A leaking fuel line appears to have caused a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse SUV to catch fire on I-64 close to the Little Creek Road exit in Norfolk, Virginia (VA), on July 3, 2011. The conflagration killing the 38-year-old driver and injured the man’s wife and young child, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
No recalls have been issued on the SUV involved, and none of the nearly 40 technical bulletins issued for the Traverse mention fuel line issues. Local dealers and auto experts told the newspaper that fatal vehicle fires not caused by a collision are rare.
The driver, a career Navy enlisted man, had lived in Chesapeake, VA and Moyock, North Carolina (NC). The driver’s wife was a passenger in the car and escaped the burning SUV. She was in critical condition at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. A passer-by freed a 4-year-old from a child-restraint seat. The child was taken to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters.
If it turns out that the SUV’s fuel line was defective or incorrectly installed, the family may decide to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit with the assistance of Virginia accident lawyers to recover losses from the automaker.
LC