March 8, 2022 – A 2015 accident in Arizona has caused a ruckus in the legal world. A 4-year-old passenger was killed when her mother’s vehicle was rear ended by a driver in a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
A lawsuit was filed against FCA because the Jeep was not equipped with the optional Automatic Emergency Braking system. That year, the AEB was available on the Jeep in question, but only as part of a larger option package the buyer of the Jeep declined to purchase. At the time, AEB was not required by the Federal government.
A jury COULD find FCA liable here for simply selling the Jeep without the AEB, regardless of its actual or marked up cost. And that is the specter the automakers fear. What other safety technologies were available at the time of sale on vehicles which were shipped and sold without them in Arizona.
