Gas Tank Explosions and Fuel Tank Fires After a New York Car Accident
Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP is a New York City law firm whose accomplished lawyers protect the rights of clients who have been seriously injured as the result of defective vehicles and auto parts. Since the firm was established in 1990, our lawyers have used their extensive knowledge and legal skills to recover millions of dollars in damages for our clients. If you or a loved one has suffered as the result of an exploding gas tank, please contact our New York gas tank explosion attorneys at (212) 986-7353 to discuss your case.
Types of Injuries
Every year thousands of people suffer severe physical injuries, some of which are fatal, as the result of gas tank explosions in motor vehicles. Design and manufacturing defects are the cause of a majority of these injuries. For example, certain vehicles were designed with side saddle gas tanks, in which the tank is located on the outside of the vehicle's frame, rather than inside the frame. A gas tank that is located on the outside of the frame places the vehicle at a much higher risk for a gas tank explosion because it does not have the strength and protection of the frame to prevent the tank from being punctured, damaged, or crushed.
The public has not been fully informed about the hazards associated with side saddle gas tanks or the devastating effects that may result if the tank were to explode. There is a high potential for death and debilitating injuries, including a risk of first, second, and third degree burns. As with many other auto defects, the manufacturers of vehicles with side saddle gas tanks are aware of the grave danger that these tanks may cause but choose not to fix the problem due to the expense.
Recent GM Settlements
General Motors (GM) has recently paid victims and their families more than $495 million dollars in settlements when the company settled approximately 300 gas tank explosion cases. In many of these cases, passengers suffered severe burns. In other cases, individuals were killed in pickup truck accidents. GM had been aware of the dangerous defect in the gas tank and chose not to rectify the problem.
The Crown Victoria, a car commonly used by law enforcement, also has a defective gas tank, which has resulted in many deadly gas tank explosions. The government is currently investigating the design defects of the Crown Victoria and the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
Many gas tank explosion accidents leave victims with permanent burns and scars, which are daily reminders of the traumatic and life-altering accident that they endured. If you or a loved one has suffered serious burns or other painful injuries as the result of a gas tank explosion, please contact a New York City personal injury attorney at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP and discuss your case. You may be able to recover compensation for your injuries, as well as for your medical bills, hospital costs, loss of wages, and other gas tank explosion injury related costs.
Get Legal Help From a New York City Fuel Tank Fire Attorney
If you have suffered injuries as the result of an exploding gas tank, please contact our experienced NY auto defect lawyers now by calling (212) 986-7353.
Additional Information
Our Product Liability Case Results
$2.5 Million - Wego Kite Tube Accident
WRSMH secured a settlement of $2,500,000.00 on behalf of a 33 year old man who was injured as a result of a defective inflatable tube towed behind a boat.
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$1.175 Million - Product Liability Caused Catastrophic Injury
Cliff Shapiro obtained a settlement of 1.175 million dollars for a twenty-one year old man who was blinded in one eye as a result of an accident involving a defective platform hoist.
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$565,000 - Product Liability with Electrical Shock
Kenneth J. Halperin recently obtained a $565,000 settlement for a former N.Y.C.T.A worker who sustained an electrical shock while inspecting a propulsion system supplied by a foreign manufacturer.
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$524,000 - Severe Foot Crush Injuries
The case settled at mediation prior to trial for $524,000, including $424,000 from the dumpster manufacturer and $100,000 from the municipality.
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$210,000 - Construction Worker Who Fell From a Defective Ladder
Following a fiercely contested jury trial, WRSMH was able to obtain a verdict in excess of $200,000 on behalf of a 20-year-old wiring technician from Brooklyn.
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