WIGINGTON RUMLEY, LLP, IS PLAYING A LEADING ROLE IN DEFECTIVE DOOR LATCH LITIGATION. The firm is representing several individuals who were severely injured and families who lost loved ones due to defective door hardware.

The firm recently discovered Ford Motor Company documents that show the company knew a door handle used on millions of the company’s most popular vehicles was improperly made and could cause serious injuries or deaths in rollover accidents – yet did not fix the problem or notify government regulators.

Internal documents, reports and e-mails reveal that as early as 1997, the automaker learned that an incorrect spring had been used over the previous three years in door handles installed on 4.1 million 1997 – 2000 model vehicles, including the popular F-150 pickup. The spring, much weaker than called for by the handle design, could cause a door to pop open in even minor accidents, putting occupants at risk for full or partial ejection from the vehicle.

Wigington Rumley L.L.P., obtained the documents in question from Ford Motor Company, who is representing several injured people and families who have lost loved ones due to this defect. They contend Ford has failed to notify government regulators about the mix-up and has failed to recall the vehicles because of the expense. Some vehicles have been fixed in “silent recalls,” but million of unrepaired vehicles remain on the road.

Previous cases prosecuted by the firm have shown that the F-150 has had a history of door-latch failures, especially in rollover accidents. Independent engineers who have studied the issue say the use of the improper spring is only one factor in these incidents; other factors include substituting metal rods for steel cables as components in the lock mechanism; use of plastic instead of metal parts; and the inclusion of “suicide doors” on some truck models, eliminating a “B” pillar in the design.

The door latch in question is used in other Ford vehicles as well, including the Navigator and Expedition. The total number of vehicles produced by Ford from 1997 to 2000, which could contain this defective and dangerous door handle is in excess of four million vehicles.