Learn about the types of defects that can cause car accidents.
When you think of car accidents, you likely consider those that are caused by driver error, whether it is a single or multi-vehicle crash. But in some cases, a car accident is not caused by something that a driver did at all, but by a defective product or design in the vehicle itself that led to an accident.
If a product is defective in some way, then the company that manufactured, distributed, or sold it can be held liable for injuries that the defective product caused. This is also true for the parts in a car. Products can be considered defective in three ways: (1) manufacturing defect; (2) design defect; (3) failure to warn. A manufacturing defect may be when a batch of tires was made with poor quality rubber, causing the car to skid due to lack of traction. A design defect may be a gear that slips out in certain situations, which may result in injuries from the car rolling if it sips into neutral. A failure to warn may be found if a car manufacturer does not tell consumers that putting a child in the front seat could cause death or injury if the airbags are deployed.
Common Types of Defective Car Products
Perhaps the most well-known defective car product is the gas pedal issue in vehicles manufactured by Toyota. Consumers claimed that when the gas pedal in certain cars was pressed down, it would stick, resulting in serious injuries and even fatalities. Toyota ultimately recalled more than four million vehicles and gave out settlements of 1.1 billion dollars to compensate those who had been injured by this issue.
Another defect can be found in devices that are meant to protect us, such as seat belts, which may fail during a collision or apply too much pressure in one direction, causing injuries. Airbags may deploy with too much force or not deploy at all after a crash — or even deploy when there hasn’t been a crash at all. People who have been injured due to these defects — or whose injuries in an accident are more severe due to these defective products — may be able to sue the manufacturer, distributor, and/or seller of the products for their losses.
Brake system defects may also cause car accidents and injuries. According to studies, cars with anti-lock brake systems are more likely to be involved in fatal rollover crashes than vehicles with other types of brakes. Because braking systems are incredibly complicated, there are many ways in which they may fail — including from improper installation, manufacturing defects, or design flaws. Times may also fail for a number of reasons, such as tread separation or a complete failure of the tire. This can lead to loss of control even during normal driving conditions, causing a crash.
If you have been hurt in a car accident — whether it involved another driver or a defective product — contact the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com. Initial consultations are always free, and we never charge a fee unless we recover money for you!
