Not every car accident is caused by a careless or reckless driver. Some stem from a defective automobile part that suddenly renders the vehicle unstable or out of control. At Cimarron Ridge Legal Group, our attorneys have decades of experience working on cases where accidents are to blame on a defective manufacture of an automobile.
If your motor vehicle failed to work as expected, you might be able to hold the manufacturer liable for your injuries. Meet with a Grand Junction manufacturer liability lawyer for help.
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Checking for Recalls
When a manufacturer becomes aware of defects, it should issue a recall and send you notification in the mail. However, you can also check the most recent recalls yourself by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Recalls website. You can search using your vehicle identification number (VIN) or by entering the
- make
- model
- year of your vehicle
Information on safety recalls should be listed for the last 15 years.
Once a recall is issued, you should be able to have your vehicle fixed for free. The manufacturer might tell you which mechanic to contact for a free repair.
At the NHTSA website, you can also check for recalls of child car or booster seats. Stop using a defective seat and have it replaced immediately.
Types of Manufacturing Liability
Liability usually takes one of two forms:
- Design defect. A design might seem safe until the product is actually manufactured and tested in real world conditions. With a design defect, the vehicle is dangerous even though it was manufactured according to specifications. For example, the design of a seat belt could be dangerous if it ends up choking many passengers.
- Manufacturing defect. Sometimes, nothing is wrong with the design. However, the way a particular car or auto part was manufactured makes it dangerous. As an example, the material in an axle could be defective, causing the axle to break on its own.
A child car or booster seat could also be dangerous if the instructions or warnings are inadequate. This is called a “marketing defect.” Without adequate warnings or instructions, you could use the seat wrong and end up injuring your child.
Holding Manufacturers Responsible for Accidents
Cars are made up of many component parts, and only one part on a vehicle might fail. However, you typically have the option of suing both the manufacturer of the part as well as the manufacturer of the vehicle as a whole.
Imagine the airbags in your Toyota fail. You can bring a lawsuit against Toyota for manufacturing a defective car or you can sue the maker of the airbags, or both. By adding multiple defendants in this way, you might increase your chances of receiving full compensation for your injuries.
Building a Case against the Manufacturer
When you bought a car, you probably had no idea how to identify a defect. After an accident, you might have some better idea of what went wrong, but you still need to do your best to preserve evidence. We recommend that you not get your car fixed right away. Your lawyer will need to look at it to see if a defective part contributed to the crash, and if you fix the car then you have wiped out evidence.
Also, remember to write down your memories of what happened soon after the accident. For example, if the car suddenly sped up without you touching the gas pedal, then your lawyer will need to know that. Your memories of what happened can be a great starting point for investigating a vehicle for defects.
Also, remember to get insurance information from anyone else involved in the crash. It might turn out that your car isn’t defective at all, but you nevertheless have a valid claim against another motorist. Swap insurance information and personal details before leaving the scene of the crash.
Contact a Grand Junction Manufacturer Liability Attorney
A lawsuit involving manufacturing or design defects is not like other personal injury cases. You can expect a large corporation to fight much more aggressively than other defendants would in similar circumstances.
If you need compensation, you should hire a skilled and experienced manufacturer liability attorney to fight by your side. Contact Cimarron Ridge Legal Group today. We can meet with you for a free initial consultation where we can review the details of your accident and analyze whether you have a legal case. Please avoid delay. Colorado law gives injured motorists a short amount of time to bring a lawsuit to defend their rights. Contact us at (970) 230-7658.
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