Personal Injuries Due to Car Manufacturing Defects

While most people think of car accidents as a result of the negligence of a driver, over 40,000 car accidents happen every year due to defectively manufactured car parts and components. The National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) both indicate that statistically, tens of thousands of accidents happen yearly due to manufacturing defects. While some of these defects cause recall notices, others are not caught so quickly and lead to hundreds of serious injuries and even deaths.

Car Manufacturing Defects

Vehicles on the roadways are required to contain parts and components that meet the standards and regulations created by the NHTSA, called the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. If a vehicle does not meet the standards after a product has been put into the stream of commerce, it may trigger a recall notice for the vehicle with that part or component. Some of the more common recalls that occur are related to:

Incorrect or unintentional deployment of airbags
Broken accelerators (sticking or faulty in operation)
Fires or loss of light from electrical systems
Wheels (cracked and/or broken)
Steering component failures
Fuel system failures
Windshield wiper failures
Seatbacks or seat failures

Types of Car Accidents Due to Manufacturing Defects

While the actual scenarios of a car accident related to a manufacturing defect are numerous, the most typical types of accidents that result from car manufacturing defects include the following:

The manufacturing defect caused the accident. Any of the above-mentioned listed could be the direct cause of a car accident that would result in personal injury or death.
The manufacturing defect caused a more serious accident. One of the most common scenarios is when an airbag fails to deploy correctly. While this manufacturing defect did not cause the accident, it would make the injuries much more catastrophic.

Manufacturing Defect Liability

If your car accident was due to a manufacturing defect in any way, you may have the right to compensation from the manufacturer for your injuries. A manufacturer is under “strict liability” law which means that if they placed a defective part or component into the stream of commerce inside of a vehicle, they will be held liable under the law.

The manufacturers have an absolute duty to ensure that their products are safe and free from danger when they place them in the hands of a consumer. If a manufacturer ever does find a defect in their part or component, they are required by law to issue a recall notice. However, if before that time you were injured in an accident related to the manufacturing defect, you likely have a right to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and perhaps even pain and suffering.

Contact an Experienced Attorney Today

If you were involved in a car accident that was related or caused by a manufacturing defect, contact an experienced Columbia car accident attorney at The Stanley Law Group at 803-799-4700 and set up a consultation today to discuss your case.

Resource:

crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812115

https://www.thestanleylawgroup.com/frequently-asked-questions-about-auto-accidents/