The questions about the safety of the Ford Bronco II are numerous and frightening. In 1982, Ford began production of the Bronco II; however, as early as February 1981, Ford engineers identified the Bronco II’s poor stability index as a key problem with the vehicle. Internal Ford documents show that during a 1981 test drive the fully loaded Bronco II test vehicle tipped up on to its protective outrigger or had inside front wheel lift in every J-Turn run at a mere 30 MPH.

A March 17, 1982 "Bronco II Handling Evaluation" document showed that more than 9 turns resulted in lift off, and 5 turns resulted in outrigger contact, which means that the vehicle tipped on its side. By increasing the Bronco's track width by 3-4 inches, many Ford engineers believed that the "rollover" danger would have been averted. In one test run configuration in early 1982, Ford engineers widened the prototype track two inches. This simple change prevented the vehicle from tipping over at speeds up to 60 MPH in the J-Turn, which was a drastic improvement from the original prototype.

Ford did not widen the Bronco by 3-4 inched nor did it widen it by a mere two inches. Ford ultimately agreed to widen the production level vehicle, but only 4/10 of an inch. A move that did little to lessen the dangers posed by the Ford Bronco II.

It is clear from the evidence collected from the many lawsuits against the Ford Motor Company that the Ford executives were well aware of the fact that the Bronco II SUV was unsafe, and would roll over, injure and potentially kill a significant number of the people who bought it.

In a 1999 lawsuit against Ford, an Indiana state appellate court called the Bronco II ''dangerous and defective,'' adding that the ''continued push to production of this product after all of the internal protestation to the contrary is the crassest form of corporate indifference to the safety of the ultimate user.'' The court upheld a $13.8 million damage award against Ford.

If you or a loved one sustained an injury as a result of a Ford Bronco II accident or rollover, you may qualify to bring a monetary claim against the Ford Motor Company. Please call the Law Firm of Allen L. Rothenberg immediately at 1-800-624-8888 or submit an InjuryLawyer.com online free case evaluation and we will let you know whether you are a candidate to bring a legal action. The initial consultation is FREE of charge. If we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means that we get paid for our services only if we get you money. Many of these cases are time-sensitive, so please act now to preserve your rights.