ABC News reported on a pair of children, 2 and 4, who died after becoming trapped in the trunk of a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu earlier this month in Indiana. In 2009, 2 other children, ages 4 and 5, died the same way in a 2000 Malibu as well. Since 1992, 46 children have died due to trunk entrapment.
Federal law requires that all cars made after 2002 come equipped with a trunk-release latch; however, the recent deaths are a reminder that unsafe trunk conditions still exist in pre-2002 models.
KidsAndCars.org, a safety and awareness organization that lobbied heavily for the ordinance, has pushed manufacturers to retrofit vehicles with trunk-releases, a campaign that General Motors, manufacturer of the Chevy Malibu, has twice ignored.
In 1999 the Associated Press released a statement made by GM that they would make vehicles safer for children by installing an automatic release lock; however, GM did not install internal releases until the government mandated them in 2002.
Considering many cars before that do not have a release latch, KidsAndCars.org recommends purchasing a self-install "Easy Out Trunk Release Kit" that glows in the dark which makes it easy for trapped people to locate in a dark trunk.
If you or a child in your life has been injured due to this or another defective product, speak with your Missouri defective product claim lawyer to explore your case options.
Contacting a Missouri Defective Product Claim Lawyer
Trunk entrapment deaths wouldn't happen if automotive companies installed interior trunk releases, if you want justice contact a Missouri defective product claim lawyer. When a defective product causes serious injury or death, the liable party needs to be held accountable for their negligence.
Filing a Missouri product liability claim is no easy feat, but with the help of a Missouri defective product claim lawyer, you can feel confident knowing your case is in good hands, while you focus on your recovery and getting your life back on track.
To get started with determining if you have a viable defective product case, contact the Missouri defective product claim lawyer team at Bollwerk & Tatlow, LLC - 314-315-8111.
Posted on Jul 08, 2011