GM Pickup Truck Lawsuit and Gas | Fuel Tank Fires and Explosions

Introduction: Fire Danger of GM Trucks in Collisions

General Motors pickup trucks produced from 1973 to 1987 were equipped with fuel tanks mounted outside of the vehicle frame, called side-saddle or saddlebag fuel tanks. In numerous lawsuits filed by drivers seriously injured or the families of loved ones who died, it has been alleged that the GM trucks were defectively manufactured because the fuel tanks have a dangerous tendency to catch fire or explode during a side collision.

Lawsuits Against General Motors Based on Pickup Fuel Tank Explosions

In the federal court litigation against GM, known as In re General Motors Corp. Pick-Up Fuel Tank Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 961, Lieff Cabraser served as court-appointed Co-Lead Counsel representing a class of 4.7 million plaintiffs who owned 1973-1987 GM C/K pickup trucks with allegedly defective gas tanks.

The complaint alleged GM breached its warranties and consumer protection laws based on the reduction in the value of their trucks due to the fuel tank design.

In addition, since the early 1990’s, individual personal injury lawsuits have been filed against GM by owners of pickup trucks with side-saddle fuel tanks who were injured or killed in side collisions. Hundreds of persons have died in collision-related fires in GM trucks produced from 1973 to 1987.

In 1993, Consumer Research magazine reported:

NHTSA (the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) found that the fire-related side impact fatality rate per million vehicle years was 2.4 times as high in GM's full-size 1973-87 pickups during 1979-90 as it was in Ford pickups - 2.8 deaths per million in GM pickups compared with 1.2 in the Fords. The Fords have fuel tanks mounted between the frame rails. Counting only the deaths in which vehicle fire was the most harmful crash event, NHTSA concluded "that there may be five or six more burn fatalities associated with damage to the side of these GM pickup trucks in 1993."

Based on this, the agency asked GM to recall the pickups voluntarily.

GM Trucks Gas Tank Explosions and Accidents Lawsuits

Injured drivers and passengers, and the families of loved ones who have died in crashes and fires involving GM pickup trucks, may continue to bring claims against General Motors for manufacturing trucks with an unreasonable risk of catching fire in an accident or collision.

Damages sought have included:

Contact Lieff Cabraser

Lieff Cabraser represents persons who have been injured or killed in truck and car crashes. Please click here to contact a Lieff Cabraser attorney concerning your case. We will promptly review your claim without charge or obligation.

Alternatively, you may call Lieff Cabraser toll-free at 1-800-541-7358 and ask to speak to partner Fabrice N. Vincent.

Model Numbers of GM Trucks at Issue

The GM trucks with that have been alleged to have a likelihood of catching fire or exploding during a side accident are as follows:

1973 through 1986 model year General Motors full-size pickup truck or chassis cab models of the "C" or "K" series which include the following models: Chevrolet C10, C20, C30, K10, K20, K30 and GMC Truck C1500, C2500, C3500, K1500, K2500 and K3500.

The settlement in the federal court litigation also included the following GM trucks:

1987 through 1991 model year General Motors full-size pickup truck or chassis cab models of the "R" or "V" series, which include the following models: Chevrolet R10, R20, R30, R2500, R3500, V10, V20, V30, V2500, V3500 and GMC Truck R1500, R2500, R3500, V1500, V2500 and V3500.