Spring men sue Ford, TI over fire

Two Spring men are suing the makers of their Lincoln Town Car after it allegedly caught fire and burned a building.

James M. Wilkinson and Jeffrey L. Wilkinson filed a lawsuit March 25 in Harris County District Court against Ford Motor Co. and Texas Instruments Inc.

According to the complaint, in October 2010, the Town Car was parked in a metal building owned by James Wilkinson when the engine compartment caught fire. He says the fire spread to the building and damaged other parts of the Lee Road property.

The men claim the fire was caused by a defective cruise control switch installed in the vehicle by Texas Instruments.

The plaintiffs accuse both Ford and TI of negligence for designing and selling an allegedly defective device and car. They are asking for an unspecified amount of money in compensatory and punitive damages plus court costs.

Attorney Dana S. Speer is representing James Wilkinson and Jeffrey Wilkinson. They ask for a jury trial.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2011-18642.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.