BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys

Subject: BS: SUVs - Where are the attack attorneys?
From: BaldEagle2
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 12:55 PM

A fat boy finds no difficulty in finding an attack attorney to go after McDonald's for selling him food that is known to contribute to making people overweight.

But there were over 10,000 people killed in America last year because of the inherent design flaws in SUV's - and not one reported product liability case (that I can find).

It has been said that the manufacturer's themselves hold SUV buyers in utter contempt: such buyers pay a very high premium to acquire a vehicle based on 60's technology.   (Presumably because it is cool to drive such "safe" vehicles.)

If a driver gets into a hazardous situation in a typical SUV, its design (box on wheels) makes it far harder to steer out of trouble.   Impact collisions are higher per capita for the SUV fleet, and all studies show that the consequences are far more serious and fatalities are higher than when non-SUV's are involved in a collision.

Perhaps it is easier to prove that fat boys deserve millions (in damages from unscrupulous food suppliers), than it is to convince a jury that compensation should be paid to the family of the victim of an SUV accident.

Or perhaps the attack attornies are beavering away for all our sakes, and modesty precludes them from telling us about it.

I think we should be told.

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Amos
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 01:04 PM

If a driver gets into a hazardous situation in a typical SUV, its design (box on wheels) makes it far harder to steer out of trouble

I believe this depends entirely on what kind of hazard you are talking about. A 4WD SUV is certainly more capable than a 2WD sedan in getting outof some kinds.

Impact collisions are higher per capita for the SUV fleet and all studies show that the consequences are far more serious and fatalities are higher than when non-SUV's are involved

I believe you are talking about the damage to others, because of the larger frame and greater mass of SUVs. By this logic the first target should be 18-wheelers. They really wipe out the oppposition when they collide. But the statistics on impacts -- where are yoiu getting these from?

A

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: BaldEagle2
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 06:02 PM

The stats came from an ABC news report yesterday evening.

Last week, a commentator on PRI said words the effect that a young lady driver made three life choices, each in itself unlikely to be considered extreme.

She chose to talk on a cell phone while driving, which made it more likely she would get into trouble.

She chose to drive a 2 wheel drive SUV, which made it more difficult to get out of such trouble.

She chose not to wear a seat belt, which made the consequences of an accident more likely to be serious.

Her last known words were to a friend through her cell phone, when she cried out "I'm going to crash".

Even if SUV's are safer to their passengers (not supported by any stats I have seen), everyone seems to agree they are more dangerous to other road users.

A woman successfully sued Piper Aircraft, becase a 1930 tail dragger built by them made it possible for her late husband to attempt to fly it from the back seat.   The kids in the front seat didn't know how to put in rudder inputs, and their flight lasted less than 2 minutes.    If that case warranted punitive damages against Piper, isn't the case against SUV's at least as strong?

Just wondered.

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Greg F.
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 06:52 PM

I say LET 'EM BE. The more S.U.V. drivers killed and maimed, the safer the roads are for the rest of us. Also improves the species in the long run- natural selection at work.

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Amos
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 07:04 PM

No.

He who chooses a Piper Cub or an SUV does so on their own responsibility.

The operator is the owner of all decisions about the operation. In the case of the unintlelligent choices made by the driver you describe, the vehicle's makers were in no way at fault.

And, by the way, I doubt she owuld have avoided the crash if she had been in a smaller sedan.

The biggest charge you can levy against SUV makers is building inefficient machinery. And in some case, adding to ugliness.

A

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 07:04 PM

10,000 SUV drivers killed?

Sounds like 10,000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean....

a good start...

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: artbrooks
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 07:22 PM

I like my SUV. I can't get 1/4 cord of wood, four sheets of plywood or a few dozen cinder blocks in my wife's Geo Prism, it won't pull a 8,000 pound trailer, and I'd hate to try to take it across the dry creek beds where I have to go sometimes. At the same time, I'll admit that I see a lot that are clearly used for nothing else but one person's daily commute.

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Amos
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 08:14 PM

What is it with people ranting about SUVs, anyway? I don't get it. Penis envy? I can understand complainign about fuel-wastage, or at least pollutants. But aside from that, maybe I am missing something but it seems there's some mass pushbutton about a class of vehicles because they're ugly or sompn. Too late!. I'd rather bitch about stupid drivers, regardless of what they drive.

