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Lawsuit Filed Against Ford Motor Company for F-150 Fires

TAMPA, Florida, May 13, 2005 -- The law firms of Dale R. Sisco, P.A. and the Peacock Law Firm, P.A., both of Tampa, Florida, filed a class action lawsuit today in Pinellas County, Florida against the Ford Motor Company. The lawsuit results from a fire that destroyed a Ford F-150 pick-up truck. The lawsuit alleges that the fire was caused by a defect in the cruise control switch. This switch was the subject of a recall by Ford on January 27, 2005.

The vehicle, owned by the plaintiffs Mike and Marla Iley, was destroyed by a fire on January 22, 2003. The fire began at 4:15 a.m. while their vehicle was parked, with the ignition off, in front of their residence in Largo, Florida. They were awakened from sleep by their neighbors who saw the fire in front of the house. The intensity of the fire was so great that it also caused damage to their home as well as another vehicle, which was parked in their driveway.

The plaintiffs made repeated attempts to contact the Ford Motor Company concerning their loss. Although Ford was aware of the dangerous problem as indicated by the recall, they failed to address the Iley's claims. According to attorney Dale R. Sisco: "This defect is a serious issue because this recall affects hundreds of thousands of vehicles. The majority of these vehicles are still in use and are each potential mobile time bombs."

According to the complaint, Ford is the world's largest truck manufacturer. However, attorney Mike Peacock said, "This lawsuit is not about how big the Ford Motor Company is, it is a lawsuit about how wrong the Ford Motor Company is."

The lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Circuit of Florida, in St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida. The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $15,000.00 and equitable relief. The lawsuit was filed in case number 05-3311-CI-11 on behalf of the plaintiffs and all other persons and entities who purchased model year 2000, Ford F-150 pick-up trucks, Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators.