Using the Jeep as Evidence
As experienced products liability lawyers, we utilize all publicly-available information from other crashes, as well as expert testimony. But the Jeep that was in the accident will itself prove vital to pursue your claim.
Preserving and Using the Jeep
Simply finding the Jeep and taking its pictures or diagrams to a court are not sufficient to win your case. The attorneys and investigation team at Grossman Law Offices will need to crawl inside and out of the vehicle.
What We're Trying to Prove
To show that Jeep is liable for your injuries or lost loved ones, we need to be able to prove in court that but for the poor design, the accident would have been survivable. That's how all automotive liability cases work---it's not enough to show that someone died, as tragic as that is, but that the car could have been feasibly safer in such a way that in the accident at issue, no one would have been killed. Here are some examples:
Jeep Not Liable: A Jeep SUV, stopped in traffic, gets rear-ended by an 18-wheeler doing 60 mph. The Jeep explodes and kills all the passengers. Very few vehicles could be feasibly constructed in such a way that motorists would survive a wreck like that. The families would have potentially great claims against the truck driver and his trucking company, but not Jeep.
Jeep Potentially Liable: A Jeep SUV, sitting at a stoplight, is rear-ended by a Honda Civic traveling at 35 mph. The Civic crashes through the thin layer of metal behind the bumper and into the gas tank. Gas leaks and then catches fire, causing passengers in the Jeep and the Civic to die from burn injuries. Jeep could well be liable because, unlike virtually every other SUV on the road, the accident would have been survivable for all parties.
What We Do With the Evidence
When the SUV from the crash is located, we have it placed in storage with a third party. We don't put it in our garage, nor do we allow the defendants to do so. Instead, the third party storage company makes anyone who views the vehicle to sign in. Further, we and the defendants can only view the Jeep at the same time.
We'll also send in experts to take measurements, samples, and photos of the Jeep. They'll analyze the data, apply their education and experience, and form professional opinions about what happened. If they determine that the accident would have been survivable without Jeep's improper design, they'll then be able to explain to a jury how Jeep is liable.
Bottom line: the Jeep itself must be preserved as soon as possible after an accident. If you've been in a Jeep gas tank accident, we need to get to work as quickly as possible. Call us today at (855) 326-0000 for a free consultation.
