Ford Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Unintended Accleration Problem

|
Irvin Jackson

Add Your Comments

A class action lawsuit has been filed by Ford vehicle owners, alleging that the company sold cars that are prone to accelerate out of control, increasing the risk of auto accidents and serious injuries. 

The complaint was filed last week in federal court in West Virginia on behalf of owners of Ford Crown Victoria, Ford Escape, Ford Taurus, Ford Thunderbird and other vehicles that may be vulnerable to unintended acceleration, raising similar allegations to those brought in lawsuits filed against Toyota following recalls in 2009 and early 2010.

The Ford class action lawsuit was brought after the company issued a recall for more than 423,000 Ford Escape vehicles last summer, due to problems with the throttle becoming stuck, leading to unintended acceleration.

Do You Know about…

SPORTS BETTING ADDICTION LAWSUITS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Gambling addiction and severe financial losses have been linked to popular sports betting platforms like DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars. Lawsuits are being filed by young adults and students who were targeted by deceptive promotions, addictive app features, and aggressive marketing tactics. See if you qualify for a sports betting addiction lawsuit.

Learn More
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR COMPENSATION
Sports-Betting-Addiction-Lawsuits
Sports-Betting-Addiction-Lawsuits

Do You Know About…

SPORTS BETTING ADDICTION LAWSUITS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Gambling addiction and severe financial losses have been linked to popular sports betting platforms like DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars. Lawsuits are being filed by young adults and students who were targeted by deceptive promotions, addictive app features, and aggressive marketing tactics. See if you qualify for a sports betting addiction lawsuit.

Learn More
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR COMPENSATION

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) uncovered at least 68 reports of alleged incidents where the throttle got stuck open among Ford Escape drivers, including at least one report that resulted in a fatal crash in January.

Ford has indicated that the acceleration problems reported were individual incidents, involving issues with floor mats or malfunctions in specific vehicles. The auto maker has denied that there is an overall design problem and indicates that it has addressed problems with the NHTSA.

The case is similar to the massive Toyota recalls issued several years ago, which have resulted in hundreds of lawsuits brought on behalf of vehicle owners. Toyota has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle unintended acceleration lawsuits. However, that amount did not address personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits filed against the company.

All lawsuits over the Toyota recalls have been centralized and consolidated under Judge James V. Selna for pretrial proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Santa Ana as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL). Toyota was also fined $66.2 million by the NHTSA for failing to address the problems in a prompt manner, and also paid investors $25.5 million to settle claims that the company tried to conceal the problem, resulting in inflated stock value.

Photo Courtesy of noelweathers via Flickr CC by 2.0

Written by: Irvin Jackson

Senior Legal Journalist & Contributing Editor

Irvin Jackson is a senior investigative reporter at AboutLawsuits.com with more than 30 years of experience covering mass tort litigation, environmental policy, and consumer safety. He previously served as Associate Editor at Inside the EPA and contributes original reporting on product liability lawsuits, regulatory failures, and nationwide litigation trends.

Tags: Class Action, Ford, Toyota, West Virginia
Image Credit: |

More Lawsuit Stories

1 Comments

Carl
Is there any recall on my 2012 escape I been having problems with it .buy it new one ower car. It cut off when you stop at the light and other things of going on with it driving me crazy Is there a recall on some parts please contact me back I don’t think I need a laser yet.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Comments

This field is hidden when viewing the form
I authorize the above comments be posted on this page
Post Comment
Weekly Digest Opt-In

Want your comments reviewed by a lawyer?

To have an attorney review your comments and contact you about a potential case, provide your contact information below. This will not be published.

NOTE: Providing information for review by an attorney does not form an attorney-client relationship.

MORE TOP STORIES

FanDuel-Parlay-Lawsuit-Concerns
As FanDuel and other sportsbooks push parlay betting and social gambling features ahead of major events like the Super Bowl, lawsuits are being investigated over whether these high-risk products fueled gambling addiction and financial harm among young users.
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over Galaxy Case, Other Nitrous Oxide Canister Sales
A nitrous oxide lawsuit filed against Amazon and other manufacturers and distributors alleges the defendants knowingly sold nitrous oxide canisters for illegal recreational use without adequate warnings, and in violation of state and federal laws.
MDL Judge Issues New Deadlines for Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Bellwether Trial Preparations
A federal judge has laid out a series of deadlines for selecting the first hair relaxer cancer lawsuits to go before juries.