The public needs to be aware of the increased risks and dangers of traveling in 15-passenger vans. Fifteen-passenger vans are commonly used for transporting college students to sporting events, for church outings and mission trips, and for airport shuttle services. The most common 15-passenger van models include the Ford Econoline E-Series, GMC Savannah3500, GMC Rally/Vandura 3500,Dodge Ram Van/Wagon B3500, and the Chevrolet Express 3500.
Fifteen-passenger vans are more likely to be involved in a single-vehicle rollover crash than any other vehicle on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), between 1990 and 2001 there were nearly 1,500 crashes involving 15-passenger vans resulting in 1,003 fatalities. In 2001alone, 130 people died in 15-passenger van crashes. A high number were single-vehicle rollovers. |
|
Channel cover plate on primary reactor unit. |
| Fifteen-passenger vans are defective and unreasonably dan-gerous in rollover resistance design and performance. These vehicles have a high center of gravity, making them difficult to control during emergency driving maneuvers or following a tire failure. Significantly, NHTSA research shows that the risk of a rollover crash increases as the number of passengers increase. When a 15-passenger van is loaded with ten or |
|
more passengers, for instance, its rollover ratio is three times higher because passenger weight further elevates the vehicle’s center of gravity. NHTSA research also shows a dramatically increased rollover risk at speeds over 50 mph. The bottom line is the public is at an increased risk of serious personal injury or death from using these vehicles exactly as they are designed and marketed (i.e. fully loaded at highway speeds).
Although NHTSA has issued con-sumer advisories alerting users to the increased rollover propensity of the15-passenger van, the newly established rollover resistance rating system and dynamic testing procedures do not extend to these vehicles. Not surprisingly, the automotive industry has thus far failed to take sufficient action to improve the rollover resistance and safety of 15-passenger vans.
Our firm and co-counsel David R.Smith represent two passengers who were seriously injured and the families of two other passengers who were killed while on a church mission trip when the 15-passenger van in which they were traveling rolled over several times following a tire failure. |
We welcome David R. Morantz, who joined the firm this summer after graduating from the University of Kansas School of Law. David was an articles editor on the Kansas Law Review and was honored as the top student in the area of intellectual property his final year of law school.
Prior to law school, David worked as a newspaper reporter for The Associated Press and for the Omaha World-Herald. He covered many issues, including city and state governments, courts and police, and won several awards in recognition of outstanding reporting and writing. David earned |
|
|
|
