Category: Blog

Ralph Nader on GM Ignition Switch Scandal and Judge Gerber’s Decision


Ralph Nader on GM Ignition Switch Scandal and Judge Gerber’s Decision

April, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
Nader writes:

“U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Gerber has done a great disservice to justice by blocking victims and their families from having their rightful day in court to challenge GM’s corporate malfeasance.

This disturbing outcome could have been prevented had the Obama administration defended the rights of those injured by GM’s faulty vehicles. The federal government failed to responsibly exercise its majority stock ownership rights by establishing successorship liability for “New GM”.”

See: https://blog.nader.org/2015/04/16/the-decision-in-the-general-motors-bankruptcy-case/

We the American people need to ask the following questions:

1. Why did Judge Robert Gerber rule against us all as we are all crash victims?

2. Why did the Obama administration not defend the rights of crash victims?

3.  Why do we the American people let these acts go on and on?

Lou

 

NHTSA May Reopen Jeep Fire Investigation


NHTSA May Reopen Jeep Fire Investigation

April, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
Which Matters More?  Lives or money?

An excellent article on Jeep Recall shines light on former DOT & NHTSA officials and their role in the continuing endangerment of Americans – and their subsequent financial rewards. 

“The new head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says the agency may reopen an investigation into the gas tank fires in older Jeep Cherokees that safety advocates say have taken at least 270 lives.

NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind also said the agency is not happy with the plodding pace of the effort to retrofit millions of Jeeps with non-functioning trailer hitches — the scheme cooked up at a secret meeting between Rosekind’s predecessor and Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of often-renamed Chrysler, now known as FCA US LLC in the United States.

“We’re not satisfied with the current situation so we are looking for every avenue that would be appropriate for us to take action,” Rosekind said in a meeting with reporters at the New York International Auto Show, the Detroit News reported. “Given all of the stuff that’s going on, we want to figure out what else we can be doing.”

Rosekind confirmed he is considering reopening the investigation and said: “Everything is on the table. … I have organized a group who is actually looking at any other actions that are available for us given the situation.”

“A federal jury in Georgia last week found that Chrysler showed “reckless or wanton disregard for human life” in the death of Remington Walden, 4, who died when the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by his aunt was rear-ended in a 2012 accident. The jury awarded the family $150 million and said Chrysler was 99% responsible for the accident.”

New NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind is holding a public meeting on recalls.  Seehttps://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/04/10/2015-08257/retooling-recalls-workshop
This follows a long period of failure to protect Americans that has been well documented in the NY Times.  Seehttp://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/09/19/business/crisis-in-gm-auto-safety.html
Hopefully this meeting signals a change in NHTSA for the better.
But to change the culture of NHTSA requires shifting officials around such that public servants, rather than corporate servants, occupy the responsible positions.
As CEO of NHTSA, Dr. Rosekind needs to change the culture of the agency before he can hope to change the culture in Detroit when he meets the auto CEOs in June.
Time and future lives lost will tell which matters more at NHTSA: lives or money.
Lou

 

Hope for Safety and Justice in Guardrail Case Involving FHWA and Trinity Industries


Hope for Safety and Justice in Guardrail Case Involving FHWA and Trinity Industries

April, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

The NY Times reports:

“The Justice Department has begun a criminal investigation of the guardrail maker Trinity Industries and is examining the company’s relationship with the Federal Highway Administration, according to people with knowledge of the effort.

At least five potential witnesses, including one former federal highway agency official, have been interviewed in recent weeks by investigators, and at least one grand jury subpoena for documents has been issued, according to the people.

The Justice Department is seeking documents and other records related to a federal whistle-blower case that Trinity lost last October. In that trial, a jury found t he company liable for defrauding the government by failing to disclose design changes to its guardrail, called the ET-Plus.

The changes, made in 2005, are suspected of making the units more likely to jam when hit head-on, causing the metal rail to spear the vehicle. Trinity has said that its failure to disclose the changes was an oversight and that they did not affect the performance of the guardrail. The Justice Department investigation was first reported by Bloomberg News….”

“While the full scope of the criminal investigation remains unclear, federal agents have been gathering information regarding the interactions of Federal Highway Administration officials and Trinity before and after the agency was first made aware, in 2012, of the previously undisclosed changes to the ET-Plus.”

See http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/business/guardrail-maker-is-said-to-be-focus-of-us-case.html

This is what it may take to secure Safety and Justice:  Criminal investigations of government officials.

In the Jeep fatal Walden case, NHTSA protected former NHTSA Administrator David Strickland from being deposed by plaintiff attorney Jim Butler.

See the attached denial of a request to depose Mr. Strickland and the attorney’s protest.  Such obstruction of safety and justice by DOT must not be allowed to prevail over victims’ rights to information on government actions of life or death importance.

 

See also: 2015-03-05JamesButlertoSarahSorgatNHTSAOfficeofCounselredepoofStrickland.pdf

Lou

 

You Can Get A Reviewer’s Copy of Car Safety Wars Free


You Can Get A Reviewer’s Copy of Car Safety Wars Free

April, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
I just learned that as members you may be able to get a free Review Copy if you are with the media or an author. You need to mention your publication or web site and say you are considering a review of Car Safety Wars.  You can send your request to the publisher atreviews@rowman.com. 
I think it is important to get the word on safety out now.   One reason is because deaths and serious injuries rise as more people drive during the Spring and Summer months.
Alternatively, you can use the discount coupon attached.
Note: I do not get any commission or remuneration – it is a good deed to get the word out on a massive safety problem that so much can be done to save lives.  My Review is at https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/assets/MonthlyReportforApril2015.pdf
Lou

 

NHTSA’s Administrator Rosekind Plans Summit with Auto CEOs and Meeting With Safety Advocates


NHTSA’s Administrator Rosekind Plans Summit with Auto CEOs and Meeting With Safety Advocates

April, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

In the Detroit News, David Shepardson reports:“The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans a summit this summer with the chief executives of major automakers that will address the auto industry’s safety culture in the face of 2014’s record-setting recalls.

NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind told reporters at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday in a roundtable discussion that he plans a meeting sometime around June….”

Rosekind plans other meetings, including an April 28 event in Washington on finding solutions to boost recall completion rates with automakers, safety advocates and others.”

See:  http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2015/04/09/nhtsa/25518561/

Lou

 

NHTSA Administrator Rosekind: Wants Recall Solutions – As Do the American People


NHTSA Administrator Rosekind: Wants Recall Solutions – As Do the American People

April, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Automotive News reports:

“Everyone absolutely agrees that there are problems with notifications, parts availability and the timeliness of getting these done,” Rosekind said. “By the end of the day, we want solutions.”  
Yesterday the Center for Auto Safety posted important documents on the Walden tragedy involving a defective Chrysler Jeep made public by the plaintiff attorneys father and son team of Jim and Jeb Butler.
Thanks to the Butlers, their team, and the Walden family these documents are landmarks in the continuing work of Justice and now can be used to advance safety for all Americans.  See

Important Documents from Walden v. Chrysler

 Walden page: http://www.autosafety.org/walden-v-chrysler-trial

Americans and NHTSA Administrator Rosekind now face the life or death question:  How many more tragedies must we suffer before the endangerment of American lives is ended?
Lou