Rochester, New York BlueCruise Crash

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Super Lawyer, Has Spent Years Car Accident Victims Assert Their Legal Rights. If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured Due to a Defective Ford BlueCruise System, Our Experienced Team of Attorneys Could Help You Assess Your Damages, Negotiate a Settlement, or Press Your Claim at Trial.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has announced that it is launching an investigation into Ford’s BlueCruise system, a driver-assistance technology that is now believed to have caused multiple fatal car accidents.

In a recent statement, government officials said that they plan to subject Ford’s BlueCruise to an engineering analysis. The second and in-depth step in a standard vehicle safety investigation, an engineering analysis could lead to a mass recall of BlueCruise-enabled cars across the country. At this stage, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration claims that limitations to BlueCruise’s obstacle-detection system could leave drivers vulnerable, particularly when they are driving at night or on the highway.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident caused by BlueCruise or a BlueCruise-related complication, you could be entitled to significant compensation. Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has helped our clients in Rochester and throughout the region secure more than $300 million in damages. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us today at 585-839-3939 to speak to a BlueCruise car crash lawyer near Rochester and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation.

BlueCruise is Ford’s self-driving technology. It offers features like:

1. Adaptive Cruise Control;
2. Automatic Lane Centering; and
3. Hands-free steering on controlled-access highways.

According to Ford, BlueCruise-enabled cars can typically steer, accelerate, and maintain a safe course through highway traffic without human input. However, BlueCruise is not a fully autonomous self-driving technology. It uses a network of cameras, radar devices, and GPS-based spatial data to interpret traffic conditions and make decisions, but BlueCruise has stark limitations. Even Ford warns drivers that they cannot rely on BlueCruise to keep them out of harm’s way at all times and must, instead, be prepared to take the wheel at a moment’s notice. 

As part of its investigation, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reviewed several accidents that have since been attributed to BlueCruise-related defects. In one incident, a Ford Mach-E with BlueCruise crashed into the rear of a stationary SUV, killing a 56-year-old occupant. In another case, a Mach-E drove straight into a pair of cars parked on the side of the highway, leaving two dead.

Although the NHTSA’s findings are not yet definitive, regulators believe that BlueCruise’s own programming could have played a role in both accidents. This is because:

1. The cameras that BlueCruise uses to “see” the outside world may not perform adequately at night and in inclement weather conditions;
2. BlueCruise is programmed to disregard certain stationary road objects when the vehicle is traveling at speeds above 62 miles per hour. This is done to prevent so-called “phantom braking” events, but it could force BlueCruise to ignore a parked car or disabled vehicle; and
3. Some evidence suggests that, in these two accidents and in others, BlueCruise failed to alert drivers of an impending obstacle, giving them little to no time to regain control of their vehicles.

Ford has pushed back on allegations that its BlueCruise system is defective or otherwise faulty by claiming that user error is to blame. Tesla, Ford’s competitor, has used the same argument in Autopilot-related personal injury claims and wrongful death lawsuits. This defense has long shielded companies like Tesla and Ford from liability, but it is not a perfect defense, and it is one that can be overcome with the right arguments and evidence.

Automobile manufacturers have a simple defense to claims involving self-driving technology: since motorists are expected to remain alert even when they are in hands-free mode, most accidents could be avoided if drivers had paid better attention to the road.

Ford, Tesla, and other car-makers have all used this same defense, often to great effect. It is, after all, difficult to prove what was happening inside a car at the exact time of an accident. Even if you had a dash-cam, it might not have captured your eye movements or shown whether your hands were on the steering wheel. These are small details, but they can make a big difference to the outcome of a personal injury lawsuit.

In order to overcome this defense and win a BlueCruise injury lawsuit, you will typically have to establish the following:

1. Your automobile was defective;
2. Your automobile’s defect was caused by or related to BlueCruise;
3. The BlueCruise-related defect was the direct cause of your accident;
4. You suffered injuries or other significant losses as a result of the crash; and
5. You have sustained damages that can be compensated by a court.

Some elements can change in accordance with the circumstances of your claim. For example, a product liability lawsuit alleging that BlueCruise constitutes a defect would require different forms of evidence than a negligence-centered claim accusing Ford of failing to take reasonable steps to minimize a known risk. Your attorney will help you determine the best course of action and will help lead an investigation into the exact causes of your accident.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping Rochester families assert their rights to a fair recovery. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Ford BlueCruise-related accident that was not your fault, our experienced team of attorneys could help you build a strong case for compensation. In a typical product liability case, we will:

After accepting a case, our attorneys will almost always conduct a thorough fact-finding investigation. We will review your medical records, photographs, and eyewitness information, if any, and then begin identifying ways to obtain more technical evidence. This could involve sending a subpoena to Ford seeking data from your vehicle’s “black box,” or it could mean analyzing forensic evidence left at the crash site or collected by law enforcement.

An expert witness is a professional with decades of industry experience. Expert witnesses typically play a significant role in product liability claims because they have the expertise needed to determine how, where, and when a defect could have occurred. Furthermore, an expert witness could be used to demonstrate the ways in which the defendant’s safety practices fell short, making it easier to prove negligence or establish the existence of a preventable defect.

Our attorneys could work with your medical team to ensure that your damages reflect the reality of both your financial and physical conditions. During the personal injury lawsuit process, defense lawyers will often push back against claims for specific types of compensation, arguing that the nature or severity of your injuries does not warrant the damages you have requested.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. helps clients overcome these kinds of obstacles by using medical evidence, expert reports, and court-approved calculations to accurately assess damages before your case ever goes to trial. 

You cannot expect a car insurance company or automobile manufacturer to do what is best for you.

Large companies are, by and large, driven by profit. It is rarely in their best interest to offer a fair settlement. Instead of doing what is right, many companies will pour immense resources into stifling lawsuits and shutting down claims. They might twist your own words against you, or try convincing a jury that your injuries are not quite as real as they feel.

You should not have to put up with empty promises and bad-faith negotiation tactics in place of a fair recovery. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent more than 30 years filing, fighting, and winning cases like yours. Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 585-939-3939 to speak to a BlueCruise injury lawyer near Rochester and find out how much your case could be worth.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 585-939-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Rochester, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!