Fuel Fed Fires

Injuries Caused by Auto Accidents

It is one of the most devastating tragedies to survive a serious rollover accident, only to end up being burned or severely injured in a fuel fed fire following the collision.

Unfortunately, vehicle fires often occur in the aftermath of an automobile accident. These fires can erupt because of the compromise of the vehicle's fuel system. Post-collision fuel fed fires spread so quickly-in a matter of seconds-that it is difficult for emergency vehicles to respond in time.

If a gas tank or fuel fed fire occurs, catastrophic injuries to passengers are likely. Fuel fed fires can occur in rollovers, frontal impact collisions, side impact collisions, and rear-end collisions. If you are involved in a vehicle fire, you should never assume that the fire was a "typical" result of the accident. Vehicle fuel systems are specially designed to avoid breaching and should not spill fuel in most crashes. However, SUV, pick-up truck and 15-passenger van fires can occur for a number of reasons, including ones in which another party-such as the manufacturer-is responsible.

Fuel tanks and fuel systems can fail for various, well-documented reasons. Some of those include; seam weld failure, tearing or separation of fuel lines, lack of gas tank shield, fuel line separation during rollover, filler cap neck separation, puncture of fuel tank due to poor design, and fuel tank location.

Fuel lines that allow fuel to escape from the fuel system can also result in deadly fires during a collision. Improper manufacturing and fuel line location can make a fuel line leak more probable. Vehicles that contain electric fuel pumps may continue to pump gas through the fuel system after an accident because of defects. Anti-siphoning devices prevent fuel from siphoning from a fuel tank, and therefore should prevent fuel from igniting and causing a fire. Some auto manufacturers have yet to add these devices to vehicles.

Through years of studying crashes, two fuel tank locations are considered the "safest." These are over the rear axle and "forward" the rear axle. The most dangerous places are mounted under the floor plan and side-mounted out of the vehicle's protective frame. Because of this, many manufacturers have been forced to move the tanks further away from the rear bumper or provide protective shields to prevent their rupture during collisions.

The National Fire Protection Association estimates that thousands of deaths and injuries and more than $1 billion in property damage results from vehicle fires in the United States every year. Fuel fed fires are of particular concern in crashes where the occupants are trapped in their vehicle, when the doors are jammed, or if the roof has collapsed.

A passenger who survives a rollover crash should not be killed by a fuel fed fire. If you or a loved one has experienced a vehicle fire, contact our law firm today. You have the right to hold manufacturers liable for faulty products that resulted in injuries.