Holding Negligent Auto Parts Manufacturers Accountable
Our cars are an indispensable part of our everyday lives. We trust them to transport us and our loved ones safely and swiftly to and from various destinations every day. We hardly consider the enormous amount of trust we are placing in those who design, deliver, and service our cars.
Unfortunately, that trust is not always well-placed. Auto manufacturers do not always produce cars with the highest standard of safety, resulting either in defective design or manufacturing that can cause serious, devastating injury and even death.
In these cases, when a passenger or driver suffers serious injury or death because of defects in design or due to the failure of a component of the car, that individual may have an auto products liability case.
Auto Product Liability Explained
It’s important to distinguish auto product liability cases from traditional auto accident cases, where injury is a result of a negligent driver or similar cause. These are cases that can specifically be traced to defects in the automobile itself. Recent examples of such auto defects include the GM ignition defect, Takata airbags, and Toyota brakes, all of which have grabbed national headlines in the past few years.
Auto defects can be caused by a number of factors, including faulty manufacturing or unreasonably dangerous design. Often, automotive defects are the result of an error at a manufacturing facility or due to problems occurring during shipping or distribution. Auto defects can also be the result of the manufacturer’s failure to adhere to proper safety protocols and standards while designing or testing a component of an automobile, or the vehicle may be deemed defective because it does not contain adequate warnings.
For example, a vehicle may be defective when a vehicle manufacturer knows about existing problems with a vehicle component but does not advise the public of those dangers through labels or instructions. A recent example of a manufacturer’s failure to warn of serious defects is the GM ignition switch case. According to Reuters, 23 deaths have so far been linked to the GM ignition defect.
In such cases, it is critical to hold such manufacturers accountable for the products they sell and profit from. We feel strongly that this is the only way to ensure all of our cars remain as safe as possible.
Common Types of Auto Product Liability
Typical categories of auto product liability cases include:
- Rollover and roof crush defects
- Defective tires
- Crashworthiness
- Faulty airbags
- Faulty specific parts, such as General Motor’s ignition switch
Determining the specific defect that caused the harm is essential to the success of any auto product liability case. Our auto product liability attorneys make it their utmost priority to conduct a careful and thorough investigation at the outset of any case to identify the specific nature of the defect at issue. This investigation typically requires working with experts, performing extensive tests on the vehicle or component at issue, and navigating often-complex legal hurdles.
What to Do If You Think You Have an Auto Product Liability Case
If you or a loved one has been injured because of a defective car, truck, SUV, motorcycle, ATV, or another motor vehicle, you may have a products liability claim. Ashcraft & Gerel can carefully investigate your case, work with experts to determine how and why your injury occurred, and closely advise you regarding your legal options.
At Ashcraft & Gerel, we are at the forefront of products liability litigation. We have a deep interest in public safety and a proven, decades-long track record of demanding safety and accountability from manufacturers who engage in dangerous and negligent practices. Our experience and resources allow us to take on the largest automakers in the world to obtain compensation for clients injured due to dangerous automobile defects.
If you or someone you know has been hurt because of a defective automobile, we can help.