A

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 10:12 PM

Amos, SUV's just plain don't fit on highways and in parking lots that are built for automobiles. More than once, I have walked through a parking lot impaled myself in the tenderest of spots on a trailer hitch of a huge SUV parked in a compact car parking space.
They don't seem to hold the lane very well, so I have to makes sure they don't hit my little Honda as they swerve into my lane.
I can't back out of parking spaces safely any more, since I'm often hidden by huge SUV's on both sides.
I live in a farm house in mountainous country, so I need something like a truck. My wife's Subaru Outback works just fine. Excuse me for rash generalizations, but it seems to me that most people who buy Ford Expeditions are pigs. Thos who cah actually make good use of an Expedition, can't afford one.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 10:21 PM

Well gol danged. A lot less folks woulda been killed if the guard rails were higher. Of course that would mean that th4e sedan drivers woulda been decapitated but, hey, can't please everyone...

My problem with SUV's really isn't about SUV's but th4e folks who own them. I'd dare say that 90% of the folks who own them don't need them, but bought them because the ad-men convinced them that if they didn't have them then they weren't cool. Meanwhile, back at the gas pump, these vehicles get less than half the fuel mileage as do the sedans... When that is put in barrels-of-oil-per-day, it's millions, not thousands or hundreds...

Now, given that oil is not renewable and SUV's are eating up more than their share of it, when one considers that most owners own because of they are "cool" and nothin' else, most SUV owners are acting very irresposible... While it is difficult to indict any one SUV owner, the collective negative effects on these vehicles on global resources is more than significant...

IMHO, in these times of deminishing reources, we should be trying more to find alternatives to reservre as much oil as we possibly can while we figure out how we are going to live when we have used up our oil, rather than burn it up as fast as we can...

Purdy narcisistic...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Gypsy
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 10:51 PM

With fuel going for 2.50 a gallon, it seems to be conspicuous consumption to have something gets "feet" per gallon. Joe, i agree, my husband parked in front of my place of work to have lunch with me. When he pulled out, i directed traffic because of the Hummer (H2, i always wanna put an "O" at the end) on one side, and Excursion on the other. Do we need vehicles that are over 8 feet high to commute with?

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Padre
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 11:01 PM

I traded my SUV for a Ford F150 4WD extended cab pickup truck, just so no one could complain about my driving an SUV.

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: dianavan
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 11:59 PM

A woman at work (4 kids) defended her decision to buy a SUV as self-defense. She wanted to have at least an equal chance if an accident occurred. She said with four kids in the car, its pretty hard to feel safe when you're surrounded by SUVs.

In her shoes, I might feel the same way.

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: LadyJean
Date: 21 Apr 04 - 12:09 AM

My father, grandfathers, great grandfather, great uncle, great great uncle, cousin were lawyers, and my sister is one. A lot of people come to me for legal advice. One of the pieces I hand out regularly is as follows: If your dog bites somebody you can sue them for trying to poison your dog. Good luck finding a lawyer who will take the case, and a judge who won't throw it out of court, but you can sue them.

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Apr 04 - 12:10 AM

When city folks move out here to the Sierra foothills, the first thing they do is put up a fence and lots of outside lighting. Then they buy a big truck. Makes it tough on us who actually love nature.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 21 Apr 04 - 12:23 AM

Personal aside: At this moment, I don't like SUV's or minivans either one. Why? Because between the two of them they've pushed the full-sized van almost off the market. Private individuals simply don't buy them anymore. Businesses still buy them, but they drive them for a zillion miles a year. That makes it awfully difficult for folks like me, who need a full-sized van to haul our pottery around, to find a good late-model low-mileage used one.

By the way, did you know that Dodge no longer even makes a full-sized van? The Ram van was discontinued after last year. The replacement, the Sprinter, is really a Mercedez product. It has been sold in the States for a couple of years with a Freightliner nameplate but is now being sold with a Dodge nameplate as well.

Bruce

Subject: RE: BS: S.U.V.s - Where are the attack attorneys
From: Amos
Date: 21 Apr 04 - 12:58 AM

It seems to me that there are a lot of complaints that should be being aimed only at the V8 Extra Large SUVs like the Expediton or the big honking Tahoe or whatever the super-size Chevy is called. Those are th eones I find intimidating and antisocial; but the SUV label also applies to smaller V6es and even some 4-cyllinder machines.

I understand how scary those giants look. But I can live with the midsize and small sports-utility models. I look forward to the next-year Highlander Toyota SUV, which will have a hybrid engine that gets around 40+ MPG!

A