Jeeps stinger seriously injures girl in crash

mattfl

New member
Anyone else seen this story floating around? It's from another non Jeep forum but I'll copy/paste the text here.

On Memorial Day, a lot of local Jeepers were out enjoying the holiday. After a large group run up a canyon which is a mere 10 miles from my home, the group came back out of the canyon and split up to each go their separate ways. One of those Jeeps was a 4dr JK with an aftermarket front bumper... one which happens to have a stinger. As Eric and his sister were driving home along the edge of town, a 16-year-old girl pulled out from a stop sign and into their path. He hit her square in the driver's door of their rental Nissan Versa (their Chevy Tahoe was in the shop for repair at the time)

The girl is in extremely critical condition. She suffered severe brain trauma and has already lost her left eye. Doctors say her outlook is grim; they aren't even certain she will survive.

Her mother was riding with her in the car at the time. She also suffered extensive injuries and is currently in serious condition; doctors say she is expected to fully recover. After the crash, they were each airlifted to different hospitals; their poor husband/father has been going back and forth and is understandably in extreme anguish right now.

Residents are already petitioning for the city to install a stop light at the intersection in question. Apparently this is not the first serious crash which has happened there. Furthermore, local friends have set up a go fund me account to help their family pay for the medical bills which will certainly follow.

Eric and his sister escaped with only minor injuries.


w6H3UVC.jpg


So the other non jeep forum is up in arms about stingers and think they should be banned, since the stinger directly resulted in her more serious injuries, of course if she hadn't pulled out in front of the Jeep non of that would have happened anyways.

What do you guys think? They are thinking the Jeep driver will be screwed when/if a civil suit is filed against him since most if not all aftermarket bumpers are off road use only.
 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
The stinger didn't cause the damage. Failure to yield to the right away did.

What if she pulled out in front of a motorcycle and she killed the driver.

Who would be at fault then ?
 

mattfl

New member
The stinger didn't cause the damage. Failure to yield to the right away did.

While true to a point, had the Jeep had a stock or non stinger type bumper, she probably would not have sustained the head injuries that were caused directly by the stinger.

You edited while I was typing.

I don't think there is a question as to who was at fault for the actual accident, obviously she failed to yield and it was her fault.

However, there will most likely be a civil trial where the parents will be going after the Jeep owner for running what is most likely a "for off road use only" bumper which has directly resulted in her injuries.
 
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REKLESS-RED

New member
It's always someone else's fault...never mind they pulled out in front of traffic. The driver in this case regardless of what vehicle hits you is going to have more sever damage, since it hit right on the driver door. Regardless of if it was a stinger or a pickups radiator or worse yet a semi, it is going to do serious damage or be fatal to the individual in the driver seat. Did the stinger make it worse? Who is to tell. It is an awful situation for the family that got hit, my sympathy's go out to both parties involved.

Would they put the blame on a semi driver if he hit the car and had a deer smasher on the front? You bet they would....it's never the victims fault for pulling out in front of traffic.
 

RoughRider

New member
Ridiculous, although unfortunate it's sad that every thing has to become a lawsuit now a days, it's almost like no one can own up to their own mistakes
 

OverlanderJK

Resident Smartass
There is more info posted on the other site, but it boiled down to, the stinger came in direct contact with her resulting in her head injuries.

It boils down to she was wrong. She didn't yield right of way. If she hadn't pulled out in front of a jeep traveling at highway speeds she wouldn't have a brain injury either.
 

highoctane

Caught the Bug
I was reading about this elsewhere just a bit ago. When did we become a society that is always so quick to blame everyone but the actual person at fault? Shut drives me nuts.
 

Drobo

New member
Crazy story :shock: Could she have been distracted? Or not looked both ways and seen the Jeep or calculate at the rate of speed the car was moving on the highway. Either way, I feel bad for both parties here :/
 

Voodoo Actual

New member
Anyone else seen this story floating around? It's from another non Jeep forum but I'll copy/paste the text here.

On Memorial Day, a lot of local Jeepers were out enjoying the holiday. After a large group run up a canyon which is a mere 10 miles from my home, the group came back out of the canyon and split up to each go their separate ways. One of those Jeeps was a 4dr JK with an aftermarket front bumper... one which happens to have a stinger. As Eric and his sister were driving home along the edge of town, a 16-year-old girl pulled out from a stop sign and into their path. He hit her square in the driver's door of their rental Nissan Versa (their Chevy Tahoe was in the shop for repair at the time)

The girl is in extremely critical condition. She suffered severe brain trauma and has already lost her left eye. Doctors say her outlook is grim; they aren't even certain she will survive.

Her mother was riding with her in the car at the time. She also suffered extensive injuries and is currently in serious condition; doctors say she is expected to fully recover. After the crash, they were each airlifted to different hospitals; their poor husband/father has been going back and forth and is understandably in extreme anguish right now.

