With all the distracted drivers on the road, it’d be nice to get a little peace of mind from knowing we’re driving in a perfectly safe car, truck, or SUV that will protect us in the event of a collision. But what happens when we can’t even rely on our vehicle to perform as it should? What happens when an automobile part that has worked on a daily basis for several years just suddenly fails causing the car to spiral out of control?
Thousands of people are injured and killed each year by defective autos. Although automobile safety has improved considerably over the last several decades, vehicle defects still cause deadly car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), vehicle factors were the cause of 44,000 of the 2.2 million car accidents in 2016.
Auto Defect Facts and Figures
The NHTSA reports the annual economic loss to society because of auto defective crashes, in terms of worker productivity, medical bills, insurance costs, and other expenses is estimated at over $230 billion. There are unsafe vehicles on our nation’s highways every day, and unsuspecting drivers and passengers are being harmed at an alarming rate through no fault of their own.
Since the inception of the NHTSA, “More than 390 million cars, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and mopeds, as well as 46 million tires, 66 million pieces of motor vehicle equipment, and 42 million child safety seats have been recalled to correct safety defects.”
A recall is necessary, according to the NHTSA, when a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment, including the tires, does not comply with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. A recall is also necessary when there is a safety-related defect in the vehicle or equipment. “Federal Standards are applicable to all vehicles and vehicle-related equipment manufactured or imported for sale in the United States (including U.S. territories) and certified for use on public roads and highways,” according to the NHTSA.
Most Common Vehicle Defects
Some vehicle parts are more prone to fail and cause injury than others. Here are the top ten most common auto defects that may cause injury:
- Airbags: They can under or over-inflate, and they have been known to explode sending shrapnel into the bodies of drivers and passengers.
- Ignition Switches. Defective ignition switches may cause the car to stall even while it’s moving.
- Steering Systems. Failed power steering and loose or disconnected steering columns may lead to catastrophic crashes.
- Fuel Systems. Defective fuel systems can cause the engine to stall and can also spark deadly fires.
- Braking Systems. Failed brakes often lead to deadly collisions.
- Tires. Faulty tires can explode, tread can separate, tubes can rupture, and stems can leak, all of which cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
- Electrical Systems. Faulty electrical systems often cause engine failure, fire or explosion.
- Computer Systems. A car’s computer system controls everything, so any number of issues may arise when the computer system is faulty.
- Seatbelts. Defects in seatbelts may cause them to fail to secure or may come loose during a collision.
- Seats. Defective seat backs may also pose a serious threat to adult passengers and children riding in the back of the car.
If you’ve suffered serious injury or have lost a loved one due to a defective vehicle, you may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer, the seller, and even the company that shipped the defective part or car to the dealership. Please contact an experienced personal injury attorney in your area who handles these complex cases and schedule a no-cost consultation. There are statutes of limitation on these cases, so please don’t delay.
About Lynn Fugaro
