Multiple lawsuits have been filed in recent years by police officers who allege they suffered carbon monoxide poisoning while driving their Ford Police Interceptor Utility models due to exhaust leaks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) eventually investigated the matter and determined that the leaks could be attributed to the upfitting of police vehicles, including the installation of things like lights, cages, sirens, and auxiliary power. However, Ford continues to face lawsuits pertaining to the matter, including one that the automaker recently tried to get thrown out of court.
This new lawsuit was filed in San Antonio, Texas, by former Universal City police officer Jeremy Bellamy, according to Express News, who claims that he suffered carbon monoxide poisoning while on duty in his own 2019 Ford Police Interceptor Utility. The lawsuit states that Bellamy was sitting inside of his idling SUV back in 2021, which is when the leak occurred, and he reportedly suffered a number of problems as a result – including memory loss, loss of balance, and mental health issues.
Ford contends that Bellamy was not exposed to harmful levels of carbon monoxide while in his vehicle, and also claims that he fell asleep as a result of preexisting medical conditions, including hypersomnia, or excessive daytime sleepiness. “The 2019 Ford Police Interceptor was a well-designed vehicle,” said attorney Patrick Fowler, who is part of Ford’s defense team. “It was reasonably safe and not defective. That includes the exhaust system.” Bellamy’s lawsuit is seeking upwards of $10 million in damages from the automaker.
This new lawsuit joins a few others that have been filed in recent years over the same alleged problem with Ford Police Interceptor Utility models. The automaker has thus far prevailed in more than one of those filings, but this particular lawsuit was allowed to continue by a judge early this year after he denied Ford’s request to have it tossed out of court. Meanwhile, the NHTSA closed its investigation into the matter back in January 2023 after it determined that most of the exhaust leaks are caused by the installation of equipment by police, not a defect in the vehicle itself.
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