What Car Defects Commonly Cause Injuries?
Posted on September 7, 2023 in Car Accident,Personal Injury
Our vehicles are complex pieces of machinery. All of a vehicle’s parts make up what is supposed to be a well-running entity, but when one or more parts are defective, drivers and passengers could sustain injuries. Here, we want to examine some of the vehicle defects that commonly cause injuries to occupants, as well as whether or not victims can recover compensation for their losses. A car accident attorney in Portland may be able to help you secure compensation for injuries sustained due to a vehicle defect.
Airbag Issues
Airbags can become a major problem if they are defective. Many people have heard of the Takata airbag recall. Tens of millions of vehicles were affected by defective airbags caused by long-term exposure to heat and humidity. These defects led to the airbags exploding when deployed, causing injuries and even deaths. Airbags are designed to help ensure safety when a crash occurs, but defective airbags are dangerous.
Defective Ignitions
There are significant dangers involved with faulty ignition switches, including causing the ignition to go out of position, which leads to the vehicle losing power. If this occurs, the brakes, power steering, and other vehicle functions do not work correctly. Airbags may not even deploy. In 2014, GM recalled 2.6 million vehicles due to faulty ignition switches, which resulted in at least 97 deaths. Evidence suggested that GM knew about the faulty switches and did not take steps to issue a recall or warn consumers.
Defective Tires
Defective tires put drivers in incredibly dangerous situations. Tires could be flawed during the manufacturing process, and flaws could occur on larger lots of tires that are later recalled. Additionally, their manufacturing defect could only affect a single tire. Sudden tire blowouts can lead to major injuries or even death.
Defective Brakes
Drivers rely on their brakes to keep control of their vehicle, but a faulty brake system could lead to major injuries. Brake defects also include any defects with the entire brake line system as well as the brake pedal itself.
Software Issues
As more and more advanced, software becomes more important. Computers run every aspect of most modern vehicles, so a software defect could lead to serious injuries or death caused by a collision. Tesla recently recalled more than 300,000 vehicles and warned consumers that their experimental driver assistance software could cause crashes.
Working With an Attorney
That you care about has been injured due to a vehicle part defect, we encourage you to reach out to a skilled attorney as soon as possible. A Portland auto product liability lawyer will have a landing of the process involved with recovering compensation on behalf of consumers. These cases go far beyond typical vehicle accident claims. The complexities are immense.
An attorney will need to conduct a complete investigation into the incident in order to gather the evidence needed to prove liability. This includes not only examining the incident in question, but also taking a water view of the entire country and the whole line of products. Product claims often fall under the theory of strict liability, which means consumers may not have to prove that the company or manufacturer was negligent in their duty. However, an attorney can examine the facts of your case and help determine the best steps moving forward. Ultimately, the goal is for crash victims to recover compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, property damage expenses, and any pain and suffering they endure.