Pennsylvania residents who own a Ford Escape may be interested in an investigative report about the vehicle and significant problems with its acceleration system. New evidence suggests that Ford failed to acknowledge problems with the vehicle even after numerous complaints and at least two wrongful death suits. The report claims Ford didn’t come forward until this year, after a teenager was killed when her Escape suddenly accelerated and crashed.

One of the first reported accidents occurred in 2005 when a woman was forced to make a decision that ultimately ended her life. Her Escape accelerated out of control and she jumped out of the moving vehicle; she died shortly thereafter of injuries sustained in the incident. Another woman lost her life in a Pennsylvania crash when the 2004 Escape she was driving accelerated suddenly, causing her to lose control and crash into a school bus. Both of these incidents resulted in wrongful death suits against the car giant. Ford settled with both victims but did not admit fault in either case.

It wasn’t until July of this year that Ford acknowledged publicly that there could be a problem with the vehicle. After the government opened its own investigation that Ford ultimately recalled over half a million vehicles. It was later uncovered that 99 complaints were filed about the vehicle’s acceleration issues, all complaints that could have been viewed any time by Ford. Those complaints date back over 10 years.

Any time a Pennsylvania family loses a loved one due to the alleged negligence of another party, they have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Almost 100 complaints had come into the company over the past 10 years, but there is no word on exactly how many people may have lost their lives due to the faulty acceleration system of this vehicle. If someone died after being involved in an accident while driving a Ford Escape, it may be worth looking into any legal options available to their family.

Source: ABC15.com, “Years of lawsuits and complaints raise new questions about Ford Escape recall,” Joe Ducey and Lauren Gilger, Aug. 26, 2012