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The Truth About the GM "Side-Saddle Fuel Tank" Case
In 1993, a jury ordered General Motors Corp. to pay $101 million
in punitive damages to the parents of a 17-year-old boy who died
when the 1985 GMC Sierra pickup truck in 1989 exploded when it
was struck on the side by another driver who ran a red light.
The issue was whether the fuel-tank placement and design were
defective causing passengers to burn to death after a GM truck
was struck on the side. GM argued that the young boy in this case
was killed almost instantly upon impact and not from the fire.
GM further tried to show that the young boy did not experienced
pain and suffering, a prerequisite for punitive damages. But the
jury apparently believed the plaintiffs' eyewitness testimony
that the young boy had been conscious after the collision and
that he experienced great pain and suffering.
A former GM safety engineer, testified that GM had intentionally
hidden its knowledge of the dangerous safety defect. He said that
GM had known for years that the design was defective but refused
to fix it for fear of alerting the public.
In addition, videotapes of GM's own crash tests between 1981
and 1983 proved that when the truck was struck on the side its
fuel tank broke open.
According to one juror "We felt there was wanton and willful
disregard for common sense."
The jury determined that:
1. GM knew the trucks had a defective fuel-tank design and knowingly
failed to correct it.
2. GM put the fuel tank outside the frame of the pickup, which
safety experts found made it susceptible to puncturing during
a collision.
As of 1993, GM faced at least 130 other lawsuits involving the
design of the fuel tank in trucks manufactured between 1973 and
1987. In 1988, GM moved the fuel tanks inside the truck frame;
however, denied that it did so for safety.
DISCLAIMER
This information has been prepared only for general purposes and
is not
legal advice. Presentation of this information is not intended
to create an
attorney client relationship. Do not act upon this information
without
seeking professional counsel.
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