Safety Group Asks GM for Trunk-Latch Recall
A safety foundation has asked General Motors Corp. to recall its 2000-01 sedans and refit their trunks with emergency-release latches. According to this article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, this comes after two Arkansas children were found dead in the trunk of a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu.
Kansas-based Kids and Cars said that although Ford has installed glow-in-the-dark handles inside all trunks since 2000, General Motors offered the latches only as an option on models made before 2002.
GM did not say what action the company might take in the wake of deaths regarding their trunk's auto product liability.
A Washington County Coroner said it appears a 5-year-old and a 4-year-old of Springdale died accidentally in the car’s trunk last week.
Police said it is likely that the children were playing in the trunk when it closed and they likely died of asphyxiation. Temperatures were nearly 90 degrees the day they died. Further investigation of the wrongful deaths is needed.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released data for “non-traffic” deaths in January that showed three people died in 2003-04 after being closed inside a trunk. In a one-month period of 1998, 11 children were found dead in car trunks, prompting calls for trunk-release latches.
As a consumer, you have the right to assume that products you purchase or use have been produced in a manner that would ensure that they are safe and free from unreasonable risks. If a company manufactures or sells a product that is hazardous to the user, the company must be held liable for any injuries or fatalities that occurred due to the faulty product.
If you have a Pennsylvania defective product claim, you will require the representation of an experienced Philadelphia products liability attorney from Cherry, Fieger, and Marciano, LLP to handle all of the complexities involved with this type of case. There are many steps to a product liability case; beginning with proving that the product was in fact defective, next proving the product was the cause of the injury, and finally proving that the product was not used unreasonably. Please contact our firm today to discuss your case with an experienced legal professional.
