3 Ways Car Defects Can Cause an Injury
With the massive Takata airbag recalls still in the news, many folks may be feeling a bit worried about their car’s design and manufacturing safety right now. And as newer model cars continue to add semi-autonomous driving systems, it’s okay to have concerns about unfamiliar features.
The good news is that cars have become significantly safer over time, thanks to innovations such as seat belts, airbags, and anti-rollover features. In more recent years, active safety features are helping many drivers avoid crashes and stay focused on the road. Manufactures test and retest cars to create safer models with better features.
But it’s still possible for something to go wrong, whether in the design stage, during manufacturing or even during shipment to the lot. If you’ve been injured by a car defect, a Macon car accident lawyer can help determine if you have a case.
How a Car Defect Impacts Your Claim
First of all, it helps to understand how a car defect injury claim is different from your typical personal injury claim. While you don’t have to establish fault in a car defect injury claim, the injured driver does need to show:
- The vehicle had a defect
- The vehicle was being used as it was supposed to be used
- The vehicle hadn’t been extensively modified
Claims also typically focus on a specific issue with the vehicle, including:
Crashworthiness
Crashworthiness is a vehicle’s ability to protect its occupants in the event of a crash. Crumple zones, seat belts, front and side airbags, and features that reduce the risk of fire all contribute to a vehicle’s crashworthiness. An automaker can be held liable for a car with poor crashworthiness no matter what caused the crash. This means the defect itself doesn’t have to cause the crash. It just has to cause or worsen the injuries of the driver or passengers.
Design problems
In a case of poor design, the injured person needs to show the manufacturer understood there was a risk associated with the design, and a reasonable, cost-effective alternative would have helped avoid that risk.
Manufacturing problems
In cases involving manufacturing, the injured party needs to show the vehicle or its components weren’t made correctly. This could be due to a production line problem affecting hundreds of cars, or a single error causing a problem in just your vehicle.
Additionally, semi-autonomous driving features pose a new potential for defects. As they’re tested and rolled out, and as drivers adjust their habits to work with the new technologies, there will be some mistakes and missteps.
In a case involving car defects, it can be tricky to distinguish the cause of injuries. That’s why you’ll need an experienced Macon car accident lawyer on your side.
Contact us today
If you’ve been injured and need a Macon injury attorney, the attorneys at Buzzell, Welsh & Hill can look at the specifics of your accident and help you move toward a fair settlement. Contact the Macon personal injury attorneys at Buzzell, Welsh & Hill for your free consultation today.
