Death by Rental Car: How the Houck Case Changed the Law

After sisters Raechel and Jacqueline Houck died in a fiery crash while driving a Chrysler PT Cruiser belonging to Enterprise Rent-A-Car, their parents were shocked to learn that the car was under recall at the time for a flawed power steering hose. A small plaintiffs’ law firm, Grassini & Wrinkle, agreed to take their case, filing suit against DaimlerChrysler and Enterprise in June 2005.

Death by Rental Car: The Houck v. Enterprise Case offers an insider’s view of the six-year court battle between the Houcks and the two corporate defendants, who attempted to blame the crash on the sisters.

With a foreword by Ralph Nader, this book uncovers the shocking truth about defective rental cars, deadly malfeasance, and the failure of public policy to close loopholes that allow companies to put profits ahead of consumer safety.

Ben Kelley is a nationally known expert on auto safety policy. Called a "pioneer in vehicle safety research" by the Los Angeles Times, his commentaries have frequently appeared in major newspapers across the country.

Kelley is a former official of the US Department of Transportation, and he was a principal architect of the world-renowned vehicle safety research and communications program of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Kelley has also been an injury-control educator at Tufts Medical School, a lecturer at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and an expert witness before congressional committees and in lawsuits on behalf of people injured in car crashes.

He is a longtime member of the board of the Center for Auto Safety and a founder of the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University School of Law.

His website is www.producthazardconsulting.com