NHTSA Complaint #10156186 — 2004 JEEP LIBERTY

EASY ROLLOVER/NON-DEPLLOYMENT OF DRIVER AIRBAG IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON APRIL 10, 2006,WHILE TRAVELLILNG IN RIGHT LANE, UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT, ON I-85 IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, A LARGE GERMAN SHEPHERD TYPE DOG RAN OUT IN FRONT OF THE 2004 CHRYSLER JEEP LIBERTY I WAS DRIVING. I SWERVED TOWARDS THE ROAD SHOULDER, IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF THE HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY ROLLED OVER(SIDE TO SIDE), AND THEN HIT A GUARD RAIL, HEAD ON. THE JEEP THEN FLIPPED OVER, BACK TO FRONT. I LANDED UPSDIE DOWN, WITH SMOKE FILLING THE CAR. THE DRIVER STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG HAD NOT DEPLOYED! THOUGH DIISORIENTED, I MANAGED TO FREE MYSELF FROM THE SEAT BELT, CRAWL OVER THE PASSENGER SEAT, AND WEDGE THE DOOR OPEN TO CRAWL OUT. AN AMBULANCE TOOK ME TO THE HOSPITAL, WHERE I WAS THOROUGHLY EXAMINED. I SUFFERED NO SEVERE INJURIES-IN FACT,MIRACULOUSLY ESCAPED WITH ONLY SEVERE ACHES AND PAINS. AS MY CHEST HAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL, I EXPERIENCED THE MOST PAIN IN MY STERNUM. TWO WEEKS LATER, I STILL AM IN PAIN, ESPECIALLY IN THE CHEST AREA. JUST DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, I CALLED CHRYSLER TO ALERT THEM TO THE ROLLOVER, NON-DEPLOYMENT OF STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG. I WAS REFERRED TO A LEGAL DEPARTMENT REP WHO DEMONSTRATED A NASTY DEMEANOR UNTIL I ASSERTED I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN PURSUING ANY LEGAL RECOURSE, BUT WAS ONLY INTERESTED IN BRINGING THIS INFORMATION TO THEIR ATTENTION, AS ANOTHER PERSON INVOLVED IN SUCH AN ACCIDENT MIGHT NOT HAVE AS FORTUNATE AN OUTCOME AS I. A FEW DAYS LATER, A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, HIRED BY CHRYSLER, CALLED ME TO ASK FURTHER QUESTIONS AFTER HAVING EXAMINED THE CAR AT THE SALVAGE YARD. A FEW DAYS AFTER THAT, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM DAIMLER-CHRYSLER, ASSERTING THAT THE TYPE ACCIDENT I HAD, WOULD NOT SET OFF THE SENSORS THAT WOULD DEPLOY THE STEERING WHEEL AIRBAGS. I FIND THIS LUDIICROUS. THE CAR IS TOTALLED. AFTER THE INITIAL ROLLOVER, I HIT A GUARD RAIL, HEAD ON. MY CHEST HIT THE STEERING WHEEL HARD! I'M STILL IN PAIN. *NM