Automobile Defect Accidents
Posted Friday, January 24, 2020 by Chris Thayer
Many car accidents occur due to driver negligence or recklessness. However, 44,000 car accidents occur yearly due to defective parts and components of vehicles on the roadways, according to the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Defective design flaws or manufacturing defects oftentimes result in the recall of vehicles to fix the defect. However, even with these recalls, hundreds of injuries occur every year due to manufacturing defects in vehicles. Therefore, if you were in a car accident, make sure to consider that the crash could have been a result of a defective part or component of your vehicle or another’s as part of the car crash investigation.
*Automobile Defects*Manufacturing parts and components are regulated by the NHTSA which established the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for vehicles in the United States. Any part of the component of a vehicle that is determined to be defective or malfunctioning in any way can be recalled by the NHTSA. Some of the common reasons that a part or component of a vehicle may be recalled include the following:
- Accidental airbag deployment unrelated to an accident
- Gas accelerator that is broken or sticks
- Loss of light
- Fires within an electrical system of the vehicle
- Wheels that are cracked or broken unexpectedly
- Steering wheel failures
- Windshield wiper failures
- Seats or seat back components that are defective
- Any other part of a vehicle that malfunctions in any way such as falling apart, breaking or separating thus causing the inability to control or navigate the vehicle in any way
When the NHTSA discovers a part or component of a vehicle that is defective they will issue a recall notice. However, in many cases vehicles have defective parts that have gone unnoticed or unreported. If you were in a car accident, it is important to select an experienced attorney who will help you conduct an independent investigation of the car accident in order to determine all parties who may have liability, including the vehicle manufacturer.
*Liability for Automobile Defects *In cases involving manufacturing defects, the defective part or component either directly caused the accident, or was a factor that contributed to a much more serious accident. For example, if the airbags do not deploy during an accident, that defect did not directly cause the accident, however, it would cause the passengers in the vehicle to suffer more serious injuries due to the lack of safety provided by the airbags.
*Contact an Experienced Car Accident Attorney Today *Many people assume that the only cause of a car accident is the negligence or recklessness of another driver. However, there are many circumstances under which a defective automobile part could either cause or contribute to a car crash. If you were in a car accident, and suspect that a manufacturing defect either caused or contributed to your accident, contact the experienced car accident attorneys at the Pivotal Law Group at 206-340-2008. You may have the right to receive compensation. We proudly serve the Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Burien, Mercer Island and Issaquah areas.