Page 54 - February 2018 FOP Newsletter

An article submitted by a Lodge 7 Magazine Sponsor
Officers deserve better from their car manufacturer
Most car companies would consider building cars for Police Officers an honor and a privilege,
yet the Ford Motor Company is neglecting
the safety of those who keep us safe.
in Austin, Texas recently pulled nearly 400 Ford Interceptors from its fleet. Six officers in Auburn, Massachusetts test- ed positive for exposure to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, and the department pulled 14 vehicles af- ter a carbon monoxide-related crash. One precaution that police departments can take is to install carbon monoxide detectors in their vehicles, but this not a
completely reliable solution.
Holding Ford responsible
This isn’t Ford’s first problem with carbon monoxide. Key-
less ignitions have fundamentally changed the way consum- ers interact with their vehicles, by replacing the traditional key with a computerized key fob. Tragically, dozens of Americans have died from carbon monoxide poisoning after inadvertently leaving their keyless ignition cars running in attached garag- es. Auto manufacturers, including Ford, have known about the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning for many years, but they have failed to take adequate steps to resolve the problem or warn the public.
Since I represent victims of personal injury and wrongful death, Lieutenant Cesare Fontanini of the Highland Park Fire Department contacted me regarding the tragic death of his parents, Rina and Pasquale Fontanini. Lieutenant Fontanini was convinced that his parents died because of Ford’s defective design of its keyless ignition systems. His elderly parents pur- chased a Lincoln MKS with a keyless ignition and inadvertently left the car running in their attached garage, resulting in their death from carbon monoxide poisoning. As I investigated this incident, it became increasingly obvious that people across the country have been inadvertently leaving keyless ignition ve- hicles running, and car manufacturers have known about this problem for well over a decade.
Equally obvious was the way that this design defect caused consumers, particularly the elderly, to unknowingly exit their vehicles with the key fob in their possession while the vehicle was still running. These systems are dangerous because they are too complicated and fail to warn the driver as they are ex- iting the vehicle that the engine is still running. Therefore, on behalf of the Fontanini family, I filed a products liability lawsuit against the Ford Motor Company for its failure to address this dangerous defect.
Protect yourself
Supplying vehicles to those who protect us is a privilege, and Ford has proven itself unworthy of this privilege. In light of these issues, Chicago Police Officers should have their vehi- cles equipped with carbon monoxide detectors and promptly report any carbon monoxide issues. It’s always the right time to protect what matters most — your health and safety. d
Ted McNabola represents victims of personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death and has been named one of the Top 100 consumer attorneys in Illinois by Law and Politics Magazine.
Police Officers across the country are reporting carbon monoxide leaking into their Ford Explorer Interceptors, causing some officers to become sick and even pass out behind the wheel and crash.
LEGAL
Commentary
TED McNABOLA
With more than 2,700 complaints of carbon monoxide exposure and 1.33 million SUVs being investigated in response to carbon monoxide reports, it seems that driver safety has not been Ford’s top priority. Despite being aware of these incidents and the ongoing risk, Ford has failed to recall any vehicles. Police departments across the country have pulled Ford Interceptors from service to protect officers while they await the results of an investigation by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
A nationwide issue
Carbon monoxide leaks have led to many crashes, as well as many claimed injuries including nausea, headaches, light- headedness and even neurologic injury. The police department
Get an insider’s view into the unique life of a big-city undercover cop:
Learn what it feels like as McCarthy walks throughout the wreckage of the worst aviation disaster in Chicago’s history – American Airlines flight #191 –
collecting bodies and body parts.
Go behind the scenes as McCarthy, wired by the FBI, is bribed by an Asian organized crime figure to protect a secret Asian gambling den in Chicago’s Chinatown.
See how McCarthy turned five Thai hookers into informants to solve a brutal murder in Philadelphia.
Ride along with McCarthy’s FBI squad as they try to stop a gang war in the aftermath of the shooting of a Vietnamese gang leader.
Read what it’s like to be a SWAT team mem- ber in a two-day standoff with a cop killer.
Ride with McCarthy and his partner as they police Cabrini Green, the most violent housing project in Chicago.
54 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ FEBRUARY 2018