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Atlanta Defective Fuel System & Post-Collision Fire Lawyers

Gas Tank Explosion and Accident Lawsuits

When auto manufacturers put their own profits ahead of the safety of their customers by placing gas tanks and fuel lines in unsafe locations and using cheap materials to manufacture fuel systems, they deserve to be held accountable for the consequences of their actions.

Our Atlanta, GA defective fuel system lawyers at Butler Prather LLP have played a pioneering role in the effort to bring the negligent conduct of major automakers to light and obtain fair compensation for victims of post-collision fires and their families as a result of their defective vehicles.

For instance, in 1993, we tried the very first jury trial against General Motors involving the C/K pickup truck, which had a “side saddle” fuel tank outside the vehicle’s frame rails. That trial, Moseley v. General Motors, resulted in a $105 million verdict against GM, the largest in Georgia history at that time.

Holding Automakers Accountable for Dangerous Designs and Materials

Car accidents happen every day. Most of them result in relatively minor injuries, or no injuries at all. But when auto manufacturers recklessly choose to place vehicles on the roads with defective fuel systems, otherwise minor accidents can result in major, potentially fatal fires.

Manufacturers have known for decades that it is dangerous to design fuel systems that can easily rupture during collisions. And the auto industry has the knowledge to design vehicles to ensure that drivers and passengers do not survive the crash only to burn up because the car catches fire. However, many automakers continue to design fuel systems that are susceptible to failure in foreseeable accidents. Recurring problems with fuel systems include:

  • The placement of fuel tanks on the side or rear of vehicles where they can be punctured
  • The placement of fuel lines where they can easily be pinched and ruptured
  • The use of cheap, flimsy materials to connect fuel tanks to fuel filler necks
  • The use of unsafe materials to manufacture fuel lines that can easily decay or break

Many people are harmed every day as a result of gas tank fires and other post-collision fires that should and could have been avoided through proper design and manufacturing.

One of the Nation’s Leading Law Firms for Defective Fuel System Cases

A significant part of our practice is devoted to representing innocent people who have been harmed and the families of those who have been killed in post-collision fires. Many of these cases are referred to us by lawyers who know of our established track record on this issue.

We have obtained significant results in fuel systems cases against a number of manufacturers, including Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler and Jeep. If you have been injured as a result of an automobile fire in Atlanta, you have come to the right place. Contact our Atlanta, GA auto product liability attorneys today for a free case evaluation.

I was in a complex premises liability case involving a multinational corporations. Mr. Butler & his associates were always three steps ahead of these defendants. When they say they are "exceptional trial lawyers," this is not just a slogan but it is a way of life.”
- Zack Hendon