If you suffered injuries in a car accident due to a defective vehicle or vehicle part, you may have the right to a legal claim based on a manufacturing defect and product liability law. The defect occurs during the design process, building process, manufacturing process, shipping, or even at the supplier or dealership. If you suffered injuries due to an accident involving a manufacturing defect of a vehicle or vehicle part, contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 to learn how a Los Angeles manufacturer defect lawyer can help you seek compensation for your personal injuries and losses.
Pursuing Product Liability in a Manufacturer Defect Lawsuit
If you were in a car wreck due to a manufacturer’s defect of any kind, you may face substantial medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. Depending on the facts and circumstances of your injury claim, you may hold one (or several) of the following entities in the chain of distribution responsible and liable for your injuries and losses.
Manufacturer
The manufacturer of the vehicle or vehicle part may have had a design flaw in the original part or component or simply manufactured the vehicle part or component defectively. Manufacturers are responsible for several different areas of the development and creation of vehicles and vehicle parts. If an investigation reveals that there was a design defect or a flaw in the manufacturing process that caused the defect, you can hold the manufacturer responsible for your injuries and losses.
Parts Manufacturer
In some cases, there is a separate entity and company that will design, create, or manufacture a specific vehicle part that was the cause of your accident. For example, if your car accident resulted from a faulty tire, you may pursue a claim directly against the tire manufacturer directly.
Car Dealership or Automotive Parts Store
If you purchased your vehicle or vehicle part at either a car dealership or automotive parts store, under product liability law, they may also play a role in the distribution for the defective product or part, and you may have a legal option to pursue a claim against them as well.
Shipping Company
Because product liability law indicates that any entity or company within the chain of distribution of a faulty or defective product is responsible if injuries occur, you may hold the shipping company between the manufacturer and the retailer or car dealership liable for injuries and losses as well.
Common Types of Manufacturing Defects in Vehicles
In some cases, product liability cases that involve automobiles may arise from defectively designed vehicles or defectively manufactured vehicles or vehicle parts. The following are some types of manufacturing defects found in vehicles that can lead to serious car crashes resulting in injury or even death.
Defective Airbags
Airbags were first introduced in the 1970s but continuously improved until the mass production of the industry-standard gas-inflated airbags of the 1990s. There are both frontal and side airbags, and both are mandatory in all vehicles under standards established by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Airbags are not perfect, and the following are some types of airbag defects that can lead to car accidents and serious injuries:
- Aggressive deployments of airbags
- Late deployments or lack of deployment
- Accidental deployments
- Sensor failures on the airbags causing lack of deployment or accidental deployment
- Deflation too quickly following an accident
- Defective on/off switches
- Injuries to children
Airbags are often part of massive recalls due to their defective design or manufacturing. Additionally, if you purchase a used car, you should ensure that the airbag never previously deployed and received inspection by a reputable mechanic. Once an airbag deploys, it is extremely complex and challenging to reinstall the airbag in such a way that it provides the same level of safety. If you were injured due to an airbag accident and your car was previously owned, you may have the legal right to also file a claim against the company or entity that reinstalled the airbag improperly.
Gas Tank Defects
Defective gas tanks are inherently dangerous simply because the fuel inside can catch fire, causing catastrophic injury to the driver and passengers, along with severe damage to the vehicle itself. When a guarding around a gas tank fails, or when the filler neck pulls out of the tank and the tank suffers a puncture in an accident, excess fuel releases from the tank, possibly causing fires and serious damage.
Electronic Stability Control Defects
Most newer vehicles have a feature known as Electronic Stability Control (ESC) that assists a driver in operating the vehicle under certain circumstances, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. A vehicle equipped with a defective or faulty ESC system may cause a vehicle accident or make an accident even more severe.
Defective Tires
One of the other major sources of recall notices and defective products involves automobile tires. Tire defects often result from worn-down tread or delamination, which refers to the steel belts actually separate from the tread. If a large or small part of tread of the tire separates from the actual tire while the tire is in operation and motion, there is a greater chance of a tire blowout, which is a dangerous and sudden loss in air pressure. Tire blowouts often cause drivers to completely lose control of their vehicle and crash into other vehicles on the roadway.
For a free legal consultation with a Manufacturer Defect Accidents Lawyer serving Los Angeles, call (800) 794-0444
Contact a Los Angeles Manufacturer Defect Lawyer to Learn More
Any design defect of a vehicle or a defective part of a vehicle can result in a serious accident in which a victim suffers serious injury or even death. If you are facing substantial medical bills, the loss of wages due to your inability to return to work, and pain and suffering stemming from a defective vehicle or vehicle part, consider contacting Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 to learn how a Los Angeles manufacturing defect lawyer can help you determine which parties are liable for your injuries and losses.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
