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Most Common Defective Auto Parts

Published on Nov 27, 2019 at 8:04 am in Product Liability.

close up of car engine

When you’re driving your car, you’re depending on many different systems and parts to work as designed so you can get safely to your destination. However, when something goes wrong, you could lost control of your vehicle and get into a terrible accident. While you’re trying to recover from your injuries, you may wonder what led to the crash. If your vehicle had a defective auto part, you may have grounds for a claim against the manufacturing company that made it.

Defective auto parts falls under an area of law called product liability. If you’re looking to file a claim, you should have dependable representation at your side. Pittman, Roberts & Welsh, PLLC has experienced lawyers that will fight for your rights.

Defective Auto Parts

There are many kinds of auto parts that can fail while you’re driving and potentially cause a car accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released What Every Vehicle Owner Should Know about safety defects and recalls.

Defects can be safety-related or not safety-related. These are the following safety-related defects the NHTSA lists:

  • Steering. The systems that control steering can fail, which means the driver can no longer operate the vehicle.
  • Air bags. In the event of a crash, the driver and passengers in the car depend on air bags and their seat belts to protect them. If the air bags don’t deploy, the driver and passengers could face serious harm.
  • Seats and booster seats. If seat belts don’t tighten, or the seats don’t stay in place, then an accident can result in severe injuries or fatalities.
  • Fuel system. A fuel system that fails could cause fuel to leak, which becomes a fire hazard and could cause burn injuries in a wreck.
  • Wheels. Tire blowouts are often jarring. The driver may hear the tire or feel a sudden bump. Losing a tire decreases the driver’s control of the car.
  • Windshield wipers. Windshield wipers that fail to work could mean a driver is now driving without a clear windshield and could hit another vehicle in front of them.
  • Accelerator. If your accelerator sticks or stops working, you may be in a situation where you need to slow down your vehicle or need to speed up to keep up with traffic. Losing control of the speed of your vehicle can be terrifying and many drivers may not know what to do in that situation. If your accelerator sticks, it’s important to remain calm. Put your foot on the brakes, don’t let the pressure off the pedal, and shift the car into neutral. Then, look for a safe place to pull off to the side and come to a stop.
  • Engine cooling fan blades. Some car defects don’t apply to driving but to when people are fixing up the car. Engine cooling fan blades can fail and harm mechanics.
  • Car ramps or jacks. If a car jack fails, the person working underneath the vehicle can sustain serious injuries.

What Can You Do?

Getting regular tune-ups for your car means a professional will take a look at everything to make sure it’s running smoothly. They may be able to catch something before you have an emergency on the road.

You may also want to pay attention to auto product recalls. If you notice something about your vehicle has been recalled, then you know to get it fixed as soon as possible.

However, sometimes defects don’t become apparent immediately. There could be a flaw in the design that means the part will break down over time. If you have been in an accident because of a defective auto part, you can stand up for yourself. Our attorneys will stand by your side and will protect your rights.

Manufacturing companies may try to intimidate those who file claims against them. They may have team of lawyers at their side who will try to say the accident didn’t happen because of their product. However, we won’t let that happen. Our lawyers are experts in analyzing accident reports, reviewing evidence from the scene and at the scene itself. We’ll be able to determine what went wrong and how it led to your injuries. You deserve to get fair compensation when you’ve been injured through no fault of your own.

To get started on your case, give our office a call today and we’ll set up an obligation-free consultation. In this initial meeting, we’ll review the merits of your case and help you figure out your legal options. Then, you can make the decision on how you want to proceed.

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