Recovering Compensation from Injuries Caused by Defective Car Parts
Nobody wants to get into an accident when they get behind the wheel of their vehicle. Generally, when people think of accidents, they think of incidents involving two or more vehicles colliding. However, vehicle accidents can also be caused by defective car parts.
Vehicles are made up of thousands of parts, any of which could cause serious mechanical issues if they are defective. If you or loved ones have been injured due to a crash caused by a defective automotive part, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and other losses with the help of a product liability lawyer. Here, we want to discuss how defective parts can affect a vehicle and list some of the most common car parts that become defective.
Defective Automotive Parts Can Lead to Serious Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is responsible for investigating defects in vehicles. They establish safety standards for cars and enforce these standards when necessary. All vehicle manufacturers are expected to ensure that their vehicles have been thoroughly tested and are safe for consumers. Unfortunately, vehicles face recalls regularly due to the discovery of defective parts. In general, there are two types of defective vehicle claims: Design defect claims, which means that the vehicle or specific part had a poor design. Manufacturing design claims, which means that a vehicle or specific part encountered an error during the process of making the vehicle or part.
Each year, there are always several major vehicle recalls as well as many other specific part recalls for vehicles. Some of the most commonly defective parts that you may have heard about in the news include the following:
- Airbags
- Cruise control systems
- Seatbelts
- Steering wheel or system malfunctions
- Tire defects
- Fuel systems that leak or are defective
- Transmission defects
- Autonomous driver assistance systems
Proving Liability in Order to Recover Compensation
Most ordinary personal injury claims for vehicle crashes revolve around proving negligence after the accident. However, in order to establish a vehicle manufacturer or seller’s liability for a defective vehicle or vehicle part, you do not need to show that they were careless or grossly negligent.
California operates under a “strict liability” system concerning product liability cases. This means that, in order to prevail after sustaining an injury caused by a defective product, a plaintiff will need to prove the following:
- That the defendant designed, manufactured, distributed, or sold a defective product
- The product was defective when it left the possession of the defendant
- The plaintiff used the product in a reasonably foreseeable manner
- The plaintiff suffered harm caused by the defect
Contact an Attorney For Help With Your Case Today
If you or somebody you care about has sustained an injury in an accident caused by a defective vehicle part, you need to speak to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. It is important to point out that companies and manufacturers generally have extensive resources at their disposal to fight against product liability claims. A skilled attorney will have the resources necessary to conduct a complete investigation into your case and determine liability. An attorney will be your advocate and work with medical and economic experts to properly calculate your total losses.