Although vehicles today are manufactured using established safety standards some mechanical defects can cause serious injury and death through car accidents. Product liability law is the area of law that allows individuals to hold accountable vehicle designers, manufacturers, retailers and any other stakeholders in the chain of commerce who are eligible for the injuries that are caused by these defective products.
You can make claims in case the design of a product makes it inherently dangerous to use it as it is intended. You can also make claims for defective manufacture if the defective manufacture causes the vehicle to become unreasonably dangerous to use. Finally, Product Liability Law also allows you to make claims based on failure to warn for non-obvious dangers. There are various theories under which these claims are processed including negligence, breach of implied warranty or even strict liability.
The most common types of vehicle defects that cause accidents include:
Airbags have been recalled when they put the driver at serious risk of injuries. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, over 2 million vehicles have been recalled from vehicle manufacturers all over the world. Airbag safety issues are mostly concerned with airbags that deploy at the wrong time and cause serious injury.
According to consumer reports, vehicles have also been recalled due to faulty ignition switches. In case the key ring is too heavy or the vehicle is jarred, the ignition may go out of position and the vehicle may lose power. Without power, other components of the vehicle such as the brakes and power steering will not function correctly. The airbags may also not deploy correctly. Defective ignition switches have been linked to cases of disabling injuries and death.
Defective break lines make the driver unable to control the vehicle and this leads to serious collisions. You can get help from a product liability attorney to take legal action against those responsible.
Defective tires can also be manufactured with flaws. In case the flaw occurs in a large lot, the entire lot will be recalled. However, single tires may be defective as well. For instance, sudden blowouts can lead to serious injuries and should be evaluated to determine whether the tire is defective.
The design of the vehicle may also make it less crashworthy. In case the vehicle is not up to the federally imposed safety standards, the vehicle can cause serious injuries or death in the case of an accident. There have been cases of vehicles rolling over due to having a high center of gravity. The outcomes of an accident should be investigated to determine if there is a case of product liability.
In case you or your loved one has been involved in accident, you should ensure that the cause and outcomes of the accident are thoroughly evaluated to ensure that there is no foul play. In case there is, you should get an car accident attorney.
Ken M Frankel represents car accident victims in Broward County, including the cities of Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano beach and Miami. for more details visit fort lauderdale Car Accident lawyer