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Crash-and-burn cruisers that kill: law enforcement officers across the country are being injured and killed when the special Ford Crown Victorias they drive catch fire. To build a successful case, lawyers must know the history of the vehicle's defective fuel-tank design.

Article Excerpt
Since the current generation of Ford's Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI) was introduced in 1992, at least 14 police officers have been burned to death in rear-impact, postcollision fuel-fed fires. Many others have suffered severe burns; a few have been fortunate enough to escape serious injury.

When law enforcement agencies asked for a solution, Ford reacted with its traditional "3-D" defense--deny, deceive, and delay. Although political and legal pressures have forced the company to implement improvements, the CVPIs sold today remain rolling fire bombs.

At press time, the most recent fatality, bad occurred on May 22, 2003, when Missouri state trooper Michael Newton was burned alive after his 2003 CVPI--which had less than 4,000 miles on it and was outfitted with all of Ford's most recent improvements--was struck in the rear and burst into flames. Newton's death occurred nearly one year after the first of numerous class action lawsuits on behalf of government agencies was filed against Ford, in New Jersey. (1)

CVPI fuel systems have ignited as a result of:

* puncture of the front of the fuel tank by suspension and axle components located forward of the tank

* puncture of the rear of the fuel tank by the trunk contents or the striking vehicle

* puncture of the side of the fuel tank by the frame rails that collapse inward toward the tank

* fuel escaping through vent valves due to internal pressure.

These problems are not new to Ford.

History of the defect

The CVPI's defective design has a long and well-documented history, dating back to the 1965 Ford Galaxie. The current cruiser is part of Ford's Panther-platform line of vehicles, which also includes the Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car. These cars are equipped with a vertical, behind-the-axle fuel tank derived from the 1965 Galaxie. Ford's 30 mph crash tests of the Galaxie in the 1960s resulted in catastrophic failure: The fuel tank was demolished.

The design of this fuel system has three basic problems:

* The tank is located behind the rear axle in the vehicle's crush zone where, in a collision, the tank is vulnerable to flying fragments.

* The tank is surrounded by a "hazardous environment" of relatively sharp objects that may...

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