Car and Truck Fires After a Crash: A Potential Red Flag for Hidden Product Defects
When people think about a car accident or trucking accident, they imagine crumpled metal, broken glass, and maybe even airbags deploying. What most people don’t expect is a fire.
The truth is: fires shouldn’t typically happen in a crash. If a car or truck catches fire after a collision, that’s often a red flag that a hidden product defect may have caused—or worsened—the outcome.
At McCartney Stucky LLC, we help victims and families uncover these hidden product liability cases, holding vehicle manufacturers accountable when defective designs turn survivable crashes into catastrophic tragedies.
Why Fires Can Point to a Defective Vehicle
Modern vehicles are designed to withstand foreseeable accidents without bursting into flames. Fuel systems, tanks, and lines are supposed to be engineered to contain fuel, even in serious crashes.
If a vehicle ignites after an accident, it may be due to:
- Defective fuel system design – Poor placement of fuel tanks, fuel lines, or pumps that rupture in crashes.
- Lack of protective shielding – No reinforcement around tanks or lines to prevent punctures.
- Relocated or exposed fuel tanks – Common in some older trucks, where tanks were placed in vulnerable spots.
- Electrical defects – Faulty wiring or battery design that sparks fires in otherwise minor collisions.
- Failure to meet crashworthiness standards – A design that fails to protect occupants from fuel-fed fires.
Fires Can Make Survivable Crashes Deadly
In many cases, the crash itself is not what causes the fatal or catastrophic injuries—it’s the fire that follows.
Victims often suffer:
- Severe burn injuries
- Smoke inhalation injuries
- Amputations from fire-related trauma
- Wrongful death when occupants are trapped inside
These injuries go far beyond what insurance claims typically cover. That’s why it’s critical to consider whether a product defect played a role before settling with insurance.
Driver Error or No Driver Error — A Fire Is a Warning Sign
Even if a crash involved driver error, a post-collision fire is not normal and should raise questions about the vehicle’s design and crashworthiness.
And if there was no driver error—for example, if a vehicle simply ignited after impact—the case for a hidden product defect is even stronger.
How McCartney Stucky LLC Can Help
At McCartney Stucky LLC, we specialize in uncovering hidden product liability cases in car and trucking accidents. Fires are one of the clearest indicators that something was wrong with the vehicle’s design.
We investigate:
- Fuel system and tank placement
- Crash test data showing fire risks
- Electrical system defects
- Industry standards and alternative safer designs
Our mission is to hold manufacturers accountable when preventable fires cause unnecessary pain, suffering, or loss.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a vehicle fire after a crash, do not assume it was “just an accident.” You may have a hidden product liability case that could provide the recovery you need for medical expenses, long-term care, or wrongful death damages.
A fire after a crash is never “normal”—and it may be the key to uncovering the justice you deserve.