Class Action Lawsuits is filed in Federal Court against Ford Motor Company. In the case of this lawsuit, plaintiff’s have alleged that Ford Motor Company knowingly sold diesel fuel with higher sulfur content than allowed in federal gasoline laws and yet still did not warn that it would increase the rate at which they would need to pay for the gasoline thus increasing their losses. The Class Action Lawsuit names as defendants Ford Motor Company, President Richardetta Ford and Vice President Charles Spencer. It is interesting to note here that despite the fact that the fuel additive was labeled as required by law, Ford did not add the feature to its cars. As a result, the lawsuit says that Ford caused consumers to pay higher prices for diesel fuel containing higher sulfur content. Class Action Lawsuits have been successfully won in cases like these and it is clear that such lawsuits can work in favor of consumers if a genuine case is filed and the manufacturers are held financially responsible for injuries caused due to their negligence.
The Ford Motor Company, through their lawyers, has filed a lawsuit against plaintiffs who brought the Class Action Lawsuit. The complaint says that the plaintiffs’ claims are groundless and without any evidence to support them. The lawyers further argue that since the alleged defect occurred over three years ago, the case is immaterial and is an abuse of process. The court however, will listen to the lawyers and will not dismiss the case. The court will therefore hear both the defense and the plaintiff’s arguments and determine the case, whether or not it is worth going forward.
The lawsuit says that Ford knew that its spark plugs had higher sulfur content when they were introduced in the US market. However, it says that because it did not warn the public or tell them that the plugs contain high amounts of sulfur, it is not liable for injuries or damages caused due to the above-mentioned defect. But interestingly, the complaint also says that since the US Environmental Protection Agency has deemed that diesels are safe for use and that spark plugs are dangerous for use if they contain higher levels of mercury, Ford is being sued for using these products in the first place. Ford has said that it would recall all its vehicles worldwide if an order was not placed with it.
The company is being sued for damages and medical bills, which it says it will have to pay due to the accident. The case is scheduled for trial on 7th October at the federal courthouse in Detroit, Michigan. There are two parties to the case who are named as such – the Ford Motor Company and Jeffrey D. Ginsberg, who is the lead plaintiff in the case. Both parties are named in the complaint.
During the course of the case, the plaintiffs’ attorney has said that there is a high possibility that the ignition switch in Ford vehicles may cause the spark plugs to choke, leading to an explosion which could cause serious injury to the passengers or other people present in the car. He also noted that it is a known fact that the Ford motor plant incorporates spark plugs, which are made from nickel-plated iron. Further research by the lawyers has shown that the presence of nickel can increase the risk of electrical shocks as well as other serious complications that could lead to death. There have been numerous cases in the past which have proven that Ford cars are defective and cause injuries and even fatalities due to this. The lawyers believe that this case has a good chance of success because they have strong evidence showing that the Ford Motor Company knew about the dangerous nature of its spark plugs since at least twenty years ago.
The case has gained much popularity in recent times and hundreds of thousands of people who use Ford vehicles daily look out for information about the case. It is expected that the settlement amount will be quite large considering the injuries that have been caused due to the faulty ignition switches and the related expenses which have also been incurred. The lawyers who are handling the case are actively looking for a large percentage of recovery because they are aware that many of the plaintiffs will not be able to claim the full amount of damages as per the law. This is a result of the extreme importance of the case in the present period and more importantly, the amount of suffering that has been caused to the families of the deceased.