1999 GMC Jimmy

THE FRONT DOORS DO NOT STAY OPEN WHEN ON AN INCLINE, SUCH AS MY DRIVEWAY. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT CATCHES BEFORE YOU GET OUT, BUT THEN IF YOU DON'T GET OUT REAL SLOW IT WILL CLOSE ON YOU. THE CATCH IS NOT DEEP ENOUGH. I HAVE HAD MY LEG SLAMMED IN IT MANY TIMES. I NEVER KNEW THERE WAS A PLACE TO REPORT IT UNTIL I CAME ACROSS THIS SITE LOOKING FOR CHILD CAR SEAT SAFETY REPORTS. MY HUSBAND HAS LISTENED TO ME COMPLAIN ABOUT IT EVER SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR. *TR

ON MONDAY, APRIL 30,2001, I DROVE MY 1999 GMC JIMMY INTO THE DRIVEWAY OF MY HOME. I STOPPED THE CAR WITH MY FOOT BRAKE TO LET MY HUSBAND GET OUT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. I PUSHED THE BUTTON TO MAKE THE GARAGE DOOR GO UP SO HE COULD GET IN. HE DIDN'T DUCK FAR ENOUGH AND HIT THE TOP OF HIS HEAD ON THE BOTOM OF THE DOOR. IT STUNNED HIM AND HE SPUN AROUND AND BACK TOWARDS THE CAR AND SLUMPED OVER THE HOOD OF THE CAR (HEAVILY ENOUGH TO MAKE A DENT). I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO HELP HIM. I PUT MY BACK AGAINST THE CAR AND PUSHED HIM UP. HE SEEMED OK SO I HELPED HIM INTO THE HOUSE. WHEN I WAS SURE HE WAS FINE, I WENT BACK OUT TO PUT THE CAR IN THE GARAGE. IT WAS STILL WHERE I LEFT IT WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING AND THE DOOR OPEN. I PUT MY RIGHT FOOT UP ONTO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR AS I REACHED OUT FOR THE STEERING WHEEL TO HOLD ONTO WHILE I MOVED THE REST OF MY BODY INTO THE CAR. HOWEVER, BEFORE I COULD DO THAT, THE CAR SEEMED TO JUMP INTO REVERSE. BECAUSE THE WHEELS WERE STILL POSITIONED IN THE SAME PLACE AS THEY WERE WHEN I MADE THE RIGHT TURN INTO THE DRIVEWAY, THE CAR CAME TOWARDS ME QUICKLY. I TRIED TO JUMP ON MY LEFT FOOT FAR ENOUGH AWAY TO AVOID THE CAR, BUT T WAS COMING QUICKLY IN MY DIRECTION AND KIND OF COLLECTED ME INSIDE THE DOOR AND FINALLY PUSHED ME DOWN ONTO MY BOTTOM AND RIGHT HIP. THEN MY HEAD SLAMMED ON THE BRICK PAVERS. THE CAR WAS STILL MOVING OVER ME AND CAUGHT MY FEET UNDER THE TIRE. BY NOW THE REAR TIRES HAD REACHED THE SLIGHT CULVERT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVEWAY. BETWEEN THAT AND THE SHOE THAT HAD MADE A PERFECT WEDGE UNDER THE TIRE, THE CAR STOPPED. MY SCREAMS BROUGHT HELP TO PULL ME FROM UNDER THE CAR WHERE I WAS WEDGED. I HAD A TRIMALLEOLAR FRACTURE OF THE LEFT ANKLE, A BADLY BRUISED AND SPRAINED RIGHT LEG, TWO BROKEN RIBS, A MISPLACED PELVIS, A HEMATOMA ON THE HEAD AND VARIOUS OTHER INJURIES WHICH ARE REQIRING ONGOING THERAPY.*AK