Vehicle fires are among the most common fires that firefighters encounter. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, approximately one in six fires nationwide is a highway vehicle fire. Eighty-four percent of these fires occur in passenger vehicles, with equipment failure being a leading cause of ignition. There are about 300,000 car fires each year, killing approximately 500 people and injuring thousands more.

The Fire Administration reports that by far, mechanical failures are the leading factor contributing to the ignition of highway vehicle fires. Vehicle components such as fuel lines can break or leak, controls can fail, short circuits can cause electrical fires and collisions can lead to dangerous fires due to improper fuel tank placement. In March 2008, General Motors Corp. recalled more than 207,000 sedans and warned owners not to park these vehicles in garages or other structures due to fire risk. The vehicles did not have to be running for the fires to start. The problem was drops of engine oil were hitting the exhaust manifold and eventually becoming hot enough to ignite. Similarly, Ford began recalling more than 12 million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks in 1999. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these vehicles could burst into flames at any time – even while turned off, parked and unattended – due to faulty cruise control switches. As recently as September 2008, the NHTSA warned that nearly 5 million of these vehicles had yet to be brought to Ford for repair.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car fire occurring in a Ford or GM vehicle, it is crucial that you contact an experienced auto accident lawyer immediately. Our dedicated injury lawyers help car accident victims throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey obtain all of the compensation to which they may be entitled. Depending on the case this might include money for pain and suffering, emotional distress, medical bills and lost wages or other financial damages. In some cases, we also seek punitive damages for another party’s wrongdoing. Only a trial lawyer who has worked on many vehicle fire matters can decide the best strategy for handling your unique case.

At Feldman Shepherd, we are committed to obtaining the best possible recovery for our clients as expeditiously as possible. We are here to serve you with hard work, attention to detail and a caring approach tailored to your individual needs. If we may be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us today.