Be Aware of Vehicular Defects

 Posted on January 08,2018 in Car Accidents

If you are injured in an automobile collision, it is entirely possible that a vehicular defect was the cause. Vehicular defects can be incredibly dangerous, especially when traveling at high speeds. At Salvi and Maher, L.L.C. we have decades of experience working with victims of product defects and are available to speak to you about your personal injury case.

History of Recalls

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, initially enacted in 1966, provided the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with the authority to require vehicle manufacturers to recall products with defects that directly impacted the safety of passengers. Over the next half century, just under 400 million vehicles were recalled for safety-related defects. Yet the enactment of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, while helpful, has not completely eradicated the risk of safety-related defects in our motor vehicles.

In the late 90’s, Firestone Tires released a malfunctioning tire that failed to connect the tread of the tires with the steel belts. After accepting responsibility for nearly 200 deaths nationwide, Firestone recalled the faulty tires.

In 2010, Toyota recalled over eight million vehicles after discovering a failure in the acceleration pedal mechanism in a number of their vehicle designs. While the recall, in all likelihood, saved countless lives, 31 passengers lost their lives due to the defect.

General Motors recalled 2.59 million vehicles due to a flaw in the ignition switch within many of their 2014 fleet. The defect shut off the engine of the vehicle, and with it safety precautions such as airbags, while the vehicle continued to move. The defect was responsible for more than 50 fatalities.

Examples of Safety-Related Defects

While it can be incredibly difficult to notice safety-related defects in a vehicle prior to a collision, recognizing the presence of a defect post-crash can provide victims with the ammunition to legally persecute the motor vehicle companies involved.

Prominent safety-related defects include the following:

• Flawed steering components leading to complete or partial loss of steering capabilities;
• Fuel system failures leading to fuel leakage and, in severe cases fires; and
• Faulty protective systems such as airbags that deploy prematurely, sporadically, or fail to deploy.

For more information on safety-related defects visit our defective product page.

Getting Help

If you or a loved one are involved in a vehicular collision, automobile defects may have played a role. Dealing with the aftermath of a serious car crash can be painful, both emotionally and physically. At Salvi and Maher, L.L.C. we have decades of experience helping victims pursue legal action in the wake of an injury, contact a knowledgeable Lake County personal injury attorney today.

Sources:

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallprocess.cfm

http://www.autonews.com/article/20150205/OEM11/150209906/gm-counts-104-death-injury-lawsuits-related-to-car-defects

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/04/autos/toyota_recall_total/

https://www.forbes.com/2001/06/20/tireindex.html#2202f0e53401