Dodge Grand Caravan Under Fire For Wrongful Death

Wrongful death cases happen from Utah to the East Coast. Most of these cases are accidental and can happen in some strange situations. For example, back in 2011 there was a Dodge Minivan wrongful death case in California that involved the vehicle killing two elderly citizens.

What caused this wrongful death case was an unexpected “false park” defect, which could have affected anyone from Utah to across the nation who bought the 2008-2009 Dodge Grand Caravan. The victims of the accident were named Roy and Rose Coats.

Due to the “false park” defect, the Dodge Grand Caravan unexpectedly self-shifted into reverse and started backing up into Mr. and Ms. Coats. This caused her to be pinned between the inside of the garage door’s frame and the driver’s door, which eventually lead to her suffocation. In the same process, Mr. Coat’s ankle was caught under the front drive-side tire, knocking him down and causing him to have a heart attack.

According to a Business Insurance article, the children of the couple “filed suit against the Chrysler Group, which is now known as FCA US L.L.C., based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, stating that a ‘false park’ defect caused their deaths under the theories of strict products liability, negligent design and failure to warn, negligence and wrongful death, according to the ruling.”

This wrongful death case could surprise anyone from Utah to across the nation. However, as it says in the Business Insurance article, an expert did some investigating regarding the case and looked into the history behind the “false park” defect in the 2008-2009 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. He also looked into the engineering and mechanics behind the vehicle’s defect and studied how it could be avoided. 

The investigator’s conclusion was shared in the Business Insurance article and said that there was “reasonable degree of scientific and technological” evidence that showed the “false park” defect being responsible for deaths of the two elders. 

Because of this case, a three-judge panel unanimously decided that the wrongful death case should be reinstated because the of facts presented by expert investigator and the details pertaining to the couple’s deaths. They concluded that the “false park” defect was the legal cause behind the accident. This made the U.S. safety regulators add the 2008-2009 Dodge Grand Caravan to a list of recalled Chrysler cars that came with ignition switches.

This case proves that it doesn’t matter if someone lives in Utah or in the South, wrongful death cases can happen anywhere and to anyone.

Ian Francis is a legal writer reporter for Fusion 360, a Content Marketing Agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry.

*Image Credit: Wikimedia