An Austin police officer and his wife have filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Company after they say the officer suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning while sitting in a police vehicle manufactured by the automaker. According to a KXAN news report, Pedro Garza III, and his wide Son Thi Nguyen Garza are suing Ford and other parties for an incident stemming from 2017.
Harmful Effects of CO
Garza was on duty and driving his 2014 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor when he became dizzy and ill. He was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. The couple claims this resulted in the neurological issues for which Garza continues to seek treatment. The couple is suing for more than $1 million and is accusing Ford of being grossly negligent for its failure to inform the public or police departments of the issues with the vehicle and for failing to fix the problem when it became apparent.
The lawsuit also named companies that serviced the vehicle but failed to diagnose or fix the problem. The complaint states the defect caused carbon monoxide to fill up in the SUV, which was particularly harmful to police officers because police vehicles are typically left running throughout an officer’s shift to avoid rebooting the vehicle’s computer equipment. Several lawsuits have been filed nationwide on this particular issue. In June 2017, Austin Police Sergeant Zachary LaHood sued Ford for carbon monoxide poisoning.
Justice for Victims
The Austin Police Department pulled its fleet of nearly 400 Ford Explorer Police Interceptors off the streets after LaHood filed his lawsuit. In addition, between March and July 1,720 police officers tested positive for carbon monoxide poisoning. Our law firm represents a Newport Beach police officer severely injured after crashing his Ford Explorer police cruiser into a tree. He had been disoriented from carbon monoxide poisoning as well.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating these defective vehicles, and thousands of complaints have been filed by consumers – both police and civilian. But Ford has still shown no signs of recalling these vehicles. In fact, they have doubled down and said there is nothing wrong with their vehicles.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to carbon monoxide poisoning in a Ford vehicle, don’t hesitate to get in touch with an experienced auto defect lawyer currently handling these types of cases. You may be able to seek compensation for your injuries, damages, and losses.
Source: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/police-officer-wife-sue-ford-over-2017-carbon-monoxide-poisoning/
