Federal regulations in the U.S. protect people from defective manufacturing, design or performance of cars to avoid accidents. Despite this, defective vehicles injure and kill thousands of people every year, and recalls are only applied once many people have already been injured or killed in accidents — there were 30,000 deaths in 2009.
According to the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), who governs vehicle safety, recalls have been issued for more than 390 million vehicles, 46 million tires and 66 million items of vehicle equipment since 1966.
Safety Recall
A safety recall occurs when there is a defect in the performance, construction, component or material of a motor vehicle. The other main bit: this defect poses a risk once driven. Some safety-related defects include:
- Steering wheels that stop responding
- Fuel system causing fuel leakage
- Accelerator controls that don’t work
- Broken wheels that cause a loss of control of the vehicle
- Air bags system that deploy when not needed
- Seatbacks that fail while using normally
- Brakes that don’t work
- Many others
Car manufacturing defects include any component of the automobile; common defects include brakes, tires, steering components, windshields, door latches and seatbelts. Automotive design defects include seatbelts, roofs, tires, and fuel systems.
If you are in an accident due to a vehicle defect or safety recall that was not addressed properly, the consequences can be devastating. In Chicago, wrongful death claims, where a death occurs due to the actions of a negligent party, such as the car manufacturer, can be made on behalf of the victim’s family for compensation for both monetary losses, including expenses due to the accident and also loss for the deceased’s income, as well as compensation for any pain and suffering.
After an accident, you will need to find out if the cause of your accident was a defective automobile part or design. We have the resources to help you recover for your property as well as emotional and financial damages. Contact us today for more info. No fee unless we win and free consults. Call us at 844-977-1900 24/7 or use the LiveChat feature on our website. We look forward to hearing from you.