Ford Explorer Defect Leaves Newport Beach Police Officer With Serious Injuries (Video)

Newport Beach Police Officer Brian McDowell had his life turned upside down when he fell unconscious behind the wheel of his patrol car and veered and crashed into a tree, missing unsuspecting drivers by split seconds.

McDowell has reason to believe the accident was catalyzed by an unresolved defect in Ford Explorer SUV’s and is now taking legal action against Ford Motor Company with the help of Bisnar Chase partner & trial lawyer, Brian Chase, to rectify his pain and suffering.

Gas Leak in Ford Explorer Cars

McDowell was responding to a non-emergency call moments before his collision. McDowell, along with hundreds of other Ford Explorer owners stated they have felt nauseous and/or smelled a sulfur-like order when driving the Explorer. Other Explorer owners have described the smell to be similar to “rotten eggs.”

Dash cam footage shows the details of McDowell’s tragic accident. McDowell loses consciousness while driving his patrol car, then loses control of his vehicle, swerves into opposing traffic, misses oncoming vehicles by milliseconds and crashes head on into a nearby tree.

The aftermath of the crash caused McDowell serious injuries and pain and suffering including a dislocated shoulder, traumatic brain injury and a fractured eye socket.

With months of testing, medical professionals could not determine why or how McDowell fell unconscious that day. McDowell soon after learned about an existing defect in Ford Explorer car models ranging from 2011-2015. The defect applied to McDowell’s Explorer, so he began to learn more.

The defect allows for carbon monoxide from emissions from the Explorer to come into the cabin of the car when air the conditioning is active and in circulation mode according to various consumer complaints.

Why Has Ford Motors Not Resolved this Issue?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation recently after various complaints of the Explorer model surfaced over the past two years.

CBS News reports that there have been over 450 complaints pertaining to the 2016 and 2017 models of Explorers outside of NHTSA’s investigation. NHTSA also reported that the defect has yet to cause any injury, however, Chase disputes this claim with McDowell’s incident.

“When I saw that they said there were no injuries, we immediately got NHTSA on the phone,” Chase said. “I gave them all the information we had in the lawsuit.”

It is a fact that Ford Motor Company has been aware of the defect since 2012. The company has issued three repair bulletins to dealers since then and the defect still remains in Explorer models.

The company’s last statement on the issue was in 2015 stating that “we’re working on it,” has left consumers in the dark since.

Protecting Yourself Against the Ford Explorer Defect

Newport Beach police have implemented new “safety measures” into their vehicles in the wake of McDowell’s accident. These vehicles are now equipped with a carbon monoxide monitors.

“Just as a precaution, carbon monoxide detectors have been installed in all the patrol vehicles… some of those detectors have gone off,” McDowell said.

McDowell’s lawsuit isn’t the only case to arise pertaining to the Explorer defect.  Ford is facing class actions for the same defect in their vehicles. These cases are currently pending and Ford collectively denies all allegations in these cases.

What If I Own an Affected Ford Explorer?

If you own a Ford Explorer made between 2011 and 2017, chances are that your vehicle may be affected by the same outstanding defect that led to McDowell’s accident.

It is imperative that you know your rights as a consumer. If you have been involved in an accident that you believed was caused by the Ford Explorer defect, we urge you to contact us immediately so we can inform you of your rights, help you recover from your injuries and obtain the compensation you deserve.