Most drivers do everything possible to keep themselves and others on the road safe. From buckling your seatbelt and always checking your blind spots to following the speed limit and practicing defensive driving; safety is a priority. However, when you are injured in a collision caused by a safety defect with your vehicle, it can be especially devastating. It is imperative to understand that you do not have to bear the burden of a faulty car, as you may be eligible to file a claim against the manufacturer. Keep reading to learn more about these circumstances and how our Irvine products liability lawyers can help.
California is a strict liability state when it comes to defective products. Essentially, this means that an injured individual does not need to prove that the manufacturer was negligent – a company can face liability for injuries caused by a defective product so long as four elements are true:
So long as these elements are all present, a manufacturer can face liability for the injuries a defective car part caused.
Despite the fact that vehicles are required by law to undergo rigorous safety testing during the production process, defects and oversights can still occur. Typically, defects fall into one of three categories.
Design flaws, which are inherent issues with the blueprint of the product, render it unsafe. Even when produced perfectly, all products manufactured using an unsafe design will be inherently dangerous. For example, if an SUV has a high center of gravity, it can increase the risk of a rollover collision.
Manufacturing flaws occur when a product design is safe, but an issue with manufacturing causes it to be unsafe. Manufacturing defects may impact a single product or a whole batch, but will not affect every single product, like design defects. For example, you may find that a mistake at the manufacturing plant causes the wrong welding setting to be used for an entire shift, which can compromise the structural integrity of all vehicles produced during this shift.
Finally, failure to warn occurs when an adequate warning is not provided about the potential risks a product poses. A failure-to-warn defect can look like a vehicle that fails to provide a proper warning about the automatic braking system’s difficulty in detecting hazards on the road at nighttime.
Some of the most common defects that impact vehicles in Irvine include, but are not limited to, the following:
These defects can cause you to lose control of your vehicle, ultimately leading to collisions with other drivers, pedestrians, or property.
In some instances, these defects may lead to severe injury if you are involved in an accident. For example, if you are struck by a driver and your defective airbags do not deploy, you can sustain injuries as a result of the initial collision and the defective condition.
If you are injured in a collision in Orange County that was caused by or made worse by vehicle defects, it is critical to understand how liability is determined. While it may seem like only the manufacturer can face liability, this is not true – depending on the circumstances, multiple parties can face responsibility for the damages you have suffered.
As mentioned, vehicle manufacturers have a strict responsibility to ensure that the vehicles they put out on the market are safe. As such, these manufacturers must subject vehicles to rigorous safety testing in compliance with federal safety standards.
Most major automotive manufacturers do not make every part of a vehicle themselves. As such, many purchase these parts from suppliers. While the automaker must still ensure that these parts are safe and can be held liable for installing a defective part, the part manufacturer can also face liability for the inherent defect.
A dealership is not always liable when a car it sells is defective. However, it can be held responsible for injuries in the event that it sells a vehicle with a known safety defect without informing consumers, or sells a car that was part of a recall that was never inspected and repaired.
When you are injured while operating a defective vehicle, recovering the compensation you deserve can be incredibly difficult. Manufacturers have legal teams ready to fight these claims aggressively, and expert witnesses are often required in these cases due to the complexity of vehicle defects.
As such, there are steps you can take to improve the strength of your claim. Following an accident in Irvine, you should do the following:
Whether the manufacturer was looking to beat the competition by producing a new car quickly or simply failed to ensure their manufacturing process was up to par, you should not have to suffer as a result. When you are hurt, California Personal Injury Law Firm, APC, is here to help. Contact our firm today to discuss your unique circumstances with a member of our team.
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