If You Drive an Older Jeep Cherokee Beware of Gas Tank Vulnerability

Recently, a Georgia jury awarded $150 million to the family of a four-year-old boy killed when a Jeep Cherokee caught fire after a crash. This was in Decatur County near Atlanta and they found that Chrysler acted with reckless disregard in selling the 1999 Jeep with a gas tank mounted behind the rear axle, thus making the vehicle more prone to fire on impact.

The child was riding with his aunt when the vehicle was hit from behind by a pick-up truck in March 2012. The tank thereafter leaked and the victim’s Jeep was engulfed in flames, killing the boy.

The jurors held that Chrysler was 99% at fault in the crash and the pick-up truck driver was 1% at fault. Chrysler had recalled over 1.5 million of these vehicles in June of 2013 under pressure from regulatory agencies of the government. The rear-mounted tanks have little structure to protect them if struck from behind. They are highly susceptible to punctures and fires. This firm has been involved in a case in that same area where the front windshield of the Chrysler vehicle was compressed downward, thus decapitating the driver.

If you or any of your friends or loved ones have been injured in such a tragedy, please call an attorney as soon as possible to make sure your rights will be protected.

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