Faulty truck part could be cause of local garage fire: Cruise control switch blamed
-Press Publications
04/17/2009 - A possible default on a Ford truck caused a fire at a Lino Lakes home, according to an insurance company.
Richard Rodriquez and his family were spending a quiet night at their home on Lindell Lane late last month when the doorbell rang. When he answered the door, his neighbor told him his house was on fire.
“Everyone was asleep and we heard something going on, but I was watching the news in my bedroom, and when we opened the bedroom door the doorbell was continuously ringing and there was a pounding on the front door,” he said
When Rodriguez walked outside, the garage was ablaze, so he and his wife Melissa gathered their three children and left the house. Lino Lakes firefighters responded 15 minutes later.
While the Rodriguez family lost their garage and laundry room to the fire, and the house itself suffered heavy smoke damage, their insurance company did not declare the damage a total loss. They did, however, fault a Ford truck parked in the garage for causing the fire.
“We had a couple of investigators from the fire department along with State Farm, and between the two guys who had 80 years experience of detecting fires, they were 99.9 percent sure that it was my 2001 Ford Pickup that started the fire from the cruise control,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said he had the switch fixed a few years back after the company issued a recall notice, but that there was apparently another recall to replace the recalled part. He said he was never notified of the latest recall by the Ford Motor Company.
The incident is being investigated by Ford Motor Company pending legal action from State Farm Insurance, he said.
In the meantime, the family will have at least a four months’ wait before they can move back into their home. After staying in a hotel for a week, they found a townhome nearby they could rent.
“The neighbors got us lined up with meal delieveries, and delivered some clothing and toys for the kids because they basically lost every toy that they had,” he said. “I can’t say enough for what the neighborhood has done for us.”
If you have experienced problems with your Ford, Lincoln or Mercury car, SUV or truck or have experienced a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury car, SUV or truck fire contact the Ford fire lawyers of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. about a Ford fire recall lawsuit. The Ford fire attorney at Ennis & Ennis, P.A. specializes in personal injury and product liability cases. With offices throughout Florida and in Washington DC our Ford fire lawyer is taking Ford vehicle fire cases nationwide. Contact our Ford fire attorneys today by filling out our free case evaluation form and find out if you are eligible for compensation.
|
