General Motors Sued by Victims of Uncrashworthy Pickup

On behalf of an Arkansas couple who sustained spinal injuries when their 1999 Chevrolet Silverado rolled over during a family trip, Rob Ammons has filed suit against General Motors. According to the lawsuit, traction between the Silverado’s tires and the road surface was lost on a wet roadway, causing it to leave the paved surface and roll over.

In the lawsuit, Rob Ammons claims the Silverado’s roof was weak and its seat belts failed to provide adequate restraint, making the vehicle uncrashworthy. It is alleged in the lawsuit that the pickup’s roof collapsed as the vehicle rolled over, compromising the survival space for both front seat occupants. The combination of the deforming roof and seat belts that did not maintain the couple in contact with their seats caused each to sustain serious spinal injuries. The husband’s spinal cord was so damaged that he has been rendered paraplegic.

Included as a defendant in the lawsuit was a GM dealership at which a pre-trip inspection and maintenance service were performed. While a tire rotation was to be included in the service, the dealership’s service personnel deemed it unnecessary because the best two tires were on the front axle. However, it is well-known in the auto industry that, especially under wet road conditions, the safest configuration is having the tires with the deepest tread on the rear axle. It is alleged in the lawsuit that the dealership’s negligence in failing to reposition the tires caused the loss of traction accident with tragic results.

Rob Ammons is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, in addition to being Board Certified in Civil Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Rob Ammons’ law practice, The Ammons Law Firm, is located in Houston, Texas.

The Ammons Law Firm’s practice is exclusively personal injury law, handling such cases as: tire defects, oil rig explosions, truck accidents, plant explosions, refinery accidents, wrongful death, post-collision fires, seat belt defects, airbag defects, SUV rollovers and workplace negligence.