DOTHAN: The family of Abimael Feliciano has taken legal action following his tragic death inside a Ford C-Max Hybrid, claiming the vehicle exposed him to deadly fumes during what was supposed to be a normal drive.
Feliciano was found unresponsive at a traffic light in Dothan on August 8, 2023. A press statement released by the family’s legal team says toxic hydrogen sulfide gas built up inside the vehicle, leading to his death.
An investigation later determined the source of the fumes was a battery vent tube that had become detached. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences confirmed Feliciano died from hydrogen sulfide poisoning.
Beasley Allen Law Firm and Jinks Crow, P.C. have filed their lawsuit in Arizona, naming Ford Motor Company and multiple dealerships as defendants. The suit alleges defective design, unsafe repair practices, and insufficient warning systems that could have prevented the incident.
Attorneys for the family argue that Ford failed to implement basic safety protections in its vehicles to prevent exposure to toxic gases.
The family is pursuing financial damages and pushing for greater awareness surrounding hybrid-battery safety, hoping no other family has to face a similar tragedy.
