Aussie Pete

http://www.detnews.com/2004/specialr...a09-120890.htm

I feel for these people but is there a limit to what manufacturers of products should be liable for? Take the F250. It rolls numerous times (think how heavy this thing is) at highway speed yet these people claim Ford didn't design the car well enough?

And what about the recent finding against Ford for the rollover of an E-Series van where the majority of the occupants weren't wearing belts yet they won a fortune off Ford.

How does Ford make any money making cars anymore?

__________________
BA'1.5' Pursuit 290
Lightning Strike / Reflective Orange Stripes
'General' Dog - AP's German Shepherd and Best Mate - 02Dec1998-15Dec2003.
'Pepper' Dog - General's and My Little German Shepherd Sweetie - 1996?-02Apr2006.
'Sako' Dog - My Beautiful and Pretty German Shepherd - 2001?-23Aug2006.

Grunter

A sad story, but I agree where does it end.

No offense to our US brothers but it seems that you can sue or be sued for passing wind in the States. And unfortunately it appears that we are going the same way.

Perhaps in this case, if the driver had taken advanced driver training and had a better understanding of what his car would do in a emergency situation, he wouldn't be in the sad way he is now. Then again perhaps not, but sueing a manufacturer that would have had the car pass crash testing according to laws, is not the answer.

__________________

the house of grunt
Click on the above link to go to a site about my cars, old and new.

XWJG34

I agree... I feel bad for the occupants as well but when I read that the majority of the occupants in the van were NOT wearing seatbelts well that just annoyed me. It is just common sense to belt up is it not?

Why does ANY car rollover? I can drive at a million miles an hour and hook the steering wheel and be guaranteed to put me into trouble but I won't blame the manufacturer of the car. Imagine if I try that in a car with a high centre of gravity like a F-Series truck?

As for dodging stray animals.. I already expressed my views on this in another thread but put it this way... it's either the animals life or mine. I know which one I'd choose.

IMO It is all about driver training, which is obviously lacking in all parts of the world and not because manufacturers build cars that are prone to rolling over.

For Ford to cover their arses they would need to install as standard... Rollcages... ABS... Traction Control.. Safety Harnesses... in ALL cars but in the end.. if you can't drive, NOTHING will save you!

Cheers
Jim

__________________
LSUG (Leaf Spring Users Group) Durability Tester and Restorer.
Delete striped BAGTs look like (*)(*)less models!!!!

Aussie Pete

And let's not start about people saying the Crown Victoria was badly designed because the fuel tank ruptures when the car is hit at 80mph. I mean that's one hell of a crash and if anyone survives to even see the fire I reckon they're lucky.

I also remember an absolute ball tearer a case a couple of years back. Some woman or whatever sued the car manufacturer because they sustained injuries in a crash of their doing. Their case was that the car manufacturer made airbags OPTIONAL (the car passed all design rules without the airbag) and they should have shown due care by making them standard. But get this, she/he didn't OPTION the airbags which WERE available. They won the case for !!!!!

__________________
BA'1.5' Pursuit 290
Lightning Strike / Reflective Orange Stripes
'General' Dog - AP's German Shepherd and Best Mate - 02Dec1998-15Dec2003.
'Pepper' Dog - General's and My Little German Shepherd Sweetie - 1996?-02Apr2006.
'Sako' Dog - My Beautiful and Pretty German Shepherd - 2001?-23Aug2006.

subsbligh35

(basically) They would be liable for injuries caused which were reasonably forseeable and within the scope of their duty of care.

What is reasonable and what isn't is skewed a little nowadays, especially in the States.