Miami International Airport when she was struck by a Jeep Grand Cherokee backing out of a parking space. The Jeep's undercarriage caught the back of her belt and she was dragged, face down, 150 feet as the car accelerated. The driver later said that as she shifted from park to reverse, she thought her foot was on the brake when in fact it was on the accelerator. After extensive litigation, Chrysler settled with the victim. Full Story
Roof Crush
First-Ever Verdict in Conversion Van (Wright v. GM)
NORTH CAROLINA - A jury found in favor of the family of five people who died after they were ejected from a conversion van when it overturned and the roof came off. It is believed to be the first time a verdict rendered in a van conversion case and the first time a jury held the original manufacturer liable. Full Story
Firm Obtains Recovery For Husband Who Lost His Wife While Driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Firm proves that the Jeep Grand Cherokee was incapable of protecting an occupant when the vehicle was involved in a rollover. Full Story
Firm Obtains Recovery For Parents Who Lost Their Son While Driving a Chevrolet Suburban
A driver of a full sized SUV drifted onto an unpaved shoulder where construction was taking place. The front right wheel hit a deep hole that caused the SUV to flip on to its roof in soft dirt and brush. Full Story
Firm Obtains Recovery for Family Devastated While Riding In a Ford Aerostar Van
A Miami family was riding in a Ford Aerostar Van when it was struck in the left rear by a car. At impact the van went off the road and rolled over. Full Story
Fuel System Integrity
Bartholomew v. Chrysler
Chrysler settled a fire case involving a 1999 Chrysler full size Dodge Ram. Jordan Bartholomew was killed when the 1999 Dodge Ram van rolled over, causing the engine housing to catch fire. The case involved a rollover and the excessively quick fire propagation through the deformed / displaced engine cover and firewall.
Connie Bartholomew, Jordan's mother was driving the wheelchair equipped van on I-95 in South Carolina when she swerved to miss hitting an animal. During the evasive maneuver, the van became unstable and eventually rolled over. Jordan was trapped in his wheelchair upside down. Before Mrs. Bartholomew could get Jordan out of the van, the van became engulfed in flames and Jordan burned to death. The case settled for a confidential amount.
Family sues DaimlerChrysler Corporation over unsafe Dodge Ram van
On April 24 of this year William and Mary Gorby were traveling on SR 111 (more commonly know as Palm Canyon Drive East) near Broadmoor Drive in Palm Springs, CA in their 1987 Dodge Ram Van. Mr. Gorby was driving the van and his wife was seated in the right from passenger seat, both were wearing seat belts. While traveling eastbound, the Gorby's van was suddenly and unexpectedly struck in the rear by a 1993 Nissan Altima operated by Robert B. Basque. Immediately upon impact, the van's fuel system failed and the vehicle exploded in a burst of flames. As a result of the failure of the fuel system caused by the impact of Basque's car, William Gorby and his wife Mary burned to death. Full Story
Ford Admits That Crown Vic Failed Crash Test
Ford Motor Company officials have admitted in sworn testimony that a Crown Victoria police car equipped with new fuel tank safety shields actually flunked its own crash test. Full Story
DaimlerChrysler Settles Suit Of Exploding Jeep Grand Cherokee Yet Makes No Design Changes To Remedy Problem
Kenneth Smith's life changed in a mere blink of an eye on the morning of October 6, 2001. As his 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee began traveling through an intersection with a green light his vehicle was rear-ended by a Lincoln Town Car. Immediately upon impact the Jeep burst into flames. Full Story
Firm Obtains Recovery For Severely Burned Girl
A passenger in a Ford Mustang was traveling to church with her boyfriend when the car hit standing water on the road. The Mustang hydroplaned across the centerline of the road and was struck on the right rear by a southbound camper. The Mustang's fuel tank instantly split open releasing gasoline. The female passenger lost most of her face from burns. Full Story
SUV Rollover
Banks v. DCC
DCC settled a 15-seat passenger van case involving 2 deaths and seven occupants with serious injuries. The Banks/Page families were traveling to a family funeral in Florida while driving on the Florida Turnpike near Orlando, Florida. The van suddenly and unexpectedly went out of control and rolled over; several of the occupants were ejected. Plaintiffs alleged stability and control, restraint and glazing defects. The case settled for a confidential amount.
Another Ford Explorer Rollover, another Death and Injury
PALM BEACH, FL - On April 9, 2002, Berta and Rolando Altamirano landed at Miami International Airport where they rented a Ford Explorer from Budget Rent-a-Car. Full Story
Conversion Van Rollover Kills Family Member - Van roof adhered with only glue -
NORFOLK, VA- On the morning of December 22, 2000, the Billups/Hayes family were beginning a family vacation to Disney World in Orlando. Pam Billups was driving the family's Dodge Conversion Van with passengers - husband Mike, two children, Kirbi and Kourtnei and Pam's mother Rosalyn Hayes. Full Story
Chrysler and Thrifty Rent-A-Car named in van rollover suit
On August 17, 2002, Symadia Ingham was driving a 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 - 15-passenger van that she had rented from Thrifty Rent-A-Car. Traveling north on the Florida Turnpike near mile marker 155 in St. Lucie County, the van suddenly and unexpectedly went out of control, rolled over and its roof collapsed. Ingham suffered severe and permanent injuries that have left her disabled and in constant pain. Full Story
Chrysler Corporation Settles 15 Seat Passenger Van Rollover Lawsuit for Confidential Amount
The dangers of Ford's Explorer, prone to rollover since it was first designed and made worse when equipped with under-inflated Firestone tires that tried to hide the defect, were hidden from consumers, who were deceived into buying and leasing them and now face significantly reduced values for the vehicles, according to a first-ever lawsuit. Full Story
Suit Says Ford Tried to Hide the Explorer's Dangers
On August 17, 2002, Symadia Ingham was driving a 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 - 15-passenger van that she had rented from Thrifty Rent-A-Car. Traveling north on the Florida Turnpike near mile marker 155 in St. Lucie County, the van suddenly and unexpectedly went out of control, rolled over and its roof collapsed. Ingham suffered severe and permanent injuries that have left her with horrific scaring and in constant pain.Full Story
Tire Defects
NHTSA Stance on Early Warning Defect Information Subverts Public Records Law, Would Hamper Highway Safety Efforts
Four years ago, in response to the Ford-Firestone crashes that involved defective tires, Congress passed the TREAD Act. That law required select safety data to be gathered by the government and made available to the public. The idea was to enable government investigators to spot potential safety defects quickly with this early warning data and for the motoring public to be alerted to potential problems associated with vehicles they own. Full Story
Suit settled against Continental Tire for defective tire that led to caused catastrophic injuries
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Attorneys, Edward Ricci and Theodore Leopold partners in the law firm of Ricci ~ Leopold announced that a favorable settlement has been reached in a case filed against Continental Tire and Al Packer Ford on behalf of their client Fremond Jean & Marie Baptiste. Full Story
Class Action Suits
Firestone/Ford Litigation
The law firm of Ricci~Leopold, P.A. co-counsel in the National Ford Explorer/Firestone class action lawsuit, is vigorously pursuing economic protection of owners of Ford Explorer and Firestone tires, along with the nationally preeminent law firms around the country. Full Story
Ortiz vs. Ford Motor Company
Ammended Class Action Complaint
