Gas Problems at Mapco
Cars, trucks, and SUVs are necessities in America. They are expensive to buy, maintain, and run. Most vehicles require regular gasoline fill-ups. Most of the time, citizens do not experience problems with the gasoline at gas stations. Nevertheless, problems with bad gasoline do occur.
Recently, a Tennessee driver experienced a major problem with her car after leaving a Nashville Mapco gas station. The gas she pumped into her fuel tank was the source of the problem. On the way from work, the driver reportedly stopped at a Mapco station to fill her gas tank. Apparently, the gas pump was extremely slow, so after a while, the driver left Mapco and was driving to a different gas station to finish filling her tank. She was about halfway to the other gas station when her car suddenly stopped.
A tow truck carried her car to the dealership. The dealership personnel told her that her car was in proper mechanical order. They also told her that her fuel tank was filled with mostly water, not gasoline. As a result, the gas tank had to be removed and emptied, and her car’s spark plugs and wiring had to be repaired or replaced. The repairs were expensive, and her warranty did not pay for the cost.
This Tennessee driver apparently was not the only person who had had problems at a particular Mapco. Reportedly, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture received several phone calls from people who believed they pumped water, not gas, into their fuel tanks. State inspectors discovered far too much water in the particular Mapco’s underground tanks, and Mapco officials state that the problem now has been corrected.
A vehicle sustains damage when its gas tank is filled with water and not gas. The water mixture causes the spark plugs to become wet and a host of problems for the vehicle. Repairs may costs hundreds or thousands of dollars. Usually, the law provides that the seller is responsible for the damage and injuries its products cause. The law gives remedies for selling a product that is not what it purports or is supposed to be. The law provides for damages when water is inserted into the fuel tank, including the costs of the gas; the costs of repairs to the vehicle; lost opportunities and wages; the loss of use of the vehicle; and the lessening of value for the vehicle. A person, whose vehicle was damaged by the introduction of water, not real gasoline, in his or her vehicle, may be able to recover other damages, and a court may order that his or her attorney’s fees to be paid.
If this happened to you, you have rights and legal remedies. For more information, contact an experienced Nashville Attorney, Perry A. Craft.