Residents are already petitioning for the city to install a stop light at the intersection in question. Apparently this is not the first serious crash which has happened there. Furthermore, local friends have set up a go fund me account to help their family pay for the medical bills which will certainly follow.

Eric and his sister escaped with only minor injuries.


w6H3UVC.jpg


So the other non jeep forum is up in arms about stingers and think they should be banned, since the stinger directly resulted in her more serious injuries, of course if she hadn't pulled out in front of the Jeep non of that would have happened anyways.

What do you guys think? They are thinking the Jeep driver will be screwed when/if a civil suit is filed against him since most if not all aftermarket bumpers are off road use only.

The stinger didn't cause the damage. Failure to yield to the right away did.

What if she pulled out in front of a motorcycle and she killed the driver.

Who would be at fault then ?

While true to a point, had the Jeep had a stock or non stinger type bumper, she probably would not have sustained the head injuries that were caused directly by the stinger.

You edited while I was typing.

I don't think there is a question as to who was at fault for the actual accident, obviously she failed to yield and it was her fault.

However, there will most likely be a civil trial where the parents will be going after the Jeep owner for running what is most likely a "for off road use only" bumper which has directly resulted in her injuries.

Having seen many accidents...

This story doesn't make any sense. A factory Wrangler would simply drive over a Versa. A bigger Wrangler would drive over a Versa like its a non event.

The seating position in a Versa would put her head at bumper level. Not Stinger height.

She was injured because she ignored the stop sign and her environment.

The is no real civil case here. You can sue anyone for anything. And lose.
 

mattfl

New member
It boils down to she was wrong. She didn't yield right of way. If she hadn't pulled out in front of a jeep traveling at highway speeds she wouldn't have a brain injury either.

I completely agree with this, however in a civil trial it will not be about who was right or wrong, it will be about whether if the Jeep, in stock form and not running a for off road use only bumper would have caused the same injuries in the same type of crash.
 

K.D.C.H

New member
the stinger came in direct contact with her resulting in her head injuries.

Wow what a theory, if only the stinger wasn't there her head would be in great shape.

Oh wait, wasn't there was an entire Jeep that followed closely behind that stinger? I'm sure if the stinger wasn't there the Jeep wouldn't have done anything :thinking:
 

mattfl

New member
Wow what a theory, if only the stinger wasn't there her head would be in great shape.

Oh wait, wasn't there was an entire Jeep that followed closely behind that stinger? I'm sure if the stinger wasn't there the Jeep wouldn't have done anything :thinking:

I believe the thinking is, had the stinger not been there, the crash/crumple zones of the door would have done their jobs. Cars are rated/tested for side impacts, however they are not rated/tested for side impacts where a large piece of pointy steel protrudes into the passenger compartment. Sure the crash would have still been bad there's no denying that, but would it have been AS bad if the bumper wasn't there.
 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
I believe the thinking is, had the stinger not been there, the crash/crumple zones of the door would have done their jobs. Cars are rated/tested for side impacts, however they are not rated/tested for side impacts where a large piece of pointy steel protrudes into the passenger compartment. Sure the crash would have still been bad there's no denying that, but would it have been AS bad if the bumper wasn't there.

How do you know a different impact wouldn't have killed her? Maybe a full width bumper might have got her body.

Since we're just throwing theories out there..
 
It's unfortunate, but she pulled out in front of a vehicle. Yes, that vehicle MAY have made things worse, but that is not the vehicle owners fault. There are all sorts of vehicles on the road with all sorts of different outcomes possible. None of which would be an issue had she stopped.
 

mattfl

New member
Yes, that vehicle MAY have made things worse, but that is not the vehicle owners fault. .

What about if the aftermarket bumper he installed is illegal? They probably have a good case for a civil suit.

Effective 5/12/2015
41-6a-1632. Bumpers.
(1) A motor vehicle shall be equipped with a bumper on both front and rear of the motor vehicle, except a motor vehicle that was not originally designed or manufactured with a bumper or bumpers.
(2)
(a) On a motor vehicle required to have bumpers under Subsection (1), a bumper shall be:
(i) at least 4.5 inches in vertical height;
(ii) centered on the vehicle's center line; and
(iii) extend no less than the width of the respective wheel track distance.
(b) A bumper shall be securely mounted, horizontal load bearing, and attached to the motor vehicle's frame to effectively transfer impact when engaged.
(3) If a motor vehicle is originally or later equipped with a bumper, the bumper shall:
(a) be maintained in operational condition; and
(b) comply with this section.
(4) A violation of this section is an infraction.
 

Dirt Foot

Member
Has anyone looked to see if stingers made by whatever company say "for off road use only". If they do then there could be a civil suit. If not then I feel sorry for both parties involved.
 
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