Atlanta Ford Super Duty Roof Crush Lawyers
Ford Motor Company’s lineup of Super Duty trucks are a popular choice, but they have a turbulent history of rollover accidents resulting in fatalities due to design flaws in the roofs.
At Butler Prather LLP, we understand the inherent danger of these vehicles. For the past 20 years, we have made concerted efforts to represent victims who have been needlessly hurt or killed by unsafe motor vehicles, including rollover accidents involving Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pickup trucks.
Our results set us apart. Butler Prather LLP is a leader in auto product defect cases and has long history of fighting for justice on behalf of our clients. Our Atlanta personal injury attorneys have won over 60 verdicts and settlements over $10 million and another 177 over $1 million.
If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt or killed in a truck rollover accident, please contact our Atlanta or Columbus Ford Super Duty roof crush attorneys immediately to discuss your legal options for recovery.
Our Lawsuit Against Ford Motor Company Called Out Roof Crushes
In April 2014, Melvin and Voncile Hill were involved in a rollover accident in their 2002 Ford Super Duty F-250 Crew Cab. The multiple rollovers caused the roof to collapse, killing both passengers.
Although the alleged cause of the accident was a separated tire, a complaint was filed against Ford Motor Company, contending that the Hill’s deaths were primarily due to the roof crush – an event that would not have occurred had the roof been properly reinforced.
We represented the Hill’s children in this case against Ford Motor Company, arguing that Ford compromised the roof to cut production costs. In essence, they were fully aware that the roof would not withstand the weight of the vehicle.
Unfortunately, the case was declared a mistrial after Ford willfully violated multiple court orders involving inadmissible evidence and testimony. These violations had such a major impact that we believe the jury had been wrongfully impacted, and therefore could not render a verdict in good faith.
We believe Ford purposely pursued a mistrial in order to resolve the case as soon as possible – as did the judge, who imposed strict sanctions on Ford for willfully violating court orders with the intent of a mistrial declaration.
The Problem: Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty Trucks Have Light, Weak Roofs
Ford Super Duty pickup trucks such as the F-250 and F-350 have inherently weak roofs. Due to their higher center of gravity, trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are more prone to rolling over. To combat this, manufacturers have reduced weight from the roof and support pillars of these trucks. This not only lowers the center of gravity in these vehicles, but also minimizes the total weight to improve mileage.
Ford commonly reduces weight by hollowing out the vital support pillars that connect the roof to the cab. Although that does decrease the weight of the vehicle considerably, it also weakens any protections to passengers in the case of a rollover accident – to a dangerous level, in the case of the Ford vehicles.
Additionally, manufacturers such as Ford commonly use the same cabs (bodies) in both of their light-duty and heavy-duty models in order to simplify production. These cabs are typically rated for lighter trucks in both safety and roof-crush rating. When the same cab is used in a significantly heavier heavy-duty truck, the same roof-crush safety ratings do not apply.
Ford’s Solution
Ford has promised to re-evaluate its roof-crush statistics – but it maintains that all current vehicles are completely safe, and that any deaths stemming from roof crushes are due to extraordinary circumstances.
However, we firmly believe that these are not extraordinary circumstances – and that Ford’s heavy-duty pickup trucks score extremely poor ratings for crashworthiness primarily due to their dangerously weak roofs.
In our suit against Ford Motor Company, the manufacturer admitted that they were sued more than 170 times as a result of rollover accidents resulting in fatal roof-crushing incidents.
And although Ford claims that they designed a stronger roof for their pickup trucks in 2004 and then again in 2006, many older Ford Super Duty trucks continue to be dangerously unsafe for their drivers, with no pushes for safety improvements in sight.
Hold Ford Accountable For Their Negligence
At Butler Prather LLP, we believe that Ford Motor Company has completely failed to ensure their customers are safe in their vehicles. If you were injured or a loved one was killed due to a roof crush in a Ford Super Duty vehicle, please contact our Atlanta, GA auto product liability attorneys today to discuss your case. We will continue to pursue justice for victims of Ford’s gross negligence, and we will fight for your right to maximum compensation.
Ford cannot continue to ignore these dangerous vehicles. Our Atlanta rollover accident lawyers can help you fight today.