Car accidents are frightening for many reasons, but a big part of the terror is the complete loss of control during a collision, roadway departure, or rollover accident. Loss of control occurs in all car accidents, but what about when the loss of control due to a vehicle malfunction is what causes the accident or contributes to the severity of injuries?
When a car manufacturer or the maker of an auto part produces a product with a design defect, manufacturing error, or marketing mistake, the results can be deadly.
What Kinds of Manufacturing Defects Cause Car Accidents?
Some auto defects are inconvenient and annoying, like an indicator light that won’t turn off or a problem with the sound system, but some automotive or auto part defects are more than just bothersome. Sometimes a defective part is a serious safety hazard that causes devastating car accidents. The types of auto or auto part defects that most commonly result in accidents or increased injuries include the following:
- Defective tires
- Defective brakes
- Defective steering systems
- Defective assistive driving technologies
- Defective accelerators
- Airbag defects
- Seatbelt defects
- Defective tail lights, brake lights, or headlights
- Compromised windshields
- Defective fuel system
- Windshield wiper failures
- Faulty electrical systems
When an auto defect causes an accident, the results are often devasting, including serious or catastrophic injuries or wrongful death to drivers and their passengers.
What Injuries Occur in Accidents Caused by Manufacturing Defects?
Serious car accidents cause grave or catastrophic injuries to motorists, particularly if an auto defect causes the driver’s lack of ability to control speed, steering, or braking. Common injuries in accidents caused by defective auto parts include the following:
- Head injuries/ traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones, including serious fractures of the limbs, ribs, hips, and pelvis
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Knee injuries
- Ankle injuries
- Internal organ injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Facial trauma
- Burns
- Lacerations, bruises, and abrasions
In the worst cases, auto defect accidents result in catastrophic injuries with life-altering impacts or wrongful death.
How Do I Recover Compensation in an Auto Defect Accident?
In most car accident compensation claims in no-fault states like New Jersey, the injury victims seek compensation against their own insurance policy or through a lawsuit against an at-fault driver who made a mistake or drove recklessly or aggressively. But when an auto defect or malfunctioning auto part causes an accident, the compensation claim becomes a defective product claim. Manufacturers are under a strict liability law which means Cherry Hill personal injury victims don’t have to prove a manufacturer’s negligence, only that there was a design defect, manufacturing error, or marketing mistake that resulted in injury.
How Can a New Jersey Car Accident Attorney Help?
Defective product claims for auto defect injuries require compelling evidence. An experienced attorney consults with automotive expert witnesses and conducts a thorough investigation to prove liability. They carefully calculate your damages to obtain the highest possible settlement. If an insurance company fails to offer an ample settlement or wrongfully denies a valid claim, your New Jersey car accident lawyer will take the matter to court in a lawsuit.
Call the Cherry Hill vehicle accident lawyers at Cuneo & Leonetti to defend your rights and represent your best interests throughout the process of your claim.