Ford F-150 Subject of Long Legal Investigation Over Braking Systems
In 2016, federal safety regulators announced that Ford was under investigation for F-150 brake failure. The federal government began investigating because they received complaints of total loss of brakes. The Ford F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit believes that the complete loss of braking power likely led to many serious and deadly accidents.
The investigation initially focused on 420,000 2013-2015 F-150 models. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started investigating brake fluid leaking, which led to Ford’s first brake failure recall. Ford acknowledged that the master cylinder in 2013-2014 F-150s were defective.
Ford blamed the F-150 brake failure on a primary cup seal, which allowed the brake fluid to leak. However, the Ford F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit believes that the recall did not fix the defective braking system. The F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit alleges that Ford replaced the defective master cylinder with an equally defective master cylinder.
The Ford F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit alleges that internal Ford emails prove the company knew of the problem, but continued to manufacture and sell F-150s with defective braking systems. This evidence may prove that Ford knowingly manufactured and sold F-150s with defective braking systems. Since this is ongoing litigation, the evidence is expected to grow beyond what is currently known.
In August 2018, news broke that potentially hundreds of 2015-2016 Ford F-150 models were experiencing brake failure. There may be many injuries and deaths that resulted from defective F-150 brakes. The F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit was filed to protect consumers from a potentially deadly defective product.
Ford F-150 Models Affected by Brake Failure
- 2013 Ford F-150 Trucks
- 2014 Ford F-150 Trucks
- 2015 Ford F-150 Trucks
- 2016 Ford F-150 Trucks
- 2017 Ford F-150 Trucks
- 2018 Ford F-150 Trucks
Evidence of Ford F-150 Brake Failure
If you experienced a wreck because the brakes failed on your F-150, you should talk to a Ford F-150 brake injury lawyer. Many victims of these accidents did not even realize their F-150s brakes were defective. If your family lost a loved one in a F-150 accident and there were no skid marks on the road, this could be a clue. If you were in a vehicle that was hit by a runaway F-150 that experienced brake failure, you should also talk to Woods & Woods about the F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit.
- The brake pedal may go all the way to the floor.
- The truck may experience sudden loss of brakes.
- The truck’s dash may have brake warning lights.
- The brake fluid levels may be empty or low.
Potential F-150 Brake Failure Class Action Lawsuit Compensation
Medical Bills
After a car wreck, medical bills can pile up fast. A defective automobile lawyer may be able to get you money to cover your past, present, and future medical bills related to the F-150 accident. The F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit may also cover your deceased family member’s medical bills. Medical care is expensive and car wreck victims often have lengthy ICU stays, surgeries, and years of rehabilitation needs.
Car Repairs
Because brake failure renders a vehicle uncontrollable, many Ford F-150 drivers may have experienced serious damage to their trucks. A defective car parts lawyer may be able to get you money for truck repairs after the accident. Ford F-150s hold their resale value and a large number of wrecked F-150s are rebuilt and put back on the road – sometimes with the defective braking system still on the truck!
Lost Wages
Because a brake failure accident can cause serious injuries, you may have missed a lot of time from work. A Ford F-150 brake injury lawyer may be able to help you recover the wages you missed during your road to recovery. The F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit is most likely going to attempt to recover lost wages for those injured by defective F-150 braking systems.
Loss of a Loved One
Ford F-150 brake injury lawyers suspect that many of the F-150 brake failure crashes ended in death. The F-150 likely took passengers’ lives in high-speed accidents. If the brakes have completely failed on the highway, the driver is left with few options when they need the brakes in an emergency situation. The F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit includes families that lost loved ones in defective F-150 wrecks.
Punitive Damages
It is too early in the F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit to know whether or not punitive damages are likely. Class action lawsuits can make defendants pay punitive damages if their conduct was egregious or outrageous. This argument could be made because Ford knew the F-150’s braking system was defective, yet they kept using it and selling trucks equipped with the defective braking system.
Pain and Suffering
The road to recovery is long after a defective product injury. Most truck accident victims go through a lot after the wreck. The law allows you to be compensated for pain and suffering from a truck accident. It is likely your F-150 brake injury lawyer will request pain and suffering damages in the class action lawsuit.
FAQ: F-150 Brake Failure Class Action Lawsuit
Is there a similar lawsuit for General Motors trucks and SUVs?
Yes. Oddly enough the Ford F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit is not the only defective brake lawsuit against an American auto manufacturer right now. The GM brake class action lawsuit covers 2014 to present Cadillac Escalades, Chevrolet Silverados, Chevrolet Suburbans, Chevrolet Tahoes, GMC Sierras, and GMC Yukon/Yukon XLs.
Why is there a Ford F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit?
There is a class action lawsuit against Ford because there may be a large number of injured plaintiffs. A “class” is a group of plaintiffs that have been injured in a similar manner, such as a brake failure accident. When there is a large group of plaintiffs that were injured the same way, a court will certify a class to compile all the cases into one court. Class actions can be much more efficient for a court than running each product liability lawsuit separately.
How can such a small mechanical piece be responsible for the lawsuit?
Today’s cars have thousands of mechanical pieces and intricate systems that rely on each other. When just one small part fails to work as designed, the entire vehicle can be unsafe. For example, GM ignition switch lawsuits were filed when GM used defective ignition switches. Those ignition switches would turn to the off position while driving, which rendered the vehicle uncontrollable. Another example is the Takata airbag lawsuits. These airbags used a defective powder which turned the steering column into a small grenade when it deploys. That means even if the crumple zones, seat belts, and other safety devices worked correct in an accident, the airbag may produce an injury.
How much compensation will I receive?
It is too early in the Ford F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit to determine what a settlement will look like. If a Ford F-150 brake injury lawyer tells you an amount at this point, they probably aren’t being honest with you. Complex litigation, like the F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit, can take years to resolve. Ford is likely not going to simply pay the demands of the plaintiffs. We fully expect Ford to fight this litigation.
Talk With a Ford F-150 Brake Injury Lawyer
Since 1985, Woods & Woods attorneys have protected the rights of injured and disabled people. When you call Woods & Woods, you’ll always get an experienced defective product liability lawyer. We have assisted thousands of injured people who were the victim of corporate irresponsibility.
Unfortunately, companies are always designing, manufacturing, and selling defective products on the marketplace. When these innocent victims are injured by defective products, our product liability attorneys can help.
The F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit is open to victims and their families. If you suspect you or a loved one’s accident was from a F-150 defective braking system, we highly suggest you reach out to a Ford F-150 brake injury lawyer soon. You only have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit against Ford. Statutes of limitations can bar you from filing a class action lawsuit if you wait too long.
You Only Pay If We Win
Your Ford F-150 brake injury lawyer will only charge a fee if the F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit is successful. The fee is a percentage of the settlement and case expenses. If the F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit is not successful, you pay our product liability attorneys nothing.
Free Legal Consultation
Woods & Woods will never charge for a legal consultation. Potential clients never pay our product liability lawyers for advice on vehicle recall lawsuits. We will start your legal consultation with some preliminary questions to see if your qualify for the F-150 brake failure class action lawsuit. We can answer your questions and explore what legal options are available to you after an injury from a defective F-150 braking system.
